Forum:America as a Christian Nation
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| + | :''This was originally started as a complaint on [[Talk:Pseudohistory]], but soon got out of track and was moved here ([http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Pseudohistory&oldid=843918 last version before the move]).'' | ||
== America Christian Nation == | == America Christian Nation == | ||
Revision as of 19:03, 5 August 2011
- This was originally started as a complaint on Talk:Pseudohistory, but soon got out of track and was moved here (last version before the move).
America Christian Nation
Why is the idea of America as a Christian nation "pseudohistory" when it is so well documented?
Our founding fathers proclaimed that people are endowed by their creator (God) with inalienable rights, Thomas Jefferson.
How can it be Psuedohistory when America was largely Christian when the United States was founded back in the 1800s? How can it be Pseudohistory if America placed so much emphassis on Christianity when America was founded in the 1800s?
How can it be pseudohistory, when it is so well documented that we believe that God gave us a mission to civilize the Savages, i.e. the Indians, the Redskin Savages, all the racist statements that people used to call Indians?
The early American nation was a Christian nation because the majority of Americans in that timeframe were Christians and believed that America was a Christian nation founded on all religions escaping to have a new freedom, away from the church of England.
How can you deny that America was settled by Christian settlers? I suppose it is not pseudohistory to proclaim that America was founded as Christian because the first Americans that settled this continent were Christians. They were Protestant Pilgrim Christians who settled this land to escape persecution. The Quakers founded Pennsylvania as a Quaker state under William Penn?
How can you call this pseudohistory, when it is so true? What, did you think that the people who settled the 13 colonies were Muslims or something?
Maybe America was founded as a Muslim nation? Explain why there are so many churches in rural America or why rural America is largely Christian or why so many Americans put such an emphasis on Christianity as a religion? So how can America not be a Christian nation?
I am not a Klansman for saying it, but unfortunately, it's true. 8 out of every 10 Americans is a Christian. The idea that America is a Christian nation has a basis in fact because even a Muslim would admit that the first American settlers were Christians after they got off the boat? Did you think that they were godless Atheists or what?
It's a well-documented fact, that Christianity established itself before Judaism or Islam did. I'm sure that if the Ottomans settled America, which they didn't, that America would be a Muslim nation. Turkey considers itself secular, but it is a Muslim nation. Why do we call Turkey a Muslim nation, when it calls itself secular? Like America does with the Christian thing? Christianity is such an integral part of our belief system and our beliefs. You swear an oath on the Bible, not the Koran, not the Torah, to tell the truth in court before God, or an elected official gives a prayer for fallen victims of a tragedy, or if you place such an emphasis on the Bible, in such a way to affirm it. How can we NOT be a Christian nation?
How is this idea that America is a Christian nation is pseudohistory, when it is so well documented by offical documents in the Library of Congress or other places? We believed that God gave us the will to settle America and civilize the godless savages. The idea that America is a Christian nation, I'm afraid, is not Pseudohistory, but real history based on the strong beliefs of early America that was so staunchly Christian. I'm afraid that it is NOT pseudohistory at all, and that someone who has an agenda against Christians or American history, should take their nonsense somewhere else, because it is well documented in early beliefs and the elected politicians in the 1800s who believed that God blessed America. Explain why God Bless America is a popular song, when we're not a Christian nation? Explain that for me please! We are SO a Christian nation. I do not care about fundamentalists or anything like that. It is so painfully obvious that if we put such emphasis on Christianity this way, that I'm afraid that we are a Christian nation of many denominations I might add.
So the idea that we are not a Christian nation is erroneous and false. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/E/manifest/manif2.htm
Explain official beliefs of America and Americans settlers. OVer 90%R of America believed in God in its early founding. This idea that America is not a Christian nation is not true at all, but I'm afraid it's the truth, because it is painfully obvious that we are and no one can deny it. Denying it would be like denying that the Holocaust happened or that Russia is not a Christian country even though Russia places such an emphasis on Orthodox Christian, as does Serbia. Poland is a Christian country, that believed in Catholicism and believes that Catholicism helped defeate the godless Commie Russians. People believe that the Catholic Church in Poland and belief in God defeated Communism. It's a true fact. To believe that America is not Christian is like believing that Turkey is not a Muslim country, even though they officialy pronounce themselves as "secular"
See what I'm saying? It's not pseudohistory and never will be. Just look up early documents in the archives and Library of Congress for more details and info and quit discrediting traditional history and quit denying the obvious that is right in front of your face.
