Is the Usa a Christian Nation?
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Did It Right The First Time.
On July, 4th 1776, continental congress adopted a statement, a statement known as the Declaration of Independence. This statement gave reason why thirteen colonies were no longer claiming themselves as part of the British Empire. After being ruled by an atrocious king, the founding fathers decided to draft a constitution that would direct this countries law and political culture in a positive light. There are numerous claims that the United States was built around the christen religion. David Barton says that the proof is in the declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He also claims that many of the founding fathers were Christians and thats why we are a Christian nation. These claims are false. The evidence against the claims that the United States was a Christian nation is overwhelming. The United States is not founded on Christian principles.
Christian revisionists have been attempting to rewrite history. Doing your homework on this topic will quickly set your mind straight. It does not take a genius to read fact from this countrys past time to know what it is really saying. What it is really is what you are really going to read. When Christian revisionists say things or quote somebody it is almost always out of context and if its not misquoted its because it has nothing to do with whatever point there trying to make. If you read straight out of the constitution it doesnt seem that they were going for a Christian nation, if so the first amendment wouldnt say “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” If anything it would favor the religion that they would want to build this country on, but it doesnt say that. We will come back to this. The treaty of Tripoli was one piece of evidence that proves that the United States is a secular nation. This treaty translates to “the treaty of peace, and friendship that would be with the Bey and subjects of Tripoli of Barbay. In this treaty, in article II it clearly states “as the government of the united states is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion. How could the founding fathers be anymore clear? Then Christian revisionists will go on to say that if you just looked up how many Christians were in the United States vs. any other religion at that time. “Because there were large numbers of Christians that certifies the United States as a Christian nation says author David Barton (toddtyszka, 1, 2).
However the beginning of religion in politics or politics in religion started with the pilgrims in the 1600s. Life was just beginning in the United States in 1600. It was an extremely time for the pilgrims. Many pilgrims didnt know how to survive. The more people that arrived in America the more people died. Disease ruled the land; the lack of food did as well. The ships came to the new world low on supplies. “In Jamestown 66 of the first 104 settlers died within a year of landing in 1607, and another 440 followed them straight to the grave by 1610.” (Klinkenborg Par1). The only official holiday we still have dates back to the earliest pilgrims who were thank full that the Indians showed them how to survive. Awhile after arriving they all set out to be exclusive to their own beliefs. “Virginia and New York for the Anglicans; Pennsylvania for the Quakers; Maryland for the Catholics; and of course new England for the puritans.” (Perkins. Par10). The puritans came to America due to the fact that they were being persecuted and wished to practice their religion freely. Once in the United States the puritans built a city up on a hill top. Reason being, they wanted to be seen as being the example. There Governed John Winthrop (of Mass) would rule this city by “godly magistrates and hostile to sin and heresy” (Perkins. Par 10) puritans were very intolerant of other religious beliefs amongst the top offenses were adultery and witchcraft. You would be put to death for either of these. Anyone who didnt agree with their type of worship was called a heretic and here by banished from their community or even hung. Puritans who fled to the United States to escape religious persecution are now dealing with the same issues as before. Many people were banished from their community for thinking a little bit in a different perspective. Amongst those banished were; Thomas Hooker, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchenson, John Wheelwright, Harry Vain, Mary Fisher, Ann Austin and many others. Most moved on to other churches or began their own. Although things were very difficult for women, “womens number one priority was to obey their husbands.”(Eden, Par 9). Colonies began to multiply and practice their own form of religion and politics. Many of these colonies were usually ruled by the priest in the name of god or a theocracy. Eventually they realized practicing theocracy would be the way their communities needed to be run. They finally understood that imposing there will on other communities would never allow them to have their own religious freedom. The puritans began to test out this idea of democracy. They gave all the power to the person which in turn means the majority. Once the majority got their power they would begin to impose their will. They would try to control everything from morals to thought to religion.
The founding fathers were very aware of this. They put aside their differences and decided to protect the people by creating the constitution. This document guaranteed them there right to free speech , freedom of the press, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, and finally freedom of religion and of course trial by jury.
Many of the founding fathers were deists. They believed there was a creator. They just didnt believe that he would involve himself in the daily lives of people. Deists also dont believe that he spoke to people through the bible. Although the founding fathers spoke often of god, they didnt mean the god of the bible. They did believe that there was a creator of nature. But like I said before this creator wasnt of the bible. Deist never denied that Jesus didnt exist, and in fact “praised him for his benevolent teachings, but they flatly denied his divinity.” (Our. Par4)
Many people believed that had Charles Darwin lived in this time that many people would have been Atheists. Atheists are people who believe that no one being has supernatural powers. Some people believe that Charles Darwin could have proved a lot of things through reason and logic. Even though many founding fathers were against Christianity and the bible, there were Christians amongst the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson was by far the individual founding father against Christianity and the