As President Obama engaged in his “America Stinks” tour of Europe this week he told audiences in Turkey that the U.S. is not a Christian nation. “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation,” he said on April 6. This echoes his statement in 2007 when Obama told CBN, “whatever we once were, we’re no longer just a Christian nation.”
The subtle difference between those two statements just over a year apart is interesting. Candidate Obama seemed to admit that we might have “once” been a Christian nation but are no longer “just” a Christian nation. But, suddenly as president, he seems to be saying squarely that we “don’t” consider ourselves Christian. Interesting that he seemed to feel obligated to mitigate as a candidate his now openly admitted belief that we just aren’t a Christian nation.
In any case, it is obvious that this is Obama’s way of ingratiating himself with Muslim audiences. But whatever his immediate goal, his sentiment is a popular one with Americans that sport left-wing, anti-religious ideology, people who look to Obama as their leader.
But is he right? Is it true that we aren’t a Christian nation? Did the Founding Fathers choose the Christian ethic as the one upon which they based this country, or not? The answer would appear to be an emphatic yes once the historical record is reviewed. It would also appear that we are straying far afield from that grounding.
As Ronald Reagan reminded us in 1988: “The First Continental Congress made its first act a prayer — the beginning of a great tradition. We have then, a lesson from the founders of our land, those giants of soul and intellect who¹s courageous pledge of life and fortune and sacred honor, and whose ‘firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence,’ have ever guided and inspired Americans and all who would fan freedom’s mighty flames and live in ‘freedom’s holy light.’ That lesson is clear: That in the winning of freedom and in the living of life, the first step is prayer.” Reagan was ever so right to guide us toward an understanding that the Founders of this country nearly to a man were steeped in religion — and that of the Protestant, Christian variety, at that. Even the ones against organized religion believed in a God, one that put us here and gave us certain rights as espoused in the Declaration of Independence from Britain.
But let us not use just the Declaration, as the Constitution is supreme law that guides this country. We must strive to remain strict constructionists of that document and hew closely to what the founder’s intended in all their wisdom. It is well considered proper, then, that we look to what the Founders and their contemporaries wrote to construe what they “meant” concerning the principles and ethics to which they hoped we’d remain forever faithful.
Let us begin with a quote from James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. “The belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities impressed with it.” That sounds rather ominous, does it not? Of course Madison means that Christian concept of morality that he learned from the Anglican Church which was a required state religion in his home state, Virginia when he was a child.
Another stalwart driving force of the revolutionary days was Samuel Adams who, echoing James Madison’s idea, said, “Liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals.”
George Washington who can be quoted bestowing Christian religious principles on many of his thoughts and actions he took on the battlefield and in government is very quotable on the subject. Here are a few quotes from the Father of our country.
- “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”
- “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
- “And now, Almighty Father, if it is Thy holy will that we shall obtain a place and name among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be enabled to show our gratitude for Thy goodness by our endeavors to fear and obey Thee.”
Pretty straight forward, I believe.
How about Ben Franklin? Old Poor Richard himself was never considered the biggest religious fanatic of his day. In fact he is one of the few Founders that actually considered himself a Deist. But even he once said, “It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their dependence on the Divine being.” Hardly sounds like he was against the morality of Christian ethics, does it?
John Adams, second president and indispensable founding father who was well known to be extremely pious both in religion and opinion said, “Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God’s service, when it is violating all His laws.”
He sure did not say Allah’s service. Nor did he couple God and THEY. Adams said HIS laws. An obvious recognition of the Christian God of heaven and earth.
These quotes are all well and good but what did the early American theorists intend to pass on to the youth of America? As an answer to this I point to Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania. Rush was a respected Doctor and was closely tied to most of the great figures of the early Republic and its national politics. He wrote,”I proceed…to enquire what mode of education we shall adopt so as to secure to the state all the advantages that are to be derived from the proper instruction of youth; and here I beg leave to remark, that the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”
Well, we could quote dozens upon dozens of such phrases from men like Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Henry Lee, George Clinton and a host of other revolutionary notables but that would tend to over burden the point.
Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, as a riposte to Christians, many half-informed secularists claim that Jefferson was a Deist that hated Christianity. But this is garbled history. Like many of the Founders, Jefferson disliked organized religion but was not in any way against religious sentiment, training and ideals. In fact, the older he got, the more religious he became. But even as our third president he regularly attended Bible class right in the the halls of Congress and never once scolded the classes from meeting on federal property. He was not against Christianity in government at all.*
The point is that the men of the revolution, those very men that created our country, its mores and conventions based their ruminations upon the Christian God and his ethics and principles. They felt this base to be entirely indispensable to the stability of republican government. They warned that to dispense with them would be our undoing and we followed those predications faithfully up until the civil war and half heatedly until the presidency of FDR.