For a country that places so much emphasis on the Bible and Christianity, that says that it is not a Christian country, is just incredible to me because that is denying what's in front of its face. Please check the documents and archives sometime, and stop using Wikipedia as reference source. It's a poor reference source anyway.
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/mandestiny.htm
Please read this article.
It also was firmly anchored in a long standing and deep sense of a special and unique American Destiny, the belief that in the words of historian Conrad Cherry, “America is a nation called to a special destiny by God.” The notion that there was some providential purpose to the European discovery and eventual conquest of the land masses “discovered” by Christopher Columbus was present from the beginning. Both the Spanish and the French monarchs authorized and financed exploration of the “New World” because, among other things, they considered it their divinely appointed mission to spread Christianity to the New World by converting the natives to Christianity. C This was a belief among early Americans that America was a Christian country settle the western United States and make it Christian for the purposes of settlement. America was staunchly Christian in the 1800s and the Founding Fathers knew it and could not deny it, otherwise they'd have a revolt on their hands if they did.
It was considered a divine mission by early Americans to spread the word of God to the natives. The Americans believed that it was their God-given right to settle the West, that God granted them the Western United States for settlement. The Indians were godless heathens in their eyes. The Americans placed such a strong emphasis on it. The Gettysburg address mentions God in it. The idea that America as a Christian country is pseudohistory is ridiculous, because it is so well-documented and blatantly obvious to anyone who does any serious research on the topic and doesn't troll around on a particular belief system. Because it is true that America was founded in a way, as a Christian nation. Not totally of course, but one cannot omit the relgious aspect of early America and how religion had such an impact on early America and how religion was a big influence HUGE influence on early America. I am not a Puritan, i'm just stating the facts here, because it is obvious that one cannot omit the religious aspect of early America, because there was a HUGE religious aspect to early America. No one can deny that, because it has been documented by the Library of Congress, National Archives, State Archives. Mormonism had a part in founding Utah in the 1800s and Mormons are strong identified with Utah. Christians settled Hawaii in the 1890s. I'm afraid that the idea that the idea of America being a Christian nation is NOT pseudohistory because it is real history that is so carefully documented, that mainstream historians would not have any trouble denying it. Conservative historians are mainstream and believe it and do not mean the Oprah type sensationalists like David Barton. I mean REAL historians in real conservative colleges. It is so there. Midwest is staunchly Christian and so is the Southern United States and denying that America is Christian is insulting those groups of people. America is a Christian nation and oen cannot deny that. I guess discrediting the truth is a full-time occupation thanks to people with anti-religious agendas that hate the topic of religion in any way shape of form that put the wool over their eyes. Denying the truth, does not make it right. John says the truth will make you free. We put such an emphasis on teh Bible and religion in America in many parts of America and quote the Bible to comfort, to guide the sick and accommodate different Christian beliefs in some communities and hospitals, that I'm afarid the idea that America is a Christian nation, whether you like it or not. It's the truth and you cannot deny it. Period.
That you. America is a Christian nation. Period. End of discussion.
- Did you notice in your very first quote, you had to ADD something to the quote, to get it to say what you wanted it to say. Creator is not "God/YHWH/Christian". creator is just what it is. Maybe we are a muslim nation. or an Native American Nation. or a Egyptian nation. This is why we say it's "psuedo-history".
En attendant Godot 23:49, 4 August 2011 (UTC)
How can that be? I think that implying a Creator implies God and ENDOWED by THEIR CREATOR, which do you think he meant Allah? I think it's clear that he meant God! What do you want a discussion on Creationism? This is an example of Creationism to believe that God is a creator of people with equal rights. That IS NOT pseudohistory. That is well-documented history and I am pretty sure that he meant God in that document. Who else was he reffering to? Allah? Buddha? Gaia? Or some other deity. Name the deity that Jefferson was referring to. Was he referring to a non-exist atheist-created deity? NO, He was REFERRING TO GOD! END OF STORY!
