Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?

Many Religious Right activists have attempted to rewrite history by asserting that the United States government derived from Christian foundations, that our Founding Fathers originally aimed for a Christian nation. This idea simply does not hold to the historical evidence.

Shelagh) What is being explored here is whether or not religion played an important role in the founding of America as shown in early US history. I am not interested in counter argument because that is not my purpose. I hope everyone respects that and lets the investigation follow purposeful lines that look only at the evidence. Thank you.

Here is an excerpt from an article on Helium. I have read the article and would be interested to know your (not counter argument) views.

Quote :

The United States, founded on secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, whilst England with its established church headed by a constitutional monarchy, is amongst the least. A second is that because America is legally secular, religion has become a free-enterprise with rival churches aggressively competing for congregations, and thus their tithes and donations. In England, religion under the control of a long established church, has become something of a pleasant social pastime

http://www.helium.com/items/1455272-usa-founded-as-a-secular-nation

Shelagh,

You are spoofing--I hope?

Spoofing or not - the subject is timely. My belief was that the United States original colonies were formed to break free from the taxation issues and political controls they faced as colonies. Many people came to the U.S. to escape religious persecution for their beliefs. Therefore, freedom to practice their own religions seemed part of it. As for establishing a Christian nation, I do not remember any documents that I have studied that would indicate a preferenced religious belief. My understanding is that many of the founders had no particular belief system and those that did differed greatly. I may certainly be corrected.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK

alice wrote:

Shelagh,

You are spoofing--I hope?

Me? Spoofing? The very idea.

I am tempted to say all kinds of things, but will resist temptation.

The population of the United States is probably the most diverse in the world. And it may be that every religion in the world is represented. How ever many there are - each is accorded freedom to worship as they wish.

And no one is restricted from researching, writing, or speaking about their faith, or that of others.

I agree with dkchristi

Quote :

As for establishing a Christian nation, I do not remember any documents that I have studied that would indicate a preferenced religious belief.

James
/

1/7/2011

I do believe that Christians out number any other religion
in the USA...


Cheers..Joe

dkchristi wrote:

Spoofing or not - the subject is timely. My belief was that the United States original colonies were formed to break free from the taxation issues and political controls they faced as colonies. Many people came to the U.S. to escape religious persecution for their beliefs. Therefore, freedom to practice their own religions seemed part of it. As for establishing a Christian nation, I do not remember any documents that I have studied that would indicate a preferenced religious belief. My understanding is that many of the founders had no particular belief system and those that did differed greatly. I may certainly be corrected.

That is also my understanding.

As for practicing what one preaches, that's another subject.

Most of our founding fathers were Deists:
http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

Quote :

None of the Founding Fathers were atheists. Most of the Founders were Deists, which is to say they thought the universe had a creator, but that he does not concern himself with the daily lives of humans, and does not directly communicate with humans, either by revelation or by sacred books. They spoke often of God, (Nature's God or the God of Nature), but this was not the God of the bible. They did not deny that there was a person called Jesus, and praised him for his benevolent teachings, but they flatly denied his divinity. Some people speculate that if Charles Darwin had lived a century earlier, the Founding Fatherswould have had a basis for accepting naturalistic origins of life, and theywould have been atheists. Most of them were stoutly opposed to the bible, and the teachings of Christianity in particular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

Ann

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association. p. 379.

http://www.constitution.org/tj/jeff10.txt. Retrieved 2009-05-23.

"... To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson#Religion_2
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