But today, civil Libertarians strive to remake the U.S.A. into a Godless and moraless society based upon an if-it-feels-right mode of thinking. The Democrat Party tries to replace religion with statism and socialism. Even Republicans all too often shy away from the question of the religious ethics of Christianity as if it is a backward ideal that would best be forgotten.
No, Benjamin Rush had it right when he said that without religion “… there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”
Whether critics and secularists like it or not, we are at heart a Christian nation and if we cast off that ethic we will no longer be the United States, we will no longer have in us what made us great.
*For an in depth discussion of Jefferson’s misinterpreted Danbury Letter from which the phrase “wall of separation between church and state” was derived, visit: http://www.publiusforum.com/oldopeds/hustonstoryseparation.html.
The Supreme Irony for the bonehead Secularists
papalee Wednesday, April 8th at 7:28AM EDT (link)is that they very form of the American state had its origin in the government of the Church of England whose two convocations, those of Canterbury and York, each had a legislature consisting of the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy with the respective archbishops serving as an executive. This became the model for the British parliament with its Houses of Lords and Commons. But given that fifty per cent plus one of the members of the Constitutional Convention were Anglicans (there was another but he was pretty much a deist) this should not be surprising. Of course the faith of those gentlemen had little or nothing to do with the current Episcopal Church which has been taken over by homosexuals, male and female and rabid leftists.
The devotion of these men to freedom was part and parcel of what they learned at Church where the second collect in Morning Prayer say of God that his “service is perfect freedom . . . .” One might say that they were taught the love of liberty from the time that their parents began taking them to church. Would that our Democrat opponents had such love of freedom and liberty or just the barest knowledge of the history of this country as well as a bit of love for it and its people.
NO! to Obama
fisk2521 Wednesday, April 8th at 8:18AM EDT (link)Wonderful post. I can’t agree more. The Episocopal Church has become a platform for progressive, leftists idealogues and not a religiion based on Christianity, liberty and individual freedoms. I started this by writing that ‘having left the Episcopal Church”, but the truth is the Church has left me and millions more, who are just fed up.
The first thing I feel Americans must do is soundly reject Obama’s statements about Christianity and the US. If he belives that, then mores the pity for him and any leadership he tries to claim. The first step towards the majority taking our country back is to tell those like Obama that they are flat out wrong… and no longer stand back in silence while people like him attempt to completely destroy our culture. Frankly I think Obama, like many from the left, doesn’t believe that Americans have a culture…. he’s wrong and we should tell him in a very loud voice, he’s wrong.
LDavis
Sadly,
arel Wednesday, April 8th at 10:13AM EDT (link)I to left the Episcopal Church and agree with you that some churches are leaving God’s word to be more “PC” and accepting of everyone and everything regardless of what the bible says.
I have already emailed the President over this and his constant need to appologize for our great country. I don’t think he will see it but I feel better for voicing my opinion anyway.
For someone who claimed to be Christian our POTUS sure isn’t acting like it.
This was an excellent post!
Arel
Christian nation, secular state
Brad Smith Wednesday, April 8th at 8:34AM EDT (link)We are a Christian nation, but a secular state, much as Turkey is a Moslem nation with a secular state.It’s important that conservatives remember - indeed, it should be core component of conservatism - that the state is not the nation.
Brad Smith
Professor of Law
Capital University Law School
Capital University website
Center for Competitive Politics website
Republic needs a moral
Princeliberty Wednesday, April 8th at 8:57AM EDT (link)Correct one the worse things in modern America debate is idea that everything is about the state.
Every problem needs a state solution.
But American was founded a Christian nation - a Christian culture, Christian Principles.
Then we created a federal government that did not try to decide which theology was correct like the rulers of Europe did.
However, as the Founding Fathers said over and over again - the nation must be moral and religious for the Republic to work.
Hence as the nation has become more immoral the Republic has become weaker and weaker.
Now the Nation is much more an autocratic Empire than a Republic.
Princeliberty
The problem is that the ruling class hold the Christian nation in contempt. Rush described us thusly:
Mike gamecock DeVine Wednesday, April 8th at 9:38AM EDT (link)Sweden is the leasdt religious nation on earth while India is the most religious.
We are like Indians being ruled by Swedes.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
Very true
Princeliberty Wednesday, April 8th at 10:15AM EDT (link)The problem is ruling class is bigoted against Christians.
We now have a political class that holds the American people in contempt.
The political says you can’t being a true orthodox Christians, you can’t be pro-life, you must be for gay marriage, you must support the billionare bankers bailouts, you must support anything labeled as a free trade bill, you must support open borders etc…
The leadership of the Republican party tends to join in with the political class against its own base when push comes to shove.
Princeliberty
5X5
skorrent1 Wednesday, April 8th at 10:08AM EDT (link)Excellent point! We are a sovereign people that empower a government! As you say, “Never forget it!”
