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Is the US a Christian country?

Is the US a Christian Country?


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JANFU

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Is the US a Christian country

Yes- Why
No - Why

Avalon Project - The Barbary Treaties 1786-1816 - Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Signed at Tripoli November 4, 1796

ARTICLE 11.
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 Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan 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.

Was America Founded As A Christian Nation? - Forbes

As historian John Fea notes, “If the Treaty of Tripoli is correct, and the United States was not ‘founded on the Christian religion,’ then someone forgot to tell the American people… The idea that the United States is a ‘Christian nation,’ has always been central to American identity.” But debate rages over whether the Founders were Deists and why the Constitution bears no mention of God.
 
Yes it is. But there are so many that wish is wasn't, and expend great efforts to eradicate any Christian influence of any significance.
 
:beatdeadhorse
 
Categorically not.

It is not a Theocratic state, therefore cannot be considered a "Christian Nation".

Those that push that particular mantra often have a nefarious reason behind it, you look at all of those on the fringe right that really, really push that, there's an Anti-Abortion, Anti-Gay tinge to alot of it that is primarily theocratically motivated and it's downright disturbing.
 
Heya JF. :2wave: What did Martin Luther King have to say?

"I have a dream that, someday, towns and cities across America, from sea to shining sea, will have a street named after me, in the most dilapidated, crime ridden part of that city."

Or, something like that.
 
As Christian as Israel is Jewish.

Why was Jefferson a faithful attendant at the Sunday church at the Capitol? He once explained to a friend while they were walking to church together:

"No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example."

President Jefferson even closed presidential documents with “In the year of our Lord Christ”

WallBuilders - Issues and Articles - Is President Obama Correct: Is America No Longer a Christian Nation?
 




The Founders were a varied lot, some were Deists and some were not.

Some were cold and some were hot; some had slaves they sold and bought.


Ben Franklin tis said, liked a lot of nookie on the side;
Washington though was in straight laces tied.

But on this one thing their minds rose together like a steeple:
That the moral constraints of religion were beneficial to The People.

:)
 


Like Canada, Australia and many of the "colonies" of Britain, the US is formed within a Christian framework of one God, empowering rule, stemming from the belief that royalty are God appointed by birth. As with most nations, the US and Canada derive their authority as from God.

It is not, though, a Christian nation; there is only one, the Vatican.
 

No, nor has it ever been. By design it can't be, the constitution basically doesn't allow it to be. We are a country where the majority are Christian but we are not a Christian nation. One quick look at out constitution, rights and laws prove that.
 
The 1st amendment makes this question irrelevant.
 
Categorically not.

It is not a Theocratic state, therefore cannot be considered a "Christian Nation".

Those that push that particular mantra often have a nefarious reason behind it, you look at all of those on the fringe right that really, really push that, there's an Anti-Abortion, Anti-Gay tinge to alot of it that is primarily theocratically motivated and it's downright disturbing.

I guess it depends if you believe a country can be Christian in nature and founding without being a theocracy.

The Founders were a varied lot, some were Deists and some were not.

Some were cold and some were hot; some had slaves they sold and bought.


Ben Franklin tis said, liked a lot of nookie on the side;
Washington though was in straight laces tied.

But on this one thing their minds rose together like a steeple:
That the moral constraints of religion were beneficial to The People.

:)

Indeed, a varied lot. Most certainly that 'the moral constraints of religion were beneficial to The People', yet so many are expending so much in energy and resources to eliminate Christendom from the public square.

I fear this moral constraint, once removed, won't easily be put back, and it's absence will serve to the greater detriment of The People.

I still believe that the public square is large enough, and flexible enough, to accommodate everyone, without the need to eliminate anyone.
 
No, nor has it ever been. By design it can't be, the constitution basically doesn't allow it to be. We are a country where the majority are Christian but we are not a Christian nation. One quick look at out constitution, rights and laws prove that.

Maybe you should learn some history, the establishment of religion clause in the 1st amendment wasnt incorporated until 1947 so for a long time in the US there were lots of places that certainly were Christian
 
What exactly would make a country Christian? I think we don't have a good definition by which to evaluate this question. Nations like Congo, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Nambia are certainly Christian. They are almost entirely populated by Christians and enforce its tenets through law and violently suppress other religions, much the same way that many clearly Muslim nations do with Islam. In fact, life in a clearly Christian country is very similar to life in a clearly Islamic country. In contrast, the United States seems to be a pluralist nation that (mostly) doesn't force anyone's religion in anyone else and (mostly) doesn't repress any religious beliefs. Christianity certainly gets a lot of special treatment and is the majority religion in the United States (though I would argue that many Americans are merely nominal Christians who live almost entirely secular lives and only get hung up on the label and a few trappings), but the contrast with brutal African Christian countries is pretty clear. Zimbabwe is an unambiguously Christian country. If the United States is, it is very ambiguous. It looks a lot more like a primarily secular pluralist nation to me.
 

