Is America a Christian nation?
Recently, much has been written over the debate of
whether America is a Christian nation. It really has gotten people fired up
when they hear the statement that America is not a Christian nation, especially
when our President, Barack Obama recently said so. Let me say at the start of
this piece that I am a born again Christian, have been for almost 33 years. I
love my country. America as a nation, Americans as groups and Americans individually have done and are doing many
wonderful things here in the states and around the globe, and there are there a
lot of Christians in this country, but I have to agree with the statement that America
is not a Christian nation. I want to add though, very emphatically that
America, at one time was a Christian nation. It was because not only were a
majority of its citizens Christian in name, but also in practice, and the Bible
formed the bedrock of American law.
The first example I want to show is a quote from an
obscenity case from 1956, Roth v. U.S. The case itself is a landmark case in
that it redefined obscenity. In that case Justice Brennan wrote the following
statement.
“The guaranties of
freedom of expression in effect in 10 of the 14 States which by 1792 had
ratified the Constitution, gave no absolute protection for every utterance.
Thirteen of the 14 States provided for the prosecution of libel, and all of
those States made either blasphemy or profanity, or both, statutory crimes. As
early as 1712, Massachusetts made it criminal to publish “any filthy, obscene,
or profane song, pamphlet, libel or mock sermon” in imitation or mimicking of
religious services…Thus, profanity and obscenity were related offences.”
Some of the examples listed in footnote 12 are:
“Act Against
Drunkenness, Blasphemy, Connecticut, 1737; Act for the Punishment of Profane
Cursing and Swearing, New Hampshire, 1791; Act to Prevent the Grievous Sins of
Cursing and Swearing, North Carolina, 1700; Act for the More Effectual
Suppressing of Blasphemy and Prophaneness, Rhode Island, 1703.”
It’s pretty obvious that the colonial states based
their laws on the Bible, the reason is because America was a Christian nation
in practice, their laws were legislated because of what they believed. It is
also obvious that the standard of early America was much stricter than what we
have today. All those actions that were illegal in 17th, 18th and
early 19th century America, i.e., the swearing, the cursing, the
blasphemy, the profaneness have been and are now “protected” in 21st
century America. In Massachusetts where it was criminal to publish a “filthy,
obscene or profane song, [or] pamphlet”, it is no longer illegal.
All these actions and behaviors were included into the freedoms of
the press and speech of the First Amendment in the last 50 years. In fact Roth
v. U.S. the case from which we get the information on the early American laws
was a landmark case in that it redefined pornography and opened the
flood gates to allow “obscene and filthy pamphlets” such as Playboy and
the like.
The second example is from the Supreme Court decision,
McGowen V. Maryland, from 1961:
“In this same year
[1785], [James] Madison presented to Virginia legislators "A Bill for
Punishing . . . Sabbath Breakers," which provided in part:
"If any person
on Sunday shall himself be found labouring at his own or any other trade or
calling, or shall employ his apprentices, servants or slaves in labour, or
other business, except it be in the ordinary household offices of daily
necessity, or other work of necessity or charity, he shall forfeit the sum of
ten shillings for every such offence, deeming every apprentice, servant, or slave
so employed, and every day he shall be so employed as constituting a distinct
offence.”
James Madison was the fourth
President of the United States, one of the writers of The Federalist Papers who
is called the “Father of the Constitution” and who helped frame the Bill of Rights
and he fought vigorously against the state instituted church. In the previous
quote we see James Madison also successfully codified the fourth commandment
into Virginia’s state laws.
The third example is Oliver Ellsworth. Mr. Ellsworth was
the Connecticut delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This essay
and others written by him were to help the people of his state to understand the
Constitution process our young nation was undergoing at that time. The U.S.
Constitution was not ratified until 1788. This essay written on 12/17/1787 and
printed in the Connecticut Courant and the American Mercury. Oliver Ellsworth
was also nominated by President George Washington to be the third Chief Justice
of the U.S. Supreme Court: He was nominated on 3/3/1796 and confirmed on
3/4/1796 the next day. Annals of America, Britannica. In his essay against a religious test for
office he wrote:
“But while I assert
the rights of religious liberty, I would not deny that the civil power has a
right, in some cases, to interfere in matters of religion. It has a right to
prohibit and punish gross immoralities and impieties; because the open practice
of these is of evil example and detriment. For this reason, I heartily approve
of our laws against drunkenness, profane swearing, blasphemy, and professed
atheism.”
Explanation for these obvious Christian practices by
American legislators comes from the Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court,
published in 1992. On page 718, in an from an essay on Religion we find these
words:
“…from shortly
after the founding era until early in the twentieth century, church-state
relations in the United States were governed by what legal historian Mark De
Wolf Howe called the “de facto Protestant establishment.” Public schools had a
distinctly Protestant flavor, with teachers leading prayers and scripture
readings from the King James Bible in their lessons. Customs like legislative
prayer became widespread among the states, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter
were officially recognized as holidays, and political rhetoric made frequent
reference to the Almighty. States enforced prohibitions on blasphemy, levied
civil penalties on atheists, enforced the Christian Sabbath…”
Folks, those are the practices of a
Christian nation, not Roe v. Wade that legalized child sacrifice, not Roth v
U.S. that redefined and legalized pornography, not Lawrence v. Texas, that threw
out all state laws punishing homosexuality.
