A Christian Nation?

In Church History II today our class was sidetracked by a rather heated in-class discussion over the concept of a Christian nation. Arguments for the necessity of a public display of The Ten Commandments and appeals to myth that our nation was founded on Christian principles abounded. Yes that is right, I wrote the word "myth". I write this now not in order that I might offend or upset anyone, but of the mere purpose for historical accuracy.

There is no evidence that suggests our nation was founded upon Christian principles. While it is certainly true that many of our founding fathers professed to be Christians, there denial of significant orthodox theologies proves otherwise. Men like Jefferson and Franklin are only the most noted in this category. For those not convinced I recommend that you read my article "Religion and Rationality in the First American Gothic Novel." The article deals with the anlysis of the themes and content of the first American Gothic novel Wieland written by Charles Brockden Brown during the aftermath of the American Revolution (1798). While some of the arguments may not make sense to those unfamiliar with the novel, it does offer some support for what I have stated here about the founding of the American Constitution.

America was not founded on the Bible, but on Lockean Philosophy. While the morality of John Locke's philosophy may have some similarities to the moral mandates of Scripture the two are far from one another. We do not live in a Christian nation friends, but let this not stop us from promoting the gospel and calling men and women to faith and repentance. It is not the governments job to promote true religion, it is ours.