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Is America a Christian Nation?

Is America a Christian nation?


  • Total voters
    55
I've googled the following "A CULTURAL nation is a grouping of people sharing a common language, ethnicity, culture, religion, or history." and I can find no source to corroborate this definition.

Could you please provide a source?

I'll be honest here. I'm going off memory from a college course and using Wiki's entry on nations as essentially crib notes. Which I will fully admit would get me scolded by any college professor. Wiki's entry is what begins breaking down between "Cultural Nations" and "Political Nations".

I also provided the wrong definition for political nation, having read and understood the wrong thing. It is as follows "the political nation is the holder of the sovereignty which shapes the fundamental norms governing the functioning of the state." The political nation I was speaking of earlier, where the will of the people joined together under a common ideological political belief to constitute a political community that invokes a nation, is describing the type of political nation that formed America.

So to this, upon further review, I relent. I equivocated in my initial post by taking the sepereate designations of nations I remembered from college and I read about in wiki and discussing them both, rather than simply discussing "nations" in general and letting people go forth on whichever designation they wanted.

I will however not relent on the notion of "Changing the goal posts", as my very first post concerning my own opinions made the distinction between the two known and gave examples for both, so to claim that I "Moved the goal posts" by continuing to discuss things in the same frame of reference I had when I first made an actual post on the topic is erronious.

The factors of which I was using are the ones I had learned in college and wiki sums up well, which is common descent/ethnicity, language, culture, history, or religion.
 
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Upon further reflections, while I reject the notion of different denominations actually representing different religions, I do recognize the legitimacy in potentially arguing that the variations in denominations are enough that an argument could be made against the common bond of their base religion. Not necessarily agreeing with the outcome of said argument, but identifying it as a legitimate argument and a legitimate means of stating disagreement with the notion of a shared religion in such a way that both individuals could potentially be corrected based on their own interpritations of the definition.

Which in and of itself is the problem, as everything I've read...from college to random sites to the wiki entry...seems to show no true, clear, and universal way in which people absolutely are able to unquestionably declare that a particular nation exists or not.

I must say however Tucker, thank you. Between your "the denominations are too diverse"* and the "a nation needs to apply 100% to be a common bond" arguments, you have given me the only two arguments I've ever ran into that actually wavers me in my notion of America being a Christian Nation. While I don't necessarily agree with you on the first, in that I think the commonalities amongst the various denominations are enough to be able to consider Christianity as a whole, its definitely an argument enough that if someone made it I would not necessarily argue that they're wrong to say that its not a Christian Nation, only that they have a different interpritation of what "christian" truly is which leads them to it. In regards to your second I would have to disagree, but only due to my consistancy in my particular number across multiple views of my own keeping it from being excessively arbitrary for my own personal opinions combined with the notion that 100% adherance to a particular factor amongst an entire population is impossible and thus an unrealistic metric.



*: Well, "the denominations are seperate religions" is what you really were arguing, which I don't buy, but I buy the general gist
 
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Zyphlin said:
The factors of which I was using are the ones I had learned in college and wiki sums up well, which is common descent/ethnicity, language, culture, history, or religion.

Ah, but wiki does not place the "or" in there, nor does it add "culture" to the Cultural Nation Section.

By including "culture" and adding the "or" the term lost all sense of meaning.


Also, using wiki, it only states that religion is only sometimes used as a defining factor. It also states that it is the fact that it is "shared" that makes in national. It points out Ireland as an example, where two Christian sects, Catholic and Protestant, are used as dividers in a very "national" sense*.



* Adding my own asterisk: My knowledge of the N. Ireland issue is precisely why I reject the notion that Christianity, as a generic whole, can define a "nation". I think it must be broken down to a less generic definition of religion.

I'll add that I consider them different "religions" based on the definition 2 found here: Religion - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

Protestantism has a different institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices than Catholicism does.

They are similar, but they are definitely different, some of the differences are very stark and codified (The catechism, Pope).
 
I've been rather absentee lately, so feel free to ignore my arguments, I can't promise I'll respond to what you have to say.