It's not. There were NO Muslims in early America. How come preachers had so much influence in early America at the town level and government level? How come anti-Catholic crusades were common in early America? How come religious people were anle to ban alchool as part of Prohibition in the 1920s without the impact of religion? It is impossible to talk about American history without the impact of Christianity and Christians on American history because American history was written by christians and not Muslims or Bhuddists. Jews had a role in early America, but most everyone in America admitted to being Christian because of its large impact on society and its huge emphasis on it. Being an atheist or agnostic was SIMPLY NOT an option back then. American was and is a Christian nation. End of story.
- Wrong. For the briefest rebuttal possible, see Article VI, par. 3 of the Constitution. See also the Jefferson Bible. Nebuchadnezzar (talk) 00:04, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
- Jefferson was a deist, not a Christian. He did not believe in miracles, the trinity or the divinity of Jesus. He had respect for his moral teachings, but that is it. When he spoke of a god, he was referring to what he called 'Nature's God'in the declaration of independence. David L. Holmes has a book on the faiths of the founding fathers which goes into immense detail. You should probably check it out. The United States was founded on the principle of individual liberty, not on Christianity. --Danfly (talk) 00:14, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
handy edit button #1
- @BoN
- TL;DR...Article VI paragraph 3.
Yes, most people was Christians what became Americans; yes, Christianity was a prime factor in the formation of the institutions of the nation; the treaty of Tripoli aside, why ain't there a Dept of doctrinal purity bureau...Please realize that Christianity of the late eighteenth century had come through the ravages of the Reformation, being freed from the shackles of the Bishop of Rome all sorts of people were proclaiming the "one true church" for themselves...the Deist founders (as well as their dyed-in-the-wool Christian brethren) didn't want the foundling nation to succumb to a religious war soon after the political was finished. C®ackeЯ
Individual liberty is NOT a religion. Individual liberty is an ideal to be a free person, but it is not a religion. America was founded on Christianity, but not by Jeffereson and many states believed in a God that they had God-given rights to settle and colonize early America and settling America. Deism is still a belief in God, but with reason. Jefferson still believed in God, so therefore he was a Christian. Deism is belief in a God, but with a different belief of reason. TJ still believed in God, though. Nice try. Deism Does not mean a lack of faith in God, but belief in God. Acknowledging God and believing in a god based on the Bible, is still Christianity. Jefferson was a Christian, pure an simple.
Either way, Jefferson was a Christian and they believed in a God. Belief in a God, is professing a religion or a religious belief. Belief in a God, while acknowledging the Christian God, is still Christianity. America believed in Christianity in the 1800s as a main religion. Jefferson officialy founding America is relevant, but irrelevant compared to the rest of Christian America. Jefferson did not want to offend his audience throughout the 13 colonies or to alienate people from the cause by believing in a fixed religion. He believed Americans were free to choose religions because he believed in a free America, but that does not diminish the fact that America was founded by Christian settlers in the 1600s and 1700s. Jefferson was a Christian.
Jefferson using the phrase "almighty God"
00:44, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
- "Individual liberty is an ideal to be a free person, but it is not a religion."
Just so! but individual liberty is anathema to Christianity. People are free to do as they choose so long as in their choosing they choose to obey God and the authorities He has placed in their respective positions.
