Is the United States a Christian nation?

[AgnosticBoy]

Here's an interesting article that covers the topic of the US being a Christian nation:

Six in 10 U.S. adults said the founders originally intended America to be a Christian nation, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey.

...But the concept means different things to different people, and historians say that while the issue is complex, the founding documents prioritize religious freedom and do not create a Christian nation.

Some believe God worked to bring European Christians to America in the 1600s and secure their independence in the 1700s. Some take the Puritan settlers at their word that they were forming a covenant with God, similar to the Bible’s description of ancient Israel, and see America as still subject to divine blessings or punishments depending on how faithful it is. Still others contend that some or all the American founders were Christian, or that the founding documents were based on Christianity.

Source: AP

For Debate:
1. What does it mean to say that the U.S. is a Christian nation? Does it have to be a theocracy or was it at one point? Is it the part in bold font in the above article?

2. Is the fact that the U.S. is or was prosperous a sign or evidence of it being a Christian nation? Is the fact that we're declining in power due to the decline of Christian values?

 

[Scooter]

If you read the writings of the founding fathers it is clear that the majority of them were Christians and they desired a nation built on Christian principles. However, they were very careful not to establish a national religion. They had just separated from England which was heavily influenced by the Church of England. Our founders wanted people to have the freedom to worship in the manner they chose without being governed by the government.

If you look at the history of America you will see a parallel between American excellence and their walk with God. Since the 60’s America has taken a turn away from Christ and as a result our light has dimmed. As America has forsaken Biblical principles over the last several decades we have a generation of kids that don’t know which bathroom to use. Domestic violence is on the rise, crime is on the rise, sexual predators are everywhere and sex trafficking is horrific.

Is America a Christian nation? No. It is a country that has Christians living in it. If America was a Christian nation there would be no abortions, no gay marriage, no sex trafficking, no child abuse, etc…

 

[AgnosticBoy]

If you read the writings of the founding fathers it is clear that the majority of them were Christians and they desired a nation built on Christian principles. However, they were very careful not to establish a national religion. They had just separated from England which was heavily influenced by the Church of England. Our founders wanted people to have the freedom to worship in the manner they chose without being governed by the government.

I don't agree with all of your points regarding biblical principles, or I should say that I'm neutral on some of them. But I definitely liked your posts because it's a good representative for your side, which I think most Christians would agree with.

The article I posted in the OP says that not all of the founding fathers were Christian. Thomas Jefferson and Ethan Allen are considered deists, although they probably grew up in a Protestant Christian home. Here's another article that classifies some of the founding fathers according to their faith:

The sweeping disagreement over the religious faiths of the Founders arises from a question of discrepancy. Did their private beliefs differ from the orthodox teachings of their churches? On the surface, most Founders appear to have been orthodox (or “right-believing”) Christians. Most were baptized, listed on church rolls, married to practicing Christians, and frequent or at least sporadic attenders of services of Christian worship. In public statements, most invoked divine assistance.

But the widespread existence in 18th-century America of a school of religious thought called Deism complicates the actual beliefs of the Founders. Drawing from the scientific and philosophical work of such figures as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Isaac Newton, and John Locke, Deists argued that human experience and rationality—rather than religious dogma and mystery—determine the validity of human beliefs.

Although no examination of history can capture the inner faith of any person, these four indicators can help locate the Founders on the religious spectrum. Ethan Allen, for example, appears clearly to have been a non-Christian Deist. James Monroe, a close friend of Paine, remained officially an Episcopalian but may have stood closer to non-Christian Deism than to Christian Deism. Founders who fall into the category of Christian Deists include Washington (whose dedication to Christianity was clear in his own mind), John Adams, and, with some qualifications, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was more influenced by the reason-centred Enlightenment than either Adams or Washington. Orthodox Christians among the Founders include the staunchly Calvinistic Samuel Adams. John Jay (who served as president of the American Bible Society), Elias Boudinot (who wrote a book on the imminent Second Coming of Jesus), and Patrick Henry (who distributed religious tracts while riding circuit as a lawyer) clearly believed in Evangelical Christianity.

Source: Britannica

We can agree that most of them were Christian so that would've been their biggest influence. All of them were theists, at least. Most of the general public were probably Christians, as well.

Bottom line, I don't think that it takes every single person to be a Christian to say that this is a Christianity-based nation. In terms of numbers, just having an overwhelming majority would count. I also think having policies and laws that align with Christianity, regardless of the population of Christians now or back then, would also count.

 

[Scooter]

I don’t believe the majority of Americans are Christians. I believe something like 70% of Americans identify as Christians. Perhaps their parents are/were Christians; maybe they attended church; or possibly they think they are Christians just because they were born in America. I would guess the actual number of Christians in America would be around 10% of the population. It could be more but I don’t believe it is much more.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

sexual predators are everywhere

I urge you to look for grounds of optimism.

Preventing sexual abuse can almost be looked at as first aid. Meaning, as a set of learnable skills.

It’s important for people to talk about it, so it might seem more common. But really, if we go back 30 years to the 1990s

probably a higher per capita incidence of abuse,

another 30 years back to the 1960s,

probably still higher incidence. Substance abuse of any kind is a contributing factor to abuse. I myself am not a fan of heavy drinking, and that’s probably long been a major contributing factor. < I am a fan of marijuana gummies in low- and medium-doses, but that’s probably a story for another time. >

and another 30 years back to the 1930s

Well, heck, that’s the Great Depression and the slow recovery thereof. There was social and family disruption as people made big, jarring long-shot moves for jobs. And a lot of sheer boredom. And plus, when people don’t feel good about themselves and their future prospects, they sometimes try to make up for this by being top dog over others in their immediate circle.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

I would guess the actual number of Christians in America would be around 10% of the population.

10%?

Yeah, you're probably right on the money if we distinguish practicing Christians vs. those that just identify as Christian but don't practice. I know 90% of the population isn't atheist.

 

[Scooter]

Oh no, I wasn’t suggesting 90% of Americans are atheists. I believe the vast majority of Americans wrongly believe they are Christians. They probably claim to be Christians but they’ve never had a personal experience with Christ. They may belong to a church, attend Sunday school and even tithe. But they have never been born again. And Jesus said we must be born again.

 

[Scooter]

sexual predators are everywhere

I urge you to look for grounds of optimism.

Have you ever done a search for registered sex offenders in your community? I would urge you to do so. Then tell me how optimistic you are.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Have you ever done a search for registered sex offenders in your community? I would urge you to do so. Then tell me how optimistic you are.

You realize that in the 1990s, it’s probably 50-50 whether there’s an active and updated registry of sex offenders, right? And pre-Internet, how many plain regular citizens knew how to and went through the steps to access it.

And for the 80s, 70s, etc, there’s probably not much of a registry.

 

[Scooter]

I couldn't even begin to guess what the number of sexual offenders were in my neighborhood in the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's or the 10's. But I do know that within a one mile circumference of my house there are 8 sexual predators at last count. My 6 month old granddaughter lives 1/4 of a mile from my house so I am concerned. With schools grooming children for sex by allowing drag queens to dance for students, the increased number of pornographic books in schools, and an alarming rise of sex trafficking, I believe the number of perverts is increasing. This is just an observation made over my 58 years of living.