Contrary to what many of our left wing friends believe:
78% Think Jesus Christ Rose from the Dead
78% Think Jesus Christ Rose from the Dead - Rasmussen Reports
Today's the day Christians believe Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, and 78% of Americans share that belief.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 10% don't believe Christ rose from the dead, and another 11% are not sure.
1) Easter is not the day that Christ rose from the dead. It is the day that event is commonly celebrated.
Of course, Christians celebrate the mortal death and later resurrection
every day, so the need for Easter is rather irrelevant. Moreover, as is typical of the major Christian "holidays", the specific days selected have been corrupted over time by the Catholic Church... just as the Church piggy-backed on a long standing pagan celebration of the winter solstice to celebrate the birth of Christ (no one knows when he was actually born), Easter is rooted in a pagan celebration of fertility (hence eggs and bunnies). That said, at least the Resurrection is related to the passover.
2) We are not a Christian nation as amendment #1 says so:
"...Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
3) So are we a nation of Christians?
a) Well, just because 78% believe in the resurrection does not make 78% of the nation Christian. Satan knows Christ was the Son of God and knows of the Resurrection, that does not make Satan a Christian.
b) If we are truly a nation of Christians the tone and temperament of our nation, in general, and political discourse, in particular would be vastly different then what we are seeing.
c) There is much, much more to being Christian then merely believing Christ rose from the dead. There is the whole New Testament that tells you what being a Christian is. Very, very few have read it, even those in church.
I submit that the number of Christians in this country is but a small subset of the 78%... hence, we are not even a nation of Christians
Why do we want to be a Christian nation? Why do people obsess over this? Careful what you wish for! Our founders saw wisdom in the separation of the church and the state. Many of our (and their) fore fathers left religious persecution in Europe where affairs of church and state were commingled. The result was dysfunctional for the church and, to a lesser degree, the state. Religion gets to thrive in America because of this separation. Christians are the last people that should want a "Christian State"... There are over 3000 varieties of Christianity. The religion is more prolific than an amoeba in the way it divides and reproduces.
I really don't understand why many of us think it desirable to call America a Christian nation. We (Christians) are not of this world. Leave the state out of our church and we will leave the church out of the state (which is different than Christians running for office and determining right and wrong based upon their moral compass).