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In a 2007 interview with beliefnet.com, John McCain stated that “the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.” While some were encouraged by McCain's words, others took great offense, reigniting a passionate debate about the intentions of America’s founders. Was the U.S. built on Christian principles, or are we a purely secular nation?
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Is America a Christian Nation?
Those who forget history ...
To understand the principles upon which this nation was founded, one should know some history. The colonists to America largely came from England, and recent British history for them would be the English Civil War followed by the Jacobite rebellion, both largely driven by religious differences between factions who all considered themselves "christian".
Here's just one small piece:
http://history.boisestate.edu/WESTCIV/english/04.shtml
The English Civil War was settled by Church of England dominance, a big reason why all those puritans came to America seeking "religious freedom".
And even that didn't totally end the strife, the Jacobite uprisings attempting to restore the crown to the catholic Stuarts ended only a few decades before the American Revolution.
All of that recent history of their mother country provided ample justification for the framers of our constitution to have a strong intent to keep religion out of government.
They were wise to keep them separate then, and we would be wise to not erode that separation.
- dsmccoy
October 11, 2008 10:24PM
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Is America a Christian Nation
Separation of Church and State? Absolutely. My point merely was that if we become a totally atheistic country, and our churches and synagogues become mere historical monuments a'la Europe, we will be much the worse off.
gary fouse
fousesquawk
- gary fouse
October 11, 2008 11:44PM
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A christian nation, or a nation of christians?
It is no business of our government whether people go to church and what church they go to. So if the churches are empty, that's a problem for the churches.
Do you seriously think the US is "better" than Europe in any significant way?
Your comment about us being worse off if the churches are empty is completely unfounded.
Religion is what people use to rationalize morality, not where moral principles arise.
- dsmccoy
October 12, 2008 12:42AM
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A Nation of Christians?
I never said it was the business of govt. It is certainly not the business of govt. I just said the disappearance of religion would be unfortunate for our country. I also think the gradual disappearnce of religion in Europe has not been a good thing.
- gary fouse
October 12, 2008 9:37AM
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Is Europe better off?
You are welcome to your opinion of Europe.
But on a more objective measure, the last war in Europe was between religiously identified factions in the former Yugoslavia, (Serb-Orthodox, Croat-Catholic, Bosnian-Muslim).
And for the rest of Europe most of the worst violence in recent memory has all been due to non-assimilated Muslim immigrants. Religion sure wasn't the reason for the current attempts at reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Do you have any objective measure indicating why the fading of religion in Europe has been a bad thing? Or is it just that your personal attachment to your own religion makes you nervous at the mere thought of its lack?
- dsmccoy
October 12, 2008 11:03AM
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Is Europe better off?
Was the last war in the former Yugoslavia between Croats and Serbs a matter of religion or ethnicity? If I recall, it was over ethnicity.
As for the issue of the non-assimilated Muslim immigrants, I don't think we are in disagreement there. When you talk about religious strife in the modern era (now) we are talking about Islam, aren't we? If present trends in Europe continue, Europe will, in about 2 generations, be majority Muslim. And guess what-they won't be secular.
As for my own religion, while I consider myself a Christian, I certainly am not an Evangelical.
- gary fouse
October 12, 2008 11:40AM
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Ethnic or Religious
It can often be hard to tease "ethnic" from "religious", but it is true that the difference between eastern orthodox and catholic is the primary point of distinction between Serb and Croat. They all speak essentially the same language.
If the religious distinction were gone, it's hard to say how strong the remaining ethnic distinction would be, but there is little doubt that it would be greatly reduced.
- dsmccoy
October 12, 2008 1:28PM
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