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America is or is not a Christian Nation.

Is America a Christian Nation?

  • Yes

    Votes: 26 25.7%

  • No

    Votes: 75 74.3%
  • Total voters
    101
Lachean said:
Jesus Christ! I don't know what in hell what make you think our culture or language is being influenced by the god damn religion. Lord help me...
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God damn it that was one hell of a post. Jesus Mary and Joseph I wish I had thought of it myself. So help me God next time I'll be quicker on the trigger.
 
Zinthaniel said:
Wow really -
*With on a national level
-promiscuity on the rise
-Rising divorce rates
-Liberated homosexuals and tolerance to them
-half naked celebrities on every channel in every movie
- sex on everyone's mind

all of that is American - and that some how equals "Christian Nation". ok.
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So you think it is more Christian for a person to stay in an abusive marriage than to divorce, and you think that what celebrities do is representative of Main Street USA, and you think that people who are biologically wired to reproduce through sexual means can completely obliterate any thought of sex from their minds, and homosexuals are going to hell because they couldn't possible be sinners saved by the grace of God.

I just have one question: Do you hold yourself to these same standards?
 
Maenad said:
Yes, I think the way the majority of Americans live their lives reflects that they do their very best to live by Biblical teachings. But you have to leave the ghetto to see that.
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I think most people do try to live their lives in that way, intentionally or otherwise. I'm not religious, as I said, but I appreciate (and follow) the values that are laid out in the 10 Commandments and knowingly or unknowingly follow the Golden Rule in my life.
 
cpwill said:
Hm. What makes you think that "Christian" means "doesn't sin"? The fact that we recognize that we sin is one of Christianity's first principles.
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The fact that the majority in this country do not mind those things, would argue that this nation is not cultural christian and therefore not a christian nation.
Our laws allow us to freely be as sexually active, divorce crazy, gay, scantly clad as we want to be. Any attempt to appeal any law that grants us that freedom is met with back lash on a national level. I don't see how this nation reflects christian values at all. Has Christianity played it's role in our country? absolutely. Does it define this nation? no it does not.
 
Maenad said:
So you think it is more Christian for a person to stay in an abusive marriage than to divorce, and you think that what celebrities do is representative of Main Street USA, and you think that people who are biologically wired to reproduce through sexual means can completely obliterate any thought of sex from their minds, and homosexuals are going to hell because they couldn't possible be sinners saved by the grace of God.

I just have one question: Do you hold yourself to these same standards?
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I don't hold myself to christian standards, and never will. Nor does this nation as a whole. I don't believe there is anything wrong with someone who enjoys sex. Who doesn't want to hide their body. Who wants to divorce their crappy husband or wife. Or who is homosexual and proud. Don't mind any of those things. Don't think any of those things call for saving either.
 
Zinthaniel said:
The fact that the majority in this country do not mind those things, would argue that this nation is not cultural christian and therefore not a christian nation.
Our laws allow us to freely be as sexually active, divorce crazy, gay, scantly clad as we want to be. Any attempt to appeal any law that grants us that freedom is met with back lash on a national level. I don't see how this nation reflects christian values at all. Has Christianity played it's role in our country? absolutely. Does it define this nation? no it does not.
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Wait - what?

I can assure you if you decided to walk naked down Ventura Boulevard and into a grammar school, the laws would catch up to you.
 
Zinthaniel said:
A Special thread for Bodhisattva.

The United States is not a Christian Nation. That is my stance.

A nation is defined by it's government and it's people - not only by it's majority. To refer to it as A Christian Nation is to falsely represent many Americans.

Our Country grants freedom for all religions and lack thereof. Grand Cathedrals, churches, Temples, Mosques, and Conventions for Non Believers can be found all over this country. All of which are given equal respect and right to exist.
Religion in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Our Government and thus our laws are entirely secular. There are a vast array of laws that directly contradict the teachings in the bible and thus God's will (i.e. laws regarding homosexuals, divorce, and other things considered blasphemous). Making the term "Christian Nation" ever more strange and obviously misplaced.

