Is America a Christian Nation?

Catholic Educator's Resource ^ | 2001 | Carl Pearlston

[cyborg]

This thread should be good.

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

No, the U.S. is not a Christian nation. The goal of the U.S. Constitution is to recognize God-given rights, not to advance the goals of Christianity.

[Alberta's Child]

I tend to agree with Robert Bork, who made the case in one of his books that the United States has never really been much of a Christian nation. We've always tended to be more "religious" than our European counterparts in a nominal sense, but it is clear from history that religion has never really served as a well-informed basis for our public morality.

If anything, we as a nation have done a marvelous job of what I call "back-filling," regardless of whether this is done from a religious standpoint or from an atheistic one. I use this term to describe the manner in which political action is taken, after which the rationale/justification is given.

[Long Cut]

"Is America a Christian Nation?"

Inasmuch as its majority religion is Christianity, yes.

Legally and Constitutionally, no.

"The goal of the U.S. Constitution is to recognize God-given rights, not to advance the goals of Christianity."

Good summation.

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

Good summation.

Thanks. What's a NATOPS?

[tdadams]

Exactly, but some peopel can't seem to see the distinction, or disagree that there is a distinction.

[xone]

N-Naval
A-Aviation
T-Training
O-Operating
P-Procedures
S-Standardized

[Tailgunner Joe]

Is God In Your State Constitution?

[Long Cut]

NATOPS...Naval Aviation Training Operating Procedures Standardized. Each Naval aircraft has its own NATOPS, which its Aircrewmen must learn, live, and know by heart. They're the operating instructions for the aircraft. They explain the systems, promulgate the safety and emergency procedures, and specify crew duties.

The Constitution, as the "how-to" manual for running the country, provides an apt metaphor.

[Poohbah]

Thanks. What's a NATOPS?

NATOPS = Naval Aviation Training Operating Procedures Standardized. These are the manuals that tell you how to operate aircraft in the US Navy. Also known as "blue sleeping pills" from their blue plastic covers and incredibly soporific content.

[good_fight]

Well said.

I would go one step further and say that a primary reason the USA remains the most religious of Western democracies is that we do separate church and state.

My former Episcopal Church would have been a likely denomination to become the established church, but absent government support, it is withering (as it should) as it turns from the Gospel message. Contrast this with the Church of England, which has long been irrelevant to most British citizens, yet persists in its threadbare splendour due to taxes levied on the populace for its support.

[Melas]

Agreed. I have no problem with this being a christian nation. I don't object until the notion that it is or should be an exclusively christian nation. Then we have a problem.

[x]

Surely we've long been a religious people or nation or society, though this wasn't reflected in government policy. Things worked pretty well for two centuries with a religious populace and a more or less secular federal government, but such a compromise may unfortunately be a thing of the past. Now what we're facing is a situation in which religion may become as unimportant to many people as it is in official government policy. That's not a very good sign for the future. It makes it likely that we will be a less moral people than we were in the past, and it has probably inspired some people to want to make religion more explicitly the basis of our political system and political culture.

[Semper]

The USA is a country which contains many Christians but that is not the essence of this country. The essence of this country is FREEDOM. The freedom of individual choice. That essence has been eroded over time and we now have much less freedom of choice than was intended. But, that is the consequence of a lack of vigilance.

[Joe Boucher]

No, not necessarily. But the vast majority have had a judeo christian influance somewhere in their past.

[NCPAC]

Amen!

[Zeroisanumber]

You can call America "The Domain of the Giant Asparagus God" for all I care, just keep church and state separate.

[Long Cut]

" yet persists in its threadbare splendour due to taxes levied on the populace for its support."

One of the best arguments against an official religion is the fact that, at some point, taxes will be used to pay for some aspect of it. Taxes, incidentally, taken from EVERYONE, not just the faithful.

[Long Cut]

I agree with you. I also do not even want any one religion elevated above all others by government fiat. That patently violates the rights of those not following that religion.