From those who say that America is, in fact, a Christian nation, could you please define what exactly makes a nation Christian? Is a majority population the definitive factor? Does it have to do with the governing system (i.e. theocracy)? Do the religious beliefs of the cornerstone members of our government weigh heavily?

I'm just a little fuzzy on exactly what it is that we're debating.
 
America is absolutely a Christian Nation and there is no rational argument to the contrary...
All this talk about the Founding Fathers is irrelevant and completely off point...
The Founding Fathers only created the government, the government is not the "Nation"...

nation[ney-shuhn] Show   IPA
–noun
1. a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own: The president spoke to the nation about the new tax.
2. the territory or country itself: the nations of Central America.
3. a member tribe of an American Indian confederation.
4. an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family, often speaking the same language or cognate languages.


Nation | Define Nation at Dictionary.com

The problem is that there is no state, other than Israel, that is a Religious State. So when we use a term like "A Chistian Nation" it is a set-up at best. It is a term used to describe the people within it, when it is not relevant to the nation as an entity. It describes the people within, and it is accurate.

Several of the original Thirteen Colonies were established by English settlers who wished to practice their own religion without discrimination: Pennsylvania was established by Quakers, Maryland by Roman Catholics and the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Puritans. Nine of the thirteen colonies had official public religions. ... Many U.S. adult citizens identify themselves as Christians (76%)... non-Christian religions (including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and others) collectively make up about 4% ... Only 59% of Americans living in Western states report a belief in God, yet in the South (the "Bible Belt") the figure is as high as 86% ...

Religion in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Christian: (78.4%)
Protestant (51.3%)
Roman Catholic (23.9%)
LDS (1.7%)

Jehovah's Witness (0.7%)
Orthodox (0.6%)
other Christian (0.3%)
no religion (16.1%)
Jewish (1.7%)
Buddhist (0.7%)
Muslim (0.6%)
Hindu (0.4%)
other (1.2%)

Religion in the United States
 
Yes and no. We're not a christian nation in the sense that we are a theocracy or that the country is run on christian principals. We are a christian nation in the sense that the majority of the population is a christian of some flavor or another.
 
Didn't read the thread.

Vote: No.

We are not a christian nation, but we are a nation of (mostly) christians.
 
"Is America a Christian nation?"

Ill answer the question has direct has possible, NO, of course not, never have been and never will be
you could answer yes and no if you want to and explain the largest religion is christian but that by no means makes us a christian nation and thats a GOOD thing because it would go against our laws, rights, constitution etc.

If people think majority is all that is needed I guess we are also a Big city nation and a WHITE nation, a lower middle class to underclass nation etc etc and anything else you can come up with, thats not what makes a nation, thats only what is inside a nation it does not NAME the nation lol
 
It points out Ireland as an example, where two Christian sects, Catholic and Protestant, are used as dividers in a very "national" sense*.

I had noticed Ireland and knowing your history with it I figured that would be where you were basing it from.

I would suggest however that the split between Irish catholics and protestants was as much a cultural, historical, and political thing as it is simply a religious thing in regards to their disagreements and thus disassociation with each other. The level of animosity and split between the two denominations there is far more heated, far more pronounced, and far more embraced by both sides than I have ever seen by any sizable majority here in America.
 
"Is America a Christian nation?"

Ill answer the question has direct has possible, NO, of course not, never have been and never will be
you could answer yes and no if you want to and explain the largest religion is christian but that by no means makes us a christian nation and thats a GOOD thing because it would go against our laws, rights, constitution etc.

If people think majority is all that is needed I guess we are also a Big city nation and a WHITE nation, a lower middle class to underclass nation etc etc and anything else you can come up with, thats not what makes a nation, thats only what is inside a nation it does not NAME the nation lol

Wait, so you're saying America was never a Christian Nation.

I am curious, how much of the population do you believe must share a common bond to be able to be considered a nation? If its 100% would it not be true then to suggest that you're suggesting its practically realistically impossible for such thing as a "Nation" to exist as there is almost no possible way to have every member of a particular population all agreeing with one particular principle or all sharing one particular bond?
 
I voted No.
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When it has Christianity as a state religion like UK and most of Europe then it can be called a Christian country.
 
Wait, so you're saying America was never a Christian Nation.