I think a bigger problem is
mom2oneson Wednesday, April 8th at 11:20AM EDT (link)Christians seem to be passive and not speaking out against bad things. I see apathy regarding what they do for the community with many Christian men IRL.
I see Scant Evidence
kyle8 Wednesday, April 8th at 8:51AM EDT (link)that we are any longer a Christian Nation.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
You should take heart...
skorrent1 Wednesday, April 8th at 9:58AM EDT (link)From the recent poll (for what that’s worth) that asked the question: “Does religion play an IMPORTANT part in your DAILY life?” (emphasis added). They had an overwhelming affirmative response with most states falling between 85 and 60%. A handful of states fell slightly below 50%. While this does not necessarily imply a fealty to Christianity, it certainly suggests that the respondents recognize the necessity for a codified morality. The “anything goes, if it feels good, do it” crowd are a vocal minority, but only a small minority. Social conservatism still has a firm foundation among the electorate.
Separating the wheat from the chaff.
spedteacher Wednesday, April 8th at 8:59AM EDT (link)A long-time friend and I have ceased our relationship due to our political beliefs. I initiated the separation. Never realized how left wing he was until this past election. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from him; it was like meeting someone for the first time.
Interestingly, I do not even miss him. I guess deep down inside, there was a part of me that never accepted his philosophy, and it all came to fruition this past 8 months. Don’t want to call him a “lost soul”, but he certainly drank the kool-aid a long time ago when he was in college.
This election, and the current events, have been an eye opener to me. On the positive side, it has given me the opportunity to really see who I can trust. It is like an automatic thresher. Whether one is the wheat or one is the chaff, the two will naturally separate.
I fear that there is only one recourse available to
Vaughn Harold Wednesday, April 8th at 9:37AM EDT (link)those that wish to return this nation back to its foundation of limited federal government. Our government & political systems are completely corrupt failures, and just like cancer spreading through ones body, there is only limited options available to remove the plague that is ailling our country.
I wonder if there are leaders amoung us today who are willing, as our founders were, to lead the fight once again for true liberty? I wonder if “We the people” are willing, as “We” were at our founding, to fight once again for true liberty from an oppressive central government?
Liberty never comes free it must be physically fought for.
Warner your words are inspirational, may they inspire the people to fight for true liberty!
I with the minority religions would realize who their firends are
jeffreywturner Wednesday, April 8th at 9:49AM EDT (link)Liberals like Obama, (even those who pretend to be Christians themselves) despise pretty much all religious thought.
They want to stamp out religion. They only ally themselves with Islam & other minority (minority in the US at least) religions in order to defeat and bring down Chistianity and candidates who espouse Christian values.
But these Muslims, Jews, etc. need to wake up and realize who the true enemy is, and that is the American liberal who wants to stifle ALL religious thought.
Do muslims really think for one second that the Christian-bashing liberals are in any way sympathetic to muslim religious doctrine?
Do they think that Obama is open to their ideas on abortion, women’s rights (or lack thereof), or homosexuality?
They need to WAKE UP and see that the Godless are just as much a threat to them as to us.
“Life is too short, can’t we all just eat pork and kill some terrorists?”
The Jews are on the side of the Christians
Praying Wednesday, April 8th at 10:18AM EDT (link)(Hence our Judeo-Christian heritage) There are just a whole lot of people of Jewish descent in this country who no longer hold to the Traditions of the faith. Those are the ones that voted for and support Obama. It was sad to see so many of my Jewish brothers and sisters (I am Christian, but I consider the Jews to be my brothers and sisters) abandon all the promised of God to drink the Kool-aid with the One. Biblical prophecy has never been wrong. I fear we will see it played our further in our lifetime.
Join the RedState Strike Force
Politicians use religion
Maggie_in_Indiana Wednesday, April 8th at 10:16AM EDT (link)for their own benefit,as needed to advance their agenda and power grabs. Obama denounced Rev. Wright when it was beneficial to him to do so. He goes to church to show he is a Christian to a Christian nation. He very sternly denounced being Muslim, knowing it would reassure the Christian nation who voted for him, he is truly one of “us”.
Of all the boneheaded statements he made while on his popularity tour in Europe this one hit me in the chest. Now we know who he is and what he will do to gain whatever power and praise from anyone and everyone. Disgusting and oh so arrogant. Rest assured there will be no statement made as to the rage and out-cry from Christians across our nation who were insulted and angered by it. god bless America is on our currency and in our hearts.
Obama representing us in the world is like saying Barney Frank is the example of an average American. Gives me the crawlies.
Maggie in Indiana
Has anyone heard the tax exempt argument
mom2oneson Wednesday, April 8th at 10:25AM EDT (link)That when churches went tax exempt that is a big problem? I heard it on Dr Dobson driving in the car a few months ago. He compared it to Germany around Hitler’s time.
