The answer to this question might surprise you, but this article might offend you. Try to understand that what you are about to read will ultimately empower you, but to receive; you must complete it. I have to approach this topic in the manner presented for a specific reason. This reason will become apparent in the end.
If I told you that the United States was a Catholic nation, it would probably come off as rather offensive, wouldn’t it? Unless you are Catholic, of course. Otherwise, you might laugh in my face because you knew it wasn’t true. Such a statement would be especially offensive to the 10% of all Americans who consider themselves “former Catholics.” And what about those who subscribe to a different kind of religion altogether or, perhaps, no religion? So what if I said we needed to allow Catholic law to take the place of Constitutional law? It might be a problem, right?
Still, there are quite a few reasons why we could call ourselves a Catholic Nation, considering the number of Catholics who make up the fabric of this great nation, or perhaps because a couple of the Founding Fathers were Catholic, or perhaps because American Catholicism is on the rise due in great part to Latinos; who already account for roughly one-in-three adult Catholics overall; and as we already know, this rise can contribute to current immigration policy. Consider this; Latinos already represent nearly half of all Catholics ages 18-29 (45%); each Latino immigrant adds to that number.
But of course, we don’t call it a Catholic Nation because of facts; like the fact that over 50% of the population is actually some form of Protestant. So perhaps we should call it a Protestant nation? No, because that leaves people out, too, right? And it would be inaccurate anyway because of the varying forms of Protestantism.
So because of this complexity, most people simply default to calling the United States a “Christian Nation,” even though there is little evidence to support this. Even when considering simple percentages, we would have to include groups such as “non-denominational” to get the number of people who might even own a Bible to roughly 75%. And we would definitely have to include Jehovah’s Witness, all forms of Orthodox, and of course, Mormon, which, as we saw during the last presidential election, most “Christians” would rather vote in a Socialist than vote in a Mormon. The point is that the different forms of Christianity are not exactly best friends and don’t often associate with one another, so why would we associate them here?
We need to ponder the question: is the United States a Christian Nation, and if so, why? Of course, this topic has come up quite a bit lately, especially when some people try to counter what they deem as an impending Islamic threat. The problem is that by evoking such ideas, you risk coming across as really ignorant, which equates to easily ignored. You need to be able to do more than add up anyone, even remotely or loosely affiliated with religions that would otherwise never associate with one another and have (historically speaking) denounced one another. To clarify: it is probably best not to use the percentage debate, especially in light of the numerous facts contradicting this approach.
The reason there is any debate at all is due in great part to ignorance, and that ignorance starts in schools. Perhaps it begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. Or maybe it’s because they teach that the Founders came to the United States to escape religious persecution, which, to be blunt, is highly misleading. Calling the United States a “Christian Nation” would be a massive insult to some of our most influential Founding Fathers. Many of them, such as Thomas Jefferson, believed in religious freedom and the separation of church and state. They did not want the government to be closely tied to any specific religion, and this principle is reflected in the Constitution.
Arguments for the label of a “Christian Nation” have been made by pointing at examples provided by the government with regards to religious symbols and references, such as the inclusion of “In God We Trust” on currency or the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. But these examples do not necessarily indicate that the United States is a “Christian Nation” and do not consider Americans’ diverse religious beliefs.
Let me also be clear that our founders did not flee England to escape religious persecution. There is a difference between the founding fathers and the forefathers. Some of our FORE-fathers fled England to escape religious persecution, but this effort was long before the FOUNDING Fathers were even born. The Pilgrims might be considered Forefathers. Of course, the Pilgrims founded Jamestown in Virginia in 1602, 174 years before the idea of the United States was seriously pursued. And to give you an idea of timelines here, England renounced religious persecution in 1689 – almost a hundred years before the United States became a country. Our Founding Fathers (IE: those who founded the official government of the USA) were not Pilgrims and were definitely not paying homage to a Christian God.
It is important to note that the United States is not a monolithic nation regarding religion, and it is not accurate to label it as a “Christian Nation” or any other specific religion. The United States is a diverse nation with a complex mixture of religious beliefs, and it is important to respect and acknowledge this diversity. This conversation is not just about labels but about understanding and respecting the beliefs of all Americans. For more evidence, we need to look at a few different elements: the Constitution, a few of the Founders, and of course, ratified law.
The Constitution
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This clause, commonly known as the Establishment Clause, is a fundamental principle of religious freedom in the United States.
But what does the word “respecting” mean in this context? When the Constitution was written, “respecting” meant giving a privileged position, acknowledging, or holding in esteem or honor. In other words, the First Amendment prohibits Congress from disseminating preferential treatment, recognizing an official state religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of any religion.
This means that the Founders did not intend for the United States to be a “Christian Nation” or for any specific religion to be given privileged status over others. They believed in religious freedom and the separation of church and state. The First Amendment ensures that the government cannot establish or favor any particular religion and that all citizens have the right to practice their religion freely.
The Founders
Some of the Founders of the United States were indeed Christian, including Protestants and Roman Catholics. However, when you delve deeper into the Founders’ beliefs, you’ll find that some of them held views that were not Christian at all.
In the founding documents of the United States, you’ll find references to “Natural Rights” and “Nature’s God,” both terms associated with Deism. Deism is a religious belief system that emphasizes reason and nature over revelation and miracles. It was a prominent school of thought during the 18th century, and some of the most influential Founders, such as Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, were Deists.
Paine, for example, called Christianity “a fable,” while Franklin never accepted the divinity of Christ and referred to himself as a Deist in his 1771 autobiography. Ethan Allen, a revolutionary leader and hero of Fort Ticonderoga, also rejected revelation, prophecies, miracles, and divine providence in his book “Reason: The Only Oracle of Man.”
In all fairness, it’s worth noting that some historians argue that many of the leading Founders, such as Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Wilson, Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and even Washington, were not strictly Christians, Deists, or any specific religious belief system but instead supporters of “theistic rationalism.” However, regardless of how you interpret their beliefs, it’s clear that many of the Founders were not strictly Christian. It is unlikely they would have wanted to create a “Christian Nation” or for any specific religion to hold power over the Constitution.
Ratified Law
One of the most convincing pieces of evidence that the United States is not a “Christian Nation” is the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed between the United States and the Bey and subjects of Tripoli in 1796. Article 11 of this official government document states, “As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion…” This treaty, which was first drafted during the administration of George Washington and ratified during the administration of John Adams, clearly states that the United States is not based on any one religion.
It’s important to remember that this is not to offend or argue about Christianity. The point is that our country is not founded on any one religion and that no religion can be given privileged status over the Constitution. This is not a Christian Nation, and that is by design. The founders believed in religious freedom and the separation of church and state. This is why the First Amendment prohibits Congress from establishing or favoring any particular religion.
The purpose of this article is to educate and inspire. The goal is to help you understand the founders and their beliefs. By understanding the true principles on which our country was founded, we can better preserve their vision and ensure that the Constitution is upheld. The courts have recently made mistakes regarding religion and the Constitution. Still, we can recognize and correct these mistakes by understanding the true principles on which our country was founded.
Thomas Jefferson gave a recommendation to his nephew Peter Carr in 1787 that I would now like to recommend to you: “Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.”
Learn more by checking out some books on Deism.