There is no legitimate reason to refer to this Nation as Christian.
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not all the way true.

our federal government was nothing to do with religion, but most of the people who created it were religious.

states up until 1818 had state religions, because they could make them and they did, because the bill of rights did not apply to states.

Moses and/or the 10 Commandments appear three times in the architectural embellishment of the Supreme Court building.
 
Zinthaniel said:
No i Didn't actually. I said Uganda was a christian nation because it populace is predominately christian and it government creates laws that reflect christian values - God's will.
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Yes, and as evidence of the latter you presented the leadership citing their Christian beliefs and the bible in defending their policy. IOW, exactly what I said.

The nation has shown increasing interest in becoming a theocracy- along with their anti gay law was a slue of other laws regarding social standards, infidelity, and clothing all, unabashedly, related to Christian beliefs.
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Infidelity is also part of US law - divorce law. As are clothing standards. Both of which come from our Christian heritage.
 
tres borrachos said:
Wait - what?

I can assure you if you decided to walk naked down Ventura Boulevard and into a grammar school, the laws would catch up to you.
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I didn't say naked. I said scantly clad which is legal. Also public nudity is 100% legal in new york.
 
tres borrachos said:
I think most people do try to live their lives in that way, intentionally or otherwise. I'm not religious, as I said, but I appreciate (and follow) the values that are laid out in the 10 Commandments and knowingly or unknowingly follow the Golden Rule in my life.
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Yes, Christian behavior as best we can achieve it as fallible mortals is reflected in the behavior of most Americans. I don't think that celebrities are the gold standard for Americans, and the Bible says that King David was 'a man after God's own heart.' King David committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers even though he had hundreds of his own wives and concubines, then when he couldn't cover that he had impregnated her because her husband was so loyal to him he wouldn't have sex with her while on duty, King David had him killed. God took the son King David had with Bathsheba. It was clearly the most horrible punishment he could have endured. God does not demand perfection from us. If a person does not want to believe, that is fine. But to be constantly badgering believers about how they don't follow the teachings of Christ is inappropriate. The one doing the badgering doesn't either and has no room to judge. A Christian's relationship with his or her God is between that person and God. Only.

You are correct, our rules of etiquette, if abided by, keep most on a largely Christian pathway whether or not they believe.
 
Zinthaniel said:
I don't hold myself to christian standards, and never will. Nor does this nation as a whole. I don't believe there is anything wrong with someone who enjoys sex. Who doesn't want to hide their body. Who wants to divorce their crappy husband or wife. Or who is homosexual and proud. Don't mind any of those things. Don't think any of those things call for saving either.
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What you believe is irrelevant - it's what the nation as a whole believes. As of 2012, 77% of American's identify themselves as Christian. Obviously there are infinite variations of what that means, what these individuals believe, etc. Bottom line was and has been that this nation was founded and built upon Christian fundamental views by it's leaders, by it's people. It's on our money, it's on our state houses, prayer occurs in Congress, during our Presidential transfers of power. Christian churches have dominated our landscape as the country grew from East to West. The laws which the US created were based on English Common Law which went back into history and are based on Christian morality.

You can deny it all you want, but that would just make you a denier. :shrug:
 
cpwill said:
Yes, and as evidence of the latter you presented the leadership citing their Christian beliefs and the bible in defending their policy. IOW, exactly what I said.
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I pointed out the government officials saying that are passing those laws because of what the bible dictates is right for their country. If their laws are chosen based on theocratic principles like that, then yes it is a Christian nation - not only by way of legislation, but also by culture.

Infidelity is also part of US law - divorce law. As are clothing standards. Both of which come from our Christian heritage.
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You can cheat all you want. Nothing in our government punishes infidelity. And divorce is accessible to anyone as many times as they want.

What clothing standards. By law all you have to do is cover your nipples if you are a women and your ass & Va jay jay. That's it.

Honestly it surprises me that you think we have a christian culture here. Especially since so many Christians say the exact opposite.
 
Zinthaniel said:
The majority seems to deny it, including Christians themselves. :shrug:
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77% who identify as Christians don't deny it, meaning your claim of a majority is bupkus. :shrug:
 
Treaty of Tripoli

The Treaty of Tripoli (Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary) was the first treaty concluded between the United States of America and Tripolitania, signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796, and at Algiers (for a third-party witness) on January 3, 1797. It was submitted to the Senate by President John Adams, receiving ratification unanimously from the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797, and signed by Adams, taking effect as the law of the land on June 10, 1797.

