Is the USA founded on christianity?

[dyanaprajna2011]

All major documents the USA is founded on (DoI and the Const.) make reference to a deity
The Paris treaty that ended the revolution makes reference to the Holy Trinity
The Predominate Religion for all of America's post-colonial history has been Christianity, and during the Great Awakenings Evangelicals felt it their job to reform society
America was noted as one of the most Christian nations by other nations of the world
The Puritians who first came over sought to make America a city on a hill
and on top of that Secularism was an idea developed by Protestants in repose to the abuses of the Catholic church

The "god" language in the Declaration is decidedly deistic. Deism was just as common as Christianity to the founding fathers. Secularism was an outflow of the enlightenment, which sought to move away from the then common Christian societies of Europe.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

The "god" language in the Declaration is decidedly deistic. Deism was just as common as Christianity to the founding fathers. Secularism was an outflow of the enlightenment, which sought to move away from the then common Christian societies of Europe.

Not true

Religion of the Founding Fathers of America

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Not true

Religion of the Founding Fathers of America

Deism is a denomination. You could be just about any denomination and still be a deist.

 

[tumbleweed41]

Not true

Religion of the Founding Fathers of America

Nice.

Would you consider the following men to be Founding Fathers of the United States of America?

John Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
George Washington

 

[ForeverFaithful]

Deism is a denomination. You could be just about any denomination and still be a deist.

It lists those who considered themselves as Deist later on by putting (Deist) in brackets or something along those lines

many of the found fathers were Orthodox Christians

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

Not true

Religion of the Founding Fathers of America

So you're downplaying the role deism played, because...? I've noticed on those lists that very few people who were actually deists are listed as such. Also remember, that deists may or may not have held to their original church homes, but even of those who did, did not really accept the doctrines taught. That list hides the importance that deism played on the founding fathers.

Deism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[CynthiaCypher]

It lists those who considered themselves as Deist later on by putting (Deist) in brackets or something along those lines

many of the found fathers were Orthodox Christians

There is nothing unorthodox about deism. Truth is, many of them were men of the Enlightenment and this country was based on the principles of the Enlightenment.

 

[Sunstone]

The US was largely founded on two things -- the practical political knowledge the Founders had gained by serving in their colonial and state governments, and the values of the European Enlightenment. Christianity was not that much of a consideration. But the checks and balances of the Constitution come from the practical political knowledge of the Founders, while such things as a belief in the rights of the people to some form of self-governance come from the European Enlightenment. What, though, comes from Christianity? I think not much.

 

[tumbleweed41]

In fact, a revolt against the governing authority can be viewed as un-Christian.

1 Peter 2:13: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right."

Romans 13:1: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resist authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

The US was largely founded on two things -- the practical political knowledge the Founders had gained by serving in their colonial and state governments, and the values of the European Enlightenment. Christianity was not that much of a consideration. But the checks and balances of the Constitution come from the practical political knowledge of the Founders, while such things as a belief in the rights of the people to some form of self-governance come from the European Enlightenment. What, though, comes from Christianity? I think not much.

That's something that's always bothered me. You hear people say that America was founded on Christianity, but you never hear how. It can be shown, in American values and practices, where America wasn't founded on Christianity, as you said, and Cynthia said it too, but rather on the values of the Enlightenment. I'd like to hear what, exactly, is something America was founded on, and how it's uniquely Christian.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

In fact, a revolt against the governing authority can be viewed as un-Christian.

1 Peter 2:13: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right."

Romans 13:1: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resist authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

That's something that's always been in the back of my mind. How can it be said that America was founded on Christianity, when the very act of discord between the States and England, and our eventual separation, is very unbiblical.

 

[arthra]

I think the prevailing culture of the colonies or USA was Christian but the founding of the country was more based on John Locke and enlightenment philosophy:

Read the wiki on John Locke and the Age of Enlightenment:

His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the American Declaration of Independence.



An Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was a cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe,in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted science and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition,[1] intolerance and abuses in church and state.