I am curious, how much of the population do you believe must share a common bond to be able to be considered a nation? If its 100% would it not be true then to suggest that you're suggesting its practically realistically impossible for such thing as a "Nation" to exist as there is almost no possible way to have every member of a particular population all agreeing with one particular principle or all sharing one particular bond?
No, I think he's saying that even if 100% of the population were christian, we (under the laws as they stand currently) would not be a christian nation - although we would be a nation of christians.
 
"Is America a Christian nation?"

Ill answer the question has direct has possible, NO, of course not, never have been and never will be
you could answer yes and no if you want to and explain the largest religion is christian but that by no means makes us a christian nation and thats a GOOD thing because it would go against our laws, rights, constitution etc.

If people think majority is all that is needed I guess we are also a Big city nation and a WHITE nation, a lower middle class to underclass nation etc etc and anything else you can come up with, thats not what makes a nation, thats only what is inside a nation it does not NAME the nation lol

It always has been and probably always will be... sorry, but yo uare wrong. :)
 
It always has been and probably always will be... sorry, but you are wrong. :)
That depends on how you define "Christian nation".

As I define it, you are incorrect, and the opposite is the case.

Our definitions apparently differ.

How do you define it?
 
I voted No.
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When it has Christianity as a state religion like UK and most of Europe then it can be called a Christian country.

I'm not asking if its a Christian Country
 
That depends on how you define "Christian nation".

As I define it, you are incorrect, and the opposite is the case.

Our definitions apparently differ.

How do you define it?

A [nation] is a grouping of people sharing a common language, ethnicity, culture, religion, or history.

However I'm beginning to reflect upon this definition and other requirements in regards to it thanks to discussions with Tucker.

I can say however this...

A nation is not a government.

A nation is not a state (Though a state can be a nation).

A nation is not a country.

To give it the best distinction I could think for the three...

A country is the land, a state is the government, a nation is the people.
 
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I voted No.
.
When it has Christianity as a state religion like UK and most of Europe then it can be called a Christian country.
Even then, it would not be in my mind.

Only if it was a theocracy would it become a "Christian nation" (or whatever religion was controlling the theocracy).

Even the UK and Europe is not at that point.

They may be nations that claim Christianity as a “state religion”.

But unless Christianity controls that state, they are not a Christian nation.
 
Wait, so you're saying America was never a Christian Nation.

I am curious, how much of the population do you believe must share a common bond to be able to be considered a nation? If its 100% would it not be true then to suggest that you're suggesting its practically realistically impossible for such thing as a "Nation" to exist as there is almost no possible way to have every member of a particular population all agreeing with one particular principle or all sharing one particular bond?

sharing a bond has you put it doesnt make it that type of nation
you could say we are a majority nation of Christians but we are by no stretch of the imagination a christian nation
are laws, rights, and constitution are NOT in line with Christianity nor controlled by it, never have been and never will be, therefore we are not a christian nation
 
It always has been and probably always will be... sorry, but yo uare wrong. :)

actually im 100% right and our laws rights and constitution proves so, sorry but you are wrong and dont understand that we were never a christian nation never will be and per our laws rights and constitution never can be, its really that simple and those are facts unless you want to dramatically rewrite all of our laws rights and constitution LOL
 
are laws, rights, and constitution are NOT in line with Christianity nor controlled by it, never have been and never will be, therefore we are not a christian nation

Laws are a thing of the State. The constitution is a document of the State.

The only one of those that could potential fit under Nation would be "rights".
 
our laws rights and constitution never can be, its really that simple and those are facts unless you want to dramatically rewrite all of our laws rights and constitution LOL

Laws and Constitutions are objects of the STATE, not of a Nation.

Laws are the rules of the GOVERNMENT, aka the State. The Constitution is the establishment and parameters set upon the GOVERNMENT, aka the state.

The State != The Nation
 
Laws and Constitutions are objects of the STATE, not of a Nation.

Laws are the rules of the GOVERNMENT, aka the State. The Constitution is the establishment and parameters set upon the GOVERNMENT, aka the state.

The State != The Nation

It may surprise some people to learn that the present government is not the only government this nation has had.
 
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