Christian Nation Response

If we pass beyond these matters to a view of American life, as expressed by its laws, its business, its customs, and its society, we find every where a clear recognition of the same truth. Among other matters, note the following: the form of oath universally prevailing, concluding with an appeal to the Almighty; the custom of opening sessions of all deliberative bodies and most conventions with prayer; the prefatory words of all wills, "In the name of God, amen;" the laws respecting the observance of the Sabbath, with the general cessation of all secular business, and the closing of courts, legislatures, and other similar public assemblies on that day; the churches and church organizations which abound in every city, town, and hamlet; the multitude of charitable organizations existing every where under Christian auspices; the gigantic missionary associations, with general support, and aiming to establish Christian missions in every quarter of the globe. These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. In the face of all these, shall it be believed that a Congress of the United States intended to make it a misdemeanor for a church of this country to contract for the services of a Christian minister residing in another nation?

US Supreme Court, Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 U.S. 457 (1892)

Is the United States a ‘Christian Nation’? Was it ever a ‘Christian Nation’? J. Daniel Sawyer has started a series on the subject (unfortunately behind a paywall or I would respond more specifically) and I have already stared a series of quotations on the subject.

As to answering the question itself I think the first and most important part of the answer must be the question, ‘By what definition’? I think that everyone can easily agree that, according to certain definitions, the United States is far from a Christian Nation, and according to others, it is and always has been. So… but what definition and to what extent is, or isn’t, the United States a Christian Nation?

Theology

In the eyes of the modern reader I am going to start in a very odd start. In answering the question of whether the US is a Christian Nation I am going to start with what the New Testament, itself, says about Christianity. I know, a strange source for determining what Christian is. But I’m going to go there. Those uninterested in the founding documents of Christianity can skip this part.

All Nations are Christian

In one sense, the NT says that all nations are Christian. Meaning that all nations are under the authority of Christ, accountable to Christ, and are supposed to be enforcing His Will. God’s Law is preeminent over all human law.

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Romans 13:1-7

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen forthine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth forthy possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish fromthe way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed areall they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 2

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

I Corinthians 15:23-28

One problem with this concept is that there is a general rule of definitions: a definition that does not confine does not define. If all nations are Chrstian Nations, then no nation is a Christian Nation in any helpful sense. The US would thus be no more Christian that Saudi Arabia or North Korea.

No Nations are Christian

In another, equally real sense, no nation is Christian. Every nation is filled with individuals in rebellion against Christ. No nation follows Christ perfectly.

But this definition has the same problem as the one above: it doesn’t confine. If no nations as ‘Christian Nations’ than the discussion is fruitless.

Which Team?

Now lets leave theology behind for a minute. In a more confining sense everyone would agree that the US is a Christian Nation. If you were to divide nations up by teams, like you do for soccer, then the US would be on the ‘Christian’ Team.

Let me give a time travel example. If you were to travel ahead in time fifty years, open a history book, and read, “In 2025 a war arose between the Christian and the Muslim nations…” You would not be at all suprised to read, later in the article, “The United States, as the most militant of the Christian Nations…”. IOW in a war between ‘Christian’ and ‘Muslim’ nations you would not be surprised to find the US not only part of, but leading, the ‘Christian’ nations.

In a geopolitical sense, this is a very real, and helpful definition. If one is going to look at long-term fault lines and natural alliances, this definition helps. If one is going to look at possible world conflicts, and multiple internal conflicts, the ‘Christian vs Muslim’ paradigm is both real and profitable. In much of Africa tribal groupings fall largely (altho by no means exclusively) along ‘religious’ lines, and conflicts do too.

Sheer Numbers

Similarly if you were to go to the statisticians and look only for actual religion, the US would be a ‘Christian’ nation. If you ignored ‘none’ and ‘atheist’ (both of whom would often be happy to deny that they have a stake in the ‘religion’ game) as well as the ‘I don’t know’ and ‘seriously confused from day to day’… if you were to judge a nation purely by the number of people that claim adherence to something which they claim and recognise as a religion.. then the US is a Christian Nation.

If you combine ‘Catholic’ and ‘Protestant’ and the various forms of ‘Orthodox’; and especially if you add in the various ‘Christian’ cults such as Mormon and JW, they outweigh, for now, the Muslims, Jews, Bahai, etc. by a large margin.

The Other Numbers

But then, obviously, if you add back in those who are some form of ‘none’… atheist, agnostic, ‘none’, and ‘I haven’t a clue’, then the balance beam tips again, then that group of non-religious, if taken as a block, form the, umm, largest religious group in many countries, altho not the United States. In the United States the current number is somewhere about 2/3 vs 1/3. The block combined outweighs various subsets of ‘Christian’, such as ‘Protestant’ or ‘Catholic’.