The treaty was a routine diplomatic agreement but has attracted later attention because the English version included a clause about religion in the United States.

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Mohammedan] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Treaty of Tripoli - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Ockham said:
77% who identify as Christians don't deny it, meaning your claim of a majority is bupkus. :shrug:
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77% Christians do not think this country accurately reflects the values of their religion and moral standards. Sorry, try again.
 
Zinthaniel said:
A Special thread for Bodhisattva.

The United States is not a Christian Nation. That is my stance.

A nation is defined by it's government and it's people - not only by it's majority. To refer to it as A Christian Nation is to falsely represent many Americans.

Our Country grants freedom for all religions and lack thereof. Grand Cathedrals, churches, Temples, Mosques, and Conventions for Non Believers can be found all over this country. All of which are given equal respect and right to exist.
Religion in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Our Government and thus our laws are entirely secular. There are a vast array of laws that directly contradict the teachings in the bible and thus God's will (i.e. laws regarding homosexuals, divorce, and other things considered blasphemous). Making the term "Christian Nation" ever more strange and obviously misplaced.

There is no legitimate reason to refer to this Nation as Christian.
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73% of Americans identify as Christian

“Nones� on the Rise | Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project

The Founders ... were nearly unanimous concerning biblical morality. They understood the relationship between state and society differently than progressive thinkers today: government cannot mold man. Righteous men must mold government which requires the inculcation of virtue through vibrant churches and the transmittal of values generationally via a social structure based on families.

Was America Founded As A Christian Nation? - Forbes

The first alone should settle the question. The next part definitely settles the question.

Definition of nation (n)

Bing Dictionary
na·tion
[ náysh'n ]
1.people in land under single government: a community of people or peoples living in a defined territory and organized under a single government
2.people of same ethnicity: a community of people who share a common ethnic origin, culture, historical tradition, and, frequently, language, whether or not they live together in one territory or have their own government

definition: nation - Bing
 
Zinthaniel said:
I didn't say naked. I said scantly clad which is legal. Also public nudity is 100% legal in new york.
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Scantily clad is governed by a specific law?

And if I recall correctly, the public nudity laws in NYC aren't quite that liberal (100% allowed). I believe the laws only extend to a female breast (because of breastfeeding) and 100% nudity that occurs during an entertainment event (play, show, exhibition). But I may not be remembering that right.
 
Zinthaniel said:
77% Christians do not think this country accurately reflects the values of their religion and moral standards. Sorry, try again.
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77% Christians = The United States is a Christian Country
 
America isn't all Christian and it's not a theocracy or even close.
But it IS a Christian Nation in Character founded by Bible Reading but enlightened men.
And it is also in the context of of how that description is used today internationally/coloquially.
So, yes.

The above acknowledgment despite the fact I'm an atheist.
Calling America 'Christian' is just a true characterization, not a statement of faith.
 
Last edited:
digsbe said:
America is not a Christian nation, far from it. So few things about our country are honoring to God and it only goes further and further away from the truth in culture and legality.

What America is is a country where the majority professes to be Christian. It is not, however, a Christian nation in the sense of it being a nation that honors God or lives by His principals.
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1.people in land under single government: a community of people or peoples living in a defined territory and organized under a single government

definition: nation - Bing
 
mbig said:
The above acknowledgment despite the fact I'm an atheist.
Calling America 'Christian' is just a true characterization, not a statement of faith.
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Same here... ditto, as it were.
 
Bodhisattva said:
...]
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A nation is not simply defined by it's majority. Your definition does not support that claim you are making.
There are many other religions in out country all of which are given equal respect and autonomy (with the context of our secular laws) and freedom to exist.
This also includes those who do not believe.
Our government does not favor nor legislate in accordance to christian beliefs, in fact as of late is has continuously ruled in favor of secular laws that many Christians are appalled by seeing as the laws offend their moral standards.
Our culture is not Christian at all.
 
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