in #ColonialHistory, My short stories, political science, Uncategorized, US History, War 1,197 Words

Is The United States of America a Christian Nation? – Part 2

My blog post from yesterday grew to be too long, so I divided it into two parts. Before reading today’s post, it would be useful for you to read yesterday’s to put today’s post into context: Is The United States of America a Christian Nation? – Part 1.

As I stated yesterday, Christian Nationalists love to say that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, but you will not find the words “Christian” or “Jesus” in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the United States from making any “law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Americans, under our Constitution, are free to practice any religion they choose. They are free to practice no religion whatsoever. That is one of the bedrocks and beauties of the United States of America.

That is why I find the likes of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth so dangerous. As I noted in yesterday’s blog post, he sees our current war in Iran as a holy war. But the United States of America does not fight holy wars. The day we start down that road will be the beginning of our demise.

One only needs to look at the history of Europe to see how differing interpretations of Christianity in government can create great conflict. When one monarchy favors Roman Catholicism to the detriment of Protestantism… or a monarchy favors Protestantism to the detriment of Roman Catholicism we see oppression and wars.

My Presbyterian ancestors experienced that struggle in Scotland and it, no doubt, influenced them to come to America in the mid-1700s. My ancestors on the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland had to worship in secret in the 1600s in gatherings called conventicle because the monarchy favored Roman Catholicism at the time.

(One of the historical short stories in my book, Traveling Through History: A Collection of Historical Short Stories is about the Covenanters in Scotland and how they were punished for not espousing the Roman Catholic traditions.)

In Colonial America, religious freedom and religious overreach were issues. As noted in my Author’s Notes after “You Couldn’t Help But Like Bob” story in my short story book, fines ordered by the courts in Colonial Virginia were often to be paid to the Church of England or the Anglican Church.

There was no separation of church and state in Colonial America. In Colonial North Carolina, the Episcopal church held sway over the government. It was illegal in North Carolina for a Presbyterian minister to officiate over a marriage. Marriages conducted by Presbyterian ministers were not recognized by the Royal Government. My Presbyterian colonial North Carolina ancestors were on the wrong side of the law.

It is almost impossible for 21st century Americans to comprehend how life was in colonial times. That is why it makes it so easy for Christians in 21st century America to call for the Ten Commandments to be posted on public school classroom walls and courtroom walls. They do not grasp the danger – the slippery slope – such actions can lead to.

In their hearts and minds, they think they are doing a good thing. They think they are following Jesus’ instructions found in Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

But Jesus did not say we are to make our governments Christian. Christianity is a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. It is not a belief to be imposed upon another human being. It is not a belief system to be used as a cudgel by a government. To see it that way is blasphemous and indicates a basic misunderstanding of Jesus Christ.

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

In Matthew 22:15-21 (as found in the New International Version of the Bible), the Pharisees try to trap Jesus by questioning him about paying taxes: 

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

In Mark 12:13-17, that same encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees is recorded as follows in the New International Version of the Bible:

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Getting back to Matthew 28:18-20, yes, Jesus instructed us to spread the Gospel, but the Christians who want to force the Gospel on people by weaponizing the government with the Bible are taking the easy way out. They are taking a dangerous way out. The Bible and its words should never be used as a weapon.

Not once in the New Testament did Jesus force or instruct His followers to force His brand of religion on the government or on the people via the government.

A meme with the words of the First Amendment with the American flag in the background
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Christians have countless ways to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Forcing the Gospel on people through our government is not one of them.

Janet

The government should be afraid of its citizens, not the other way around.

27 thoughts on “Is The United States of America a Christian Nation? – Part 2”

  1. People may often use Judeo-Christian to explain both our combined heritage. I would add People of the Book or the One God, which can also include Moslems. But there are so many