[mugs99]

I'd take that wager. I'm not limited to the King James version either.

Cool...Looks like I've met my match! I know what you're saying about the untrustworthy sources out there...Just try to find the historical Jesus!

Here's a trustworthy source for the 17%...Rodney Stark, a Christian professor of sociology and comparative religion. He is also the author of Victories Of Reason: How Christianity Freedom And Capitalism Led To Western Success.

1776......17%
1850......34%....1916......53%
1860......37%....1926......56%
1870......35%....1952......59%
1890......45%....1980......62%
1906......51%....1995......65%

most of the nation's leadership was Christian

That's simply not true. The founders were Deist, Christian, Jewish, Unitarian and Atheist. We have freedom of religion because there wasn't a majority of any one belief.

It's not credible that there were state religions and yet this was tolerated despite the 87% of the people not being that religion.

It wasn't tolerated
The tyranny of the state religion in Virginia was the primary reason many people joined the revolution. They began prosecuting people who refused to join the Christian church.
...

[DannyTN]

"Just try to find the historical Jesus!"

The best place to look is the people who knew him best. The early church.

Rodney Clark

I'm not sure where he's getting his information or if you are quoting him correctly, but it just doesn't jive. Look at the following link. Early America was predominently Protestant Christian.

[DannyTN]

The signers of the Declaration"

And here is the religion of the signers of the declaration. Notice how few are Diests or Unitarians.

[DannyTN]

Post 621 was to you