[Selkie]

What does bother me is the zealot attitude that America is a Christian country founded by Christians and if you're not a Christian you're not a real American. Only 17% of Americans were Christian in 1776>>>> On my Mother's side of the family, her ancestors had all arrived in America by 1705. I follow my family's geneaology very closely and have impeccable records. All but 10 of 240 known family members and extended family were Christian. 9 were Deists, 1 undecided. Im related to 3 Signers.

One, Witherspoon was an ordained minister and started Princeton Univ. Another Thomas Lynch Jr. and his father Thomas Lynch Sr. [who was originally was supposed to sign but became ill) were both devout men. They and I share the same common ancestor going back to Ireland. That relation wrote about many issues of the Catholic faith.

Another relation of mine Washington Allston, a painter, was deeply devout too.

To say that only 17% of Americans in 1776 were Christian is grossly misconstruing facts. 1776 population statistics: * Ninety-eight percent of the people in America profess themselves to be Protestant Christians; * 1.8 percent profess themselves to be Roman Catholic Christians; * .2 of 1 percent profess themselves to be Jewish. Note: That means that 99.8 percent of the people in America in 1776 professed themselves to be Christians.

[mugs99]

my family's geneaology very closely

I do the same, Selkie. The number I posted is historical fact, from a credible source, not records from family or church. If you go by the records ministers sent back to England, everyone was Christian. If I were to use my family for a source, the only Christians were the tyrants who worked for the King.
I have to go with the expert on Christianity in early America, Rodney Stark.