Deist

DEISM, noun [Latin God.] The doctrine or creed of a deist; the belief or system of religious opinions of those who acknowledge the existence of one God, but deny revelation: or deism is the belief in natural religion only, or those truths, in doctrine and practice, which man is to discover by the light of reason, independent and exclusive of any revelation from God. Hence deism implies infidelity or a disbelief in the divine origin of the scriptures.

The view which the rising greatness of our country presents to my eyes, is greatly tarnished by the general prevalence of deism which, with me, is but another name for vice and depravity. P. Henry, Wirys Sketches.

Websters 1828

Now one thing that isn’t true is that a majority of people in the United States have ever actively claimed the title ‘Deist’. Indeed, many of the ‘deists’ in the early United States would, if their statements they made then be read out loud now, be seen as radical Christian Nationalist reactionary fascists… add epithets as needed.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor...

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these Unites States...that we then may all unite unto him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed...

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions...to promote the knowledge and practice of the true religion and virtue...

President George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation from October 3, 1789.

So if someone were to argue that the United States has largely been a ‘deist’ nation, they would be peering deep into the psyche and theology of the average American, and seeing things that might well be true, but that that American himself would not recognise. If a doctor were to say that thirty percent of Americans had cancer, I would respond that that might well be true, but that probably 95% of them don’t know it. Or don’t believe it.

One problem with the ‘deist language’ discussion is that non-deists, specifically orthodox Christians, use a lot of that same language. One does not have to be a deist to say ‘providence’ or to speak of natural law.

The Great Questionnaire

It would be fascinating to design and send out a questionnaire that didn’t just ask some vague ‘what group do you belong to’ kind of questions, but questions specifically designed to drill down on the religous beliefs of Americans. It could begin:

1. Do I believe in a religion, or not

2. Atheism, monotheism, polytheism, pantheism

3. etc

The Founding Documents

It must never be forgotten that religion gave birth to Anglo-American society. In the United States religion is therefore commingled with all the habits of the nation and all the feelings of patriotism; whence it derives a peculiar force. To this powerful reason another of no less intensity may be added: in American religion has, as it were, laid down its own limits. Religious institutions have remained wholly distinct from political institutions, so that former laws have been easily changed whilst former belief has remained unshaken. Christianity has therefore retained a strong hold on the public mind in America; and, I would more particularly remark, that its sway is not only that of a philosophical doctrine which has been adopted upon inquiry, but of a religion which is believed without discussion. In the United States Christian sects are infinitely diversified and perpetually modified; but Christianity itself is a fact so irresistibly established, that no one undertakes either to attack or to defend it. The Americans, having admitted the principal doctrines of the Christian religion without inquiry, are obliged to accept in like manner a great number of moral truths originating in it and connected with it. Hence the activity of individual analysis is restrained within narrow limits, and many of the most important of human opinions are removed from the range of its influence.

de Toqueville

Although the Puritanical strictness which presided over the establishment of the English colonies in America is now much relaxed, remarkable traces of it are still found in their habits and their laws. In 1792, at the very time when the anti-Christian republic of France began its ephemeral existence, the legislative body of Massachusetts promulgated the following law, to compel the citizens to observe the Sabbath. We give the preamble and the principal articles of this law, which is worthy of the reader's attention: "Whereas," says the legislator, "the observation of the Sunday is an affair of public interest; inasmuch as it produces a necessary suspension of labor, leads men to reflect upon the duties of life, and the errors to which human nature is liable, and provides for the public and private worship of God, the creator and governor of the universe, and for the performance of such acts of charity as are the ornament and comfort of Christian societies:—Whereas irreligious or light-minded persons, forgetting the duties which the Sabbath imposes, and the benefits which these duties confer on society, are known to profane its sanctity, by following their pleasures or their affairs; this way of acting being contrary to their own interest as Christians, and calculated to annoy those who do not follow their example; being also of great injury to society at large, by spreading a taste for dissipation and dissolute manners; Be it enacted and ordained by the Governor, Council, and Representatives convened in General Court of Assembly, that all and every person and persons shall on that day carefully apply themselves to the duties of religion and piety,

ditto

Let us suppose that your goal was to determine the ‘Christian-ness’ of a nation by examining its founding documents, court cases, and the like. The first question would be… where do you start? With the Mayflower Compact? Columbus’s journal? The Constitution? Last weeks Supreme Court Opinions??

The Laws, Historical and Modern

Or do we look at the laws? Should we start with the first laws written on US Soil and and follow up all the way to the present and see if they best reflect a Christian, Muslim, or atheist viewpoint?

Introduction and Conclusion

The semi-obvious answer to all of the above questions is… all of the above. The idea of America being a ‘Christian Nation’ involves all of the above questions and categories and even more. Practically each person who asks the question is coming at it from a different perspective and direction. Much of the point of the question will be found in the answer desired. Which will be the start, not the end, of the conversation.

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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

Links

US Government

Declaration of Independence

George Washington

First Inaugural Address

Farewell Address // Podcast Version

William Brewster

The Mayflower Compact

Noah Webster

Every Civil Government

John Adams

Suppose a Nation