Christian Nation?

I know I didn't pay as much attention in history class as I should have, especially because in my older years I have become fascinated with history.  The story of mankind and his progress or regress over the centuries is quite a read.  Winston Churchill is quoted as saying “history is written by the victor”.  A true statement of sort but in recent times I see that some folks are trying to set the record straight, as they should.  I would like to do the same.

As a student of Constitutional Law, and for a couple of years as a college instructor of the same, I have read and re-read the Constitution and many of the founding documents and have never found a proclamation of any sort, that the United States of America was established as a Christian Nation.  Certainly the Founders of this Country were not only keen but insistent on establishing laws that are definitely rooted in the Holy Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, but at no time did they officially, intentionally or accidentally claim that the United States was a Christian Nation.

 

The U.S. Constitution is a wholly secular document. It contains no mention of Christianity or Jesus Christ. In fact, it uses religious terms only twice; in the First Amendment, which bars laws "respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and in Article VI, which prohibits "religious tests" for public office. Both of these provisions are evidence that the Country was not founded as officially Christian or any other religion.

For years now, I see postings on the internet and hear talks on radio and TV, claiming that the United States of America was and is a Christian Nation; usually, these writers/orators pick some obscure letter or an out of context phrase, to offer as evidence for their position.  One of the greatest ‘rights’ we have in the United States is the Freedom of Speech and/or Expression, so they are free to forward their position without fear of speaking/writing against the law, even if they are incorrect.

 

Yes, the Declaration of Independence does refer to the ‘Creator’ and ‘Supreme Judge of the World’, but never Jesus or Christianity – yet many claim that it without a doubt established the United States as Christian Nation. that holds as much water as the lady who insisted to me that the Bible was written by Christian men not Jewish men.

Come now folks, I too was taught that the Crusades were a good Christian event and that Christopher Columbus was a great ambassador to the New World.  Well, we know that many things have been done in the name of Jesus that were not good things and that many explorers were pretty bad dudes.  Not all that we are told is true!

 

So let’s set the record straight; The United States of America was not established as a Christian Nation…..if it was, Article VI of the Constitution would not exist and every person running for office would need to prove their belief in Jesus before they could be elected.

  

So what were the Founding Father’s beliefs?  Some only believed in God; some believed in Jesus and still others believed in no supreme being or established religion.  What they did agree on was that they and anyone who inhabited this Country later, had the right to believe, worship and adhere to any religion they chose without fear of reprisal from government or its citizens.  They also believed that nobody was required to believe if they chose to have no preference or belief.

 

Indeed, even with all of the problems this Country has today and all the bickering and political name calling, The United States of America is the best Nation in the world.  It is the freedom to believe what we want that makes it so.  Even the ‘tin foil hat brigade’ can believe that their minds are being taken over by aliens. Who are we to say different? (can you say NSA)

If you are a Christian, may God Bless you…..but in America you do not have the right to insist that  someone else can’t express their religious beliefs or worship that may be different than yours.  Practice what Jesus taught you; Love one another.  He didn't teach destroy one another!

Remember, things are not always the way we want them to be.