Thread: Christian Nation?

Originally Posted by Zyphlin

We have never, and likely will never, be a Christian STATE.

Due to the overwhelming majority of early American's being Christian, I personally believe it would be accurate to refer to the USA as a "Christian Nation" during its founding and early years. While Tucker and I have gone around quite a bit on this notion and he's swayed me from believing it would be accurate to refer to us as such today, the overwhelming majority of individuals who subscribed to Christian beliefs and the more interwoven it was into the lives of many at the time of the founding compared to today makes me still think it's accurate to refer to it as such.

We were people who shared a general territory that together had shared culture and history with regards to our root religion with the overwhelming majority of people. While acknowledging the multiple branches of Christianity, the foundation all are built off remains the same. While it is not the only describable "nation" within the USA, I think in its early days it would be absolutely accurate.

With the rise in followers of various other religions and athiesism in this country, the percentage of the population that is Christian has shrunk substantially. Additionally, the strength of individuals convictions and adherance to their faith as a matter of routine and daily life seems to have subsided significantly. With those factors in place, I do not believe it's accurate to describe us as a blanket "Christian Nation" any longer. A "Largely Christian Nation" or a "Majority Christian Nation" perhaps, but over arching and all inclusive terminology would no longer be accurate.

However, when it comes to speaking about the State, not the nation, its undeniable with a thurough and honest bit of research into the Founders and many of the thinkers the founders used as the basis for their thoughts that this country was based at least in part, if not in large part, on Christian beliefs and philosophies that sprung from Christian Theological thought. However, what was the basis for the thinking of individual framers does not consistute the foundation of the State. That is created through the laws and documents which bind it, things which do not establish nor lend favor towards nor promote Christianity beyond any other religious belief system.

So a Christian Nation? Arguably, and in my opinion correctly, to be said about the time of the founding and the early days of the Country but no longer.

A Christian State? Never has been and likely never will be.

I'm so tempted to try and argue with you by claiming that you convinced me of your old position during those exchanges, but I'd probably just end up confusing myself.

Originally Posted by Tucker Case

I'm so tempted to try and argue with you by claiming that you convinced me of your old position during those exchanges, but I'd probably just end up confusing myself.

LOL, just to argue or because I actually did?

They were some of the best debates I've had on her eand one of those times where my thoughts changed a bit based on the arguments of the other side. It was nice to actually discuss about the notion of a nation on the political science level of the term as well.

Originally Posted by Zyphlin

LOL, just to argue or because I actually did?

They were some of the best debates I've had on her eand one of those times where my thoughts changed a bit based on the arguments of the other side. It was nice to actually discuss about the notion of a nation on the political science level of the term as well.

Just to argue, although you did convince me that the term would have been accurate in the earlier days of the republic. Basically, we seem to have an identical position on it now because we both changed our position somewhat. It was definitely one of the best debates I ever had here.