A Christian Nation?
It would be amusing, if not so disheartening, to watch the argument over whether the United States is a Christian nation. The argument comes from there being at least two different ideas about what the term “Christian Nation” means.
Certainly, more US citizens claim to adhere to some form or other of what is commonly called Christianity, than to any other religion. Certainly also, many people are born again--have a direct relation to the Divine, as brought to us by Jesus. In these two ways, we are without doubt a Christian nation. Amerians are fine people.
That is about the people. In the Constitution, The United States makes no claim of an official alignment with any religion. In fact a state religion is expressly prohibited. While the exact words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the wording, there’s really no way to follow the Constitution without such separation.
As a nation, however, The United States has gotten involed in some things most wouldn’t call Christian behavior. The contry at its founding permitted slavery, even in its constitution. After nearly ninety years of slavery, thousands died defending it and killed thousands who sought to end it. Then followed a century of Jim Crow laws and customs.
In more recent history, we propped up dictators in small countries to take those countries’ natural resources. We got into wars for questionable reasons.
Oddly enough, those who most loudly insist that this is a Christian nation tend to associate themselves with corrupt politicians, and corrupt politicians tend to wrap themselves in religious garb. Nothing diverts public attention from political corruption like a phony religious issue.
As Christians in a Republic, we vote. We participate in rallies, and we talk to our neighbors. The United States is a nation -- a republic -- with Christians in it. That’s as close as we can get.
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Certainly, more US citizens claim to adhere to some form or other of what is commonly called Christianity, than to any other religion. Certainly also, many people are born again--have a direct relation to the Divine, as brought to us by Jesus. In these two ways, we are without doubt a Christian nation. Amerians are fine people.
That is about the people. In the Constitution, The United States makes no claim of an official alignment with any religion. In fact a state religion is expressly prohibited. While the exact words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the wording, there’s really no way to follow the Constitution without such separation.
As a nation, however, The United States has gotten involed in some things most wouldn’t call Christian behavior. The contry at its founding permitted slavery, even in its constitution. After nearly ninety years of slavery, thousands died defending it and killed thousands who sought to end it. Then followed a century of Jim Crow laws and customs.
In more recent history, we propped up dictators in small countries to take those countries’ natural resources. We got into wars for questionable reasons.
Oddly enough, those who most loudly insist that this is a Christian nation tend to associate themselves with corrupt politicians, and corrupt politicians tend to wrap themselves in religious garb. Nothing diverts public attention from political corruption like a phony religious issue.
As Christians in a Republic, we vote. We participate in rallies, and we talk to our neighbors. The United States is a nation -- a republic -- with Christians in it. That’s as close as we can get.
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