The United States-A Christian Nation
Whether the US is a Christian nation or not is a longstanding debate. However, the US Constitution declares that the US is a secular, not a Christian, nation. The constitution refers to ‘the people,’ and there is no mention of God or religious affiliation (Schultz, 2017). Besides, article VI of the document makes exclusionary references to religion. According to the article, no one shall be subjected to religion-based tests as a requirement for any office. Also, the article barns Congress from making a law to promote or restrict the establishment of any religion (Schultz, 2017). Therefore, the constitution encourages tolerance but does not link the nation to Christianity.
Christianity in the US is linked to European colonialists from Europe. Various symbols and historical facts refer to this. For instance, the Virginia state seal explicitly shows that Europeans brought Christianity in exchange for gifts such as the New World tobacco (Schultz, 2017). There is also a feeling that colonialists used Christianity as an intimidation tool. Enslaved people who converted to Christianity were excused from most inhumane treatment. The misuse of Christianity by colonialists reinforces the conviction that America is not fundamentally Christian.
Another factor that waters down the notion of a Christian nation is that the founders of Christianity in America introduced it to maintain moral virtue. They hoped that the country would remain culturally Christian to maintain public order. They introduced the notion of Christianity in the late 19th Century and later generations (CNN, 2015). The founders wanted to establish an identity that exemplified the origins of America. Therefore, the notion of a ‘Christian nation’ is a myth created by generations trying to develop an identity.
Thus, the belief that the US is a Christian nation does not hold water. The constitution clearly defines the country as a secular state right from the beginning. Also, the feeling that religion was a colonial tool dilutes its significance. Christianity was introduced as late as less than 300 years ago by Americans seeking identity.
References
CNN, M. E., Special to. (2015). Was America founded as a Christian nation? CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/02/living/america-christian-nation/index.html
Schultz, K. M. (2017). Hist. Cengage Learning.
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Question
Assessment Description
There is a belief that the United States is a “Christian Nation.” Based on the founding documents and the prevalent Enlightenment ideals of the 18th Century, how could this argument be supported or opposed?