America: originally a Christian Nation?

[tulc]

The question came up recently and I was just wondering: how many people really believe America was/is a Christian Nation? I'm not looking for debates here, just who or who doesn't believe we were founded as a Christian Nation.
tulc(who is a "doesn't" by the way)

 

[imind]

hows bout a poll? easier to tally, anyway.

count imind in the "doesn't" category.

 

[DieHappy]

It seems to be a loaded question, not that that was your intent. The founding fathers, the writers and signers of the declaration and constitution, were overwhelmingly Christian. All but two had statements of faith that are on par with pastors. I mentioned in another thread that every single proponent of public schools was one for the reason that it would allow a broader percentage of the population to be able to read the bible.
But:
We certainly cannot say that all of the ratifiers were Christian and the constitution does not state any religious preference.
I think I want to say "does", but we have never been a theocracy, so is that a doesn't?

 

[freewilly]

What do you mean Christian nation?

 

[AngryNotice]

What do you mean Christian nation?

our forfathers were christians

 

[the_cheat]

I don't think that it was, but neither do I think that it matters. The Constitution was designed as an evolving document for an evolving country. Whatever we were then is relevant to where we are now, but we are not bound by it. So I'm not sure there's any point in obsessing over the question.

 

[trunks2k]

our forfathers were christians

Then it's kind of a "duh" question then. Considering that our forefathers were basically white europeans (heritage wise), then we would expect most of them to be christian. That said, some of the most influential of the founders would probably not be labeled as Christians, or were at least only nominally so.

But the important issue is what the constitution says, as it defines our government. It certainly is not a christian document.

 

[DieHappy]

The Constitution was designed as an evolving document for an evolving country.

Absolutely untrue.

 

[ACougar]

The United States is a predominantly Christian Nation with a secular government, just as our Founding Fathers intended.

 

[freewilly]

Absolutely untrue.

So balcks should still be 3/5 a person?

 

[freewilly]

our forfathers were christians

That is a funny thing because I don't think of the founders as my forefathers. So what they were or wern't has no bearing on whether this nation was or is a Christian nation for me. My forefathers were slaves.

 

[DieHappy]

So balcks should still be 3/5 a person?

Evolving and "able to be amended" mean two different things.

 

[the_cheat]

Evolving and "able to be amended" mean two different things.

How do you see the two as different in this case?

 

[tulc]

What do you mean Christian nation?

Now that's a good question! what would a Christian nation look like? Would it of a necessity be made up of mostly Christians? I agree with ACouger ( )

The United States is a predominantly Christian Nation with a secular government, just as our Founding Fathers intended

I think they had a very real fear of a state Church being installed here. Hmmm maybe I should try and put up a poll.
tulc(if I ever got organized the whole world would be in danger!)

 

[freewilly]

Now that's a good question! what would a Christian nation look like? Would it of a necessity be made up of mostly Christians? I agree with ACouger ( )
I think they had a very real fear of a state Church being installed here. Hmmm maybe I should try and put up a poll.
tulc(if I ever got organized the whole world would be in danger!)

I can agree with Acougar also but I think what many mean and think when they say we are a Christian nation is that we somehow are holier than others, more blessed. It's like they use it, unfortunatley, as a badge of pride and arrogance

 

[AngryNotice]

I can agree with Acougar also but I think what many mean and think when they say we are a Christian nation is that we somehow are holier than others, more blessed. It's like they use it, unfortunatley, as a badge of pride and arrogance

the problem today, is we dont express ourselves as a christian nation. if we did, we would be much better off

 

[elanor]

the problem today, is we dont express ourselves as a christian nation. if we did, we would be much better off

The problem is that when it came down to how a Christian nation would respond to specific issues, we wouldn't be able to come to a consensus on what the Christian response would be.

I vote doesn't, too.

 

[seebs]

I think America was founded as a secular nation, for which I ironically thank God.

 

[Law of Loud]

Evolving and "able to be amended" mean two different things.

The fact that it was "able to be amended" means that the document could be changed. We've witnessed steps forwards and backwards (you have to admit regardless of where you stand, either the 18th or 21st amendment was against you). That is change, and in fact the Constitution was born already changed. Near immediately, a Bill of Rights was added to the document... they changed it right at the start.

Change is evolution in something such as a document. The Forefathers were intelligent, but they knew that they would probably let slip a few things that they could not foresee, so the document would need to be open to change. Open to evolution as the world changed around it.

You're just upset that we used the word "evolution", aren't you?

---------------

Back to the OP, I believe America was founded a secular nation, that her people be free to worship whatsoever God they pleased, or even none at all. I believe most of the Founding Fathers would wish that everybody be Christian, but they created a nation that didn't force any specific belief on its residents. Remember, many of our Founding Fathers were subject to religious persecution elsewhere in the world. They were quite wary of seeing it in America as well.

 

[Doctrine1st]

America is a nation founded by a group majority Christians who experienced through history the neccesity to keep religion, and thus Christianity, from the guidlines that establish us as a nation.