Lastly I want to quote portions from a Supreme Court
decision from 1892, Holy Trinty v. U.S. This Supreme Court opinion was written
long before the court adopted its anti-Christian view. Though it is a fairly
long quote it is also very enlightening as to the mindset of those who were the
justices of the Supreme Court in 120 years ago.
“But, beyond all
these matters, no purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any
legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people. This is
historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour,
there is a single voice making this affirmation…
The first charter
of Virginia, granted by King James I in 1606, after reciting the application of
certain parties for a charter, commenced the grant in these words: "We,
greatly commending, and graciously accepting of, their Desires for the
Furtherance of so noble a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God,
hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majesty, in propagating of Christian
Religion to such People, as yet live in Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the
true Knowledge and Worship of God, and may in time bring the Infidels and
Savages, living in those parts, to human Civility, and to a settled and quiet
government; DO, by these our Letters-Patents, graciously accept of, and agree
to, their humble and well intended Desires."…
Language of similar
import may be found in the subsequent charters of that colony, from the same
king, in 1609 and 1611, and the same is true of the various charters granted to
the other colonies. In language more or less emphatic is the establishment of
the Christian religion declared to be one of the purposes of the grant. The
celebrated compact made by the pilgrims in the Mayflower, 1620, recites:
"Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian
Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first
Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and
mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine
ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and
Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid."…
The fundamental
orders of Connecticut, under which a provisional government was instituted in
1638-39, commence with this declaration: Forasmuch as it hath pleased the
Allmighty God by the wise disposition of his diuyne pruidence so to Order and
dispose of things that we the Inhabitants and Residents of Windsor, Hartford,
and Wethersfield are now cohabiting and dwelling in and vppon the River of
Conectecotte and the Lands thereunto adioyneing; And well knowing where a
people are gathered togather the word of God requires that to mayntayne the
peace and vnion of such a people there should be an orderly and decent
Gouerment established according to God, to order and dispose of the affayres of
the people at all seasons as occation shall require; doe therefore assotiate
and conioyne our selues to be as one Publike state or Comonwelth, and doe, for
our selues and our Successors and such as shall be adioyned to vs att any tyme
hereafter, enter into Combination and Confederation togather, to mayntayne and
presearue the liberty and purity of the gospell of our Lord Jesus weh we now
prfesse, as also the disciplyne of the Churches, weh according to the truth of
the said gospell is now practiced amongst vs."…
In the charter of
privileges granted by William Penn to the province of Pennsylvania, in 1701, it
is recited: "Because no People can be truly happy, though under the
greatest Enjoyment of Civil Liberties, if abridged of the Freedom of their
Consciences, as to their Religious Profession and Worship; And Almighty God
being the only Lord of Conscience, Father of Lights and Spirits, and the Author
as well as Object of all divine Knowledge, Faith, and Worship, who only doth enlighten
the Minds, and persuade and convince the Understandings of People, I do hereby
grant and declare,"…
Or in provisions
such as are found in Articles 36 and 37 of the declaration of rights of the
Constitution of Maryland, 1867: "That, as it is the duty of every man to
worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him, all persons are
equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty, wherefore no person
ought, by any law, to be molested in his person or estate on account of his religious
persuasion or profession, or for his religious practice, unless, under the
color of religion, he shall disturb the good order, peace, or safety of the
state, or shall infringe the laws of morality, or injure others in their
natural, civil, or religious rights; nor ought any person to be compelled to
frequent or maintain or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain any place
of worship or any ministry; nor shall any person, otherwise competent, be
deemed incompetent as a witness or juror on account of his religious belief, provided
he believes in the existence of God, and that, under his dispensation, such
person will be held morally accountable for his acts, and be rewarded or
punished therefore, either in this world or the world to come. That no religious
test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or
trust in this state, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of
God; nor shall the legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath
prescribed by this constitution."…
Or, as in sections
5 and 14 of Article 7 of the Constitution of Mississippi, 1832: "No person
who denies the being of a God, or a future state of rewards and punishments,
shall hold any office in the civil department of this state. . . . Religion
morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government, the preservation of
liberty, and the happiness of mankind, schools, and the means of education,
shall forever be encouraged in this state."…
Or by Article 22 of
the Constitution of Delaware, (1776), which required all officers, besides an
oath of allegiance, to make and subscribe the following declaration: "I,
A. B., do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son,
and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore, and I do acknowledge the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine
inspiration."…
Every one of the
portions quoted in the above court case are historical documents declared by
the civil officials within their particular time in history and within their
individual spheres of authority. There is no denying that the colonies were
founded upon Christian principles for the purpose of spreading the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Also, after America became a nation the individual states in their
constitutions acknowledged that Christian principles guided their state.”
There is no denying that America was founded and was a
Christian nation in practice for a long part of its history, but it is no
longer. Yes there are many sincere Christians in America, people who love God and
love righteousness and hate evil and have a sincere relationship with God, but
I also believe that number is a minority. I don’t believe the Zogby’s or the
Gallup’s or the Rasmussen’s that say 70% or 80% of Americans not only believe
in God, but declare God is an important part of their life. Those words are
hollow. If 70 or 80 % of Americans lived like God was an important part of
their life, a woman’s right to kill her unborn child would not be the law of
the land, and we would not vote into office the corrupt and ungodly men and
women we elect into office. Let’s not forget, Scripture says the devil believes
in God. No, in practice America is not a Christian nation.
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