I do not know what to answer, really. The country is not a religious country in the sense that the government idis not allowed to be. Just the opposite. But it does have a very large and vocal group of religious congregations. Much stronger than in other oecd countries.
But there is also a large group of people who see themselves as atheists and are antagonistic of the religious. And recently even constitutional rights thus far protected are being revoked.

so what's the buzz?
 
Maybe you should learn some history, the establishment of religion clause in the 1st amendment wasnt incorporated until 1947 so for a long time in the US there were lots of places that certainly were Christian

Nothing to learn since I never said any "places" could never have been called Christian. Nice try though.
 
Nothing to learn since I never said any "places" could never have been called Christian. Nice try though.

Well that "place" was the entire US for nearly a whole century
 
As Christian as Israel is Jewish.

Why was Jefferson a faithful attendant at the Sunday church at the Capitol? He once explained to a friend while they were walking to church together:

"No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example."

President Jefferson even closed presidential documents with “In the year of our Lord Christ”

WallBuilders - Issues and Articles - Is President Obama Correct: Is America No Longer a Christian Nation?

No, Israel is openly and deliberately a Jewish country, allows all Jews instant citizenship and is the only open door safe refuge Jews. The USA is nothing like Israel and visa versa.
 
People seem to be conflating "Christian Nation" with "Theocratic Government".


In my 50 years on this planet, this is a phenomenon I've only recently encountered. Most of my life it was understood that "Christian Nation" did NOT mean "Christian Theocracy for Government."


It meant most of the people were Christian, and that most people looked at social, cultural, political, and economic issues from a more-or-less Christian perspective. At least in theory.


Even today, something like 70-80% of Americans profess Christianity as their religion. Now, when you start breaking it down into how many of those actually practice Christianity to any noticeable degree, even I have to reluctantly admit that half or more of those are just "nominally Christian" (in name only), many of whom seem to lack any real understanding of the religion they profess, along with any real evidence that it has any impact in their lives.

Throughout the history of the US, the influence of Christianity has waxed and waned in cycles. At times it has been strong, at times it has been very weak. The majority of the people are whimsical in how much they concern themselves with their religion: typically much less in times of peace and plenty, but far more in times of hardship and war. Such is the way of things; it was even remarked upon by ancient writers in previous millennia that the devoutness of much of the people varied according to their sense of need for divine aid.

There remains a devout core, perhaps 25-35% of the general population, who are fairly serious in their devotion and practice and relatively constant in it.


I would have said America was a Christian Nation, where the majority viewed life and issues through the lens of Christianity, through the 1980s and into the 1990s... but I think we are certainly in a "waning" time as far as Christian influence on society and government. In the past these things have always been cyclical, but I suppose we will see.
 
Maybe you should learn some history, the establishment of religion clause in the 1st amendment wasnt incorporated until 1947 so for a long time in the US there were lots of places that certainly were Christian

It can be a mistake to raise any facts on topics like this. This topic isn't about facts. It is about declaring where you stand on religion.
 
Christians can't even agree what it means to be "Christian". Let alone all the rest that make up this country. Clearly a no. I was reading about the "Hour of Power" guy who died recently. Apparently the fire and brimstone crowd didn't like him much because he preached a "power of positive thinking" approach. Something about Jesus never actually calling a human being a sinner". You probably would need to define what a christian nation is.
 
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As Christian as Israel is Jewish.

Why was Jefferson a faithful attendant at the Sunday church at the Capitol? He once explained to a friend while they were walking to church together:

"No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example."

President Jefferson even closed presidential documents with “In the year of our Lord Christ”

WallBuilders - Issues and Articles - Is President Obama Correct: Is America No Longer a Christian Nation?


Wallbuilders is not a reliable source for Founding Father quotes. The "quote" in your post cannot be attributed to Mr Jefferson by the place which maintains his papers - Monticello
Quotation: "Sir, no nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man, and I as chief magistrate of this nation am bound to give it the sanction of my example."

Variations: None known.

Sources consulted:

Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition
Thomas Jefferson retirement papers
Thomas Jefferson: Papers and Biographies collections in Hathi Trust Digital Library
America's Historical Newspapers
America's Historical Imprints
19th Century U.S. Newspapers
American Periodicals Series
Earliest appearance in print: 1857

Barton (Wallbuilders) has one document signed by Jefferson with the concluding phrase “In the year of our Lord Christ” . It is basically a permission slip for a merchant vessel to proceed to London. It was a standard government form of the period resulting from “A Treaty of Amity and Commerce” between the U.S. and the Netherlands which stipulated the letter’s form, including the ‘Lord Christ’ signature. It is very likely that it was the Dutch who asked for the phrase to be included, the standard American dating style simply said "in the year of the Lord _____ "
 

The controvercy comes from what people mean by a christian nation. If it means a nation based on christian faith, then no, we are not. If it means a country with a vast majority christian populace, then yes we are. What happens is those thinking of the former meaning yell past those thinking of the latter meaning, both thinking they are absolutely correct.
 
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