It is true we are not a Christian Nation
Raven Wednesday, April 8th at 10:43AM EDT (link)As far as that goes. But those who continue to say that at the tops of their lungs keep forgetting that we Are:
A Nation OF and BY Christians.
“Unlike cruel liberty that requires you to stand and take responsibility for your choices, kind tyranny requires only that you kneel and surrender your choices.”
78% of Americans claim to be Christian today - we are a Christian nation, but secular and
Mike gamecock DeVine Wednesday, April 8th at 10:47AM EDT (link)I see your point, which is basically semantics that the left uses to substitute for substantive arguments.
I don’t concede the language to them.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
I like to take their arguments and turn them around on them
Raven Wednesday, April 8th at 12:54PM EDT (link)It’s Lots of fun to see their faces when they realize you’re using Their talking points in support of Your position…
“Unlike cruel liberty that requires you to stand and take responsibility for your choices, kind tyranny requires only that you kneel and surrender your choices.”
amen - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Wednesday, April 8th at 1:37PM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
We aren't a Christian Nation.
passerby25 Wednesday, April 8th at 11:03AM EDT (link)Most of the people of the nation are Christians, but that doesen’t mean the nation was.
And I believe you miss one major thing about “Our nation being founded on Christian Values”, is that it was founded on Christian VALUES, not Christianity. I know Atheist that are good people, and I know Christians that aren’t. Though Religion obviously has some affect on your values, they are not dependent on each other. Our Founding Fathers realized that, which is why they made it so that government can make “No law Respecting the establishment of religion or the free exercise thereof”. To say we are a “Christian Nation” implies that, as a nation, we endorse a single religion, which we do not.
The point is, we were founded on Christian Values, not Christianity, and you don’t need to be a Christian to have Christian Values. (not to mention that it is a bit arrogant to assume that one religion has a monopoly on certain values).
I respectfully disagree…
Oh, man.....these type comments always amaze me...
nivlem Wednesday, April 8th at 11:35AM EDT (link)Is there no end to the stupid length Obama supports will go to in their endeavor to prove him right…..these mental gyrations amaze me. What a loss it has
been to our education system to not teach the constitution and it’s founders. I am beginning to think they should bring back teaching from the Bible just so people would know what they are talking about.
(Clue to passerby25: Christians are Christians because they are aware they are not perfect and never will be, and need the grace of God for forgiveness. They believe Jesus died on the cross to allow him to be a sacrficial lamb for our sins which we commit daily. Christains do not believe this makes them or will make them perfect.)
These comments are so boring….
I respectfully am bored with them.
We Christians have failed ...
SoulEspresso Wednesday, April 8th at 12:12PM EDT (link)… to live up to what we believe.
I agree with the posters who say American was not founded as a Christian nation, but the Founders knew the people of America had to have Christian values. The Separation of Powers concept was an enshrinement, in a way, of the doctrine of Original Sin: power corrupts, so spread it around.
It’s not that big a deal to me that Obama said America is not a Christian nation. Thomas Jefferson said essentially the same thing to the Barbary Pirates — that they had no religious grounds for a war on the United States.
It is right to say that as the nation declines morally, everything else about it goes as well. We who profess faith in Christ bear a large responsibility for this. We become what we think about; for example, if the 60-86% of Americans who say religion is “very important” in their lives quit consuming television/film/music that attacks their moral views, that stuff would quit being made.
If we want to raise the country, we believers must start raising our thoughts.
Liberals and ignorant Americans can't deal with three paragraph explanations especially when the first sentence you make
Mike gamecock DeVine Wednesday, April 8th at 12:26PM EDT (link)admits the lie that we are not a Christian nation
the fact is that the statement is too vague in the affirmative or the negative to have much meaning
but in terms of a sound bite war, we should not concede all that most people will hear
in that context we are a christian nation
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
I understand what you are saying, but it is impossible
Vaughn Harold Wednesday, April 8th at 12:44PM EDT (link)for Christians to fail at the work we are called to do!
Society is ever falling away from God by rejecting the His call to repentance, hince the need for the Book of Revelation that informs us of the state to which man will fall before God steps in to fix the problem.
Your point about staying seperated from the world is always valid, but even Jesus Christ didn’t come to change the world, He came to save souls! That is the work that Christians can not fail at, for it is not our work, it is us joining Him in His work, and His work will get done perfectly.
Let's cherish this glorious Lenten Season to celebrate our Savior and King, Jesus Christ.
Rod_Patrick Wednesday, April 8th at 12:36PM EDT (link)I am not sure anymore if this beautiful Christian tradition can survive in the Age of Obama.
I pray to God that it will, though.
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WTH, thanks for this wonderful diary. It proves that we have always been a Christian nation. I pray to God in heaven that we will remain as such even after the age of Obama.