Food for Thought: Is the USA a Christian Nation?

There has been much confusion about weather America was founded as a Christian nation. The truth is that, though many have stated as a fact that it was, the founding fathers were very careful not to declare a national religion, opting instead for religious freedom. Though many of the founding principles are based on Judeo-Christian values, several of the framers of the constitution were actually Deists (Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and Thomas Paine for example.) That is, they believed in God, but based their interpretation of the Bible on scientific principles. In other words, they did not believe that the miracles recorded in the Bible were supernatural occurrences. They also did not believe that God interacts personally with the universe. Be that as it may, it does not preclude us from worshiping as we wish to. It simply means that we cannot lawfully claim that the Christian religion is the religion of our nation or that it is superior to or ought to dominate other religions.

That said, it is worth noting that this does not mean that we cannot try to persuade others. It means that we are free, just as everyone else is free, to practice religion as we choose to. By our own Christian standards, we are to respect others who believe differently. It only becomes a problem when we disrespect others or try to claim that they must be required to adhere to our way of thinking and worshiping.

Romans 13:3-4 delineates the government’s responsibilities, which are, quite simply, to keep its citizens safe, to punish evil deeds, reward good deeds, and render justice. So, God has given the government certain duties, but enforcing a particular system of belief or worship is not among them. God himself allows us to choose. Read Lot’s story in Genesis 13:8-12 as an example of how God permits free will.

Most Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist governments do not allow religious freedom. Countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and India are, intolerant of other religions. Atheistic governments, such as the former Soviet Union, were also against free religious expression though they did tolerate allowing some church buildings to remain and a certain amount of rituals to be practiced. However, they actively taught the younger generation to dismiss most religious teachings. This does not mean that they did not teach children to practice good ethical and moral behavior. They simply did not attach those values to a theological perspective.