Okay, what say we accept that American is a "Christian nation" what would be the upshot of that?...how can we make it a "good Christian" nation? 01:05, 5 August 2011 (UTC) C®ackeЯ - Even if Jefferson was a Christian that wouldn't make a difference, and even if America was somehow founded on "Christian Values" it wouldn't really make any difference because America was also founded on separation of church and state. So, I also don't see what your point is. Beck (talk) 01:11, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
If individual liberty is anathema to Chrisitanity, then come Moses escaped slavery or how come the early Christians desired freedom from persecution by the Romans in its early incarnations? Individual liberty is not the enemy to Christianity because many Christians believed in freedom because they were being persecuted by the Romans and the Romans tried to silence them and Christianity was born out of persecution by the Romans. Individual liberty is not the enemy of Christianity because many Christians believe in liberty and sought to make America a free nation for all people. Christianity was born out of persecution and desired to be free by preaching the Gospel to millions. It was because of Roman peresecution that Christians wanted to be free and desired freedom to be free people from Roman rule. Many took up arms to free themselves from the Roman. The Bible talks about people fighting for freedom from the Romans. The Bible talks about Roman persecution and how the early Christians overcame persecution to be a free people. Christianity desired to be an offshoot from Judaism, because the people wanted their own religion. Individual liberty is not as enemy of Chrisitanity. Individual liberty is the enemy of tyrants and people like Caesar who persecuted thm. You see, Christians wanted to be free because they wanted to practice their religion freely from Roman persecution. That too is well-documented. Christianity is founded, partly, on freedom. Theocracices and people who twisted their religion were destroyed by people for their own evil agendas. Just read Machiavelli and the Prince sometime about people who claimed to be men of God, but were as much sinners as they were religious. God cursed man with sin, but in the end, he could redeem himself in the eyes of God and better himself as a free man, which is what Christianity believes. Christianity is not entirely hostile to individual freedom, when many early Christians embraced it and fought the hated Romans with the Scripture of God in their hearts that they loved so much. Christianity became turned Rome into the Holy Roman Empire and Rome embraced it throught Constantine the Great and his spread of Orthodoxy, but edorsing religion back then meant legitimacy and strength and powerful warriors to win battles with religions in those days. So religion was an important tool then and now, because people believed in the powerful belief of an Almighty God who promised them greatness and strength and guided free people on the path of God, and religion was hijacked too, I know, but that IS THE foundation of Christian. The truth will make you free. Telling the truth makes you free. That is not pseudohistory, either. Indiviudal libery and Christianity are not entirely opposed either. Just look at John Locke.
http://www.piney.com/Lockereasonableness.html
"Theologians cannot find God by themselves. Therefore John Locke said that God reveald His Word through Jesus Christ, and that this revelation is reasonable to the common mind. He never taught that Christianity can be found by human reasoning. This does not prevent distorting John Locke to distort those who read him.
All united in a belief. If they had believed that God wanted them to be, the colonists, did, then how can individual liberty be hostile to Christianity anyway? Think about it.
71.116.34.150 (talk) 01:30, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
- ' Jefferson still believed in God, so therefore he was a Christian'. So all Muslims, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs and even Pantheists are Christians? I agree with you that individual liberty and Christianity are not mutually opposed though, since you can interpret the religion almost any way you want as long as you accept the divinity of Jesus, or that he was at least a prophet of God(as some unitarians do). --Danfly (talk) 10:49, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
brxbrxbrxbrxbrxbrx-
Jefferson never was a Zoroastrian or a Jew or a Muslim. In fact, Muslims believe that we believe in the same God. The Koran refers to Jews and Christians as "People of the Book" and that. The Koran borrows from the Bible. I did not say that all Muslims, Jews, or Sikhs, were Christians. We all each believe in a God, though disagree on methodology. In some cases, affirmation of belief in a God is enough to be a Christian. Jefferson still believed in a God, through Deism. Deism still believes in a God. Jefferson was not an atheist either. brxbrxbrxbrxbrxbrx-
'affirmation of belief in a God is enough to be a Christian'. You had better elaborate on what those cases are. No one in the entire discussion has even suggested that Jefferson was an atheist. If you say x believed in god, therefore he was a Christian, you are saying that all Monotheists are Christians. I don't know why I'm typing here because it looks like you deliberately went out of your way tp create an argument consisting entirely of blatant non sequiturs, probably to see how long you could keep it up for. No thinking person would consider 'x believed in God, therefore x was a Christian' to be a valid argument. --√2 (talk) 16:18, 5 August 2011 (UTC)
As always...
What part of...
“”Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
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...do people not understand? Really, I'd like to know. ADK...I'll bang your hailstone! 18:48, 5 August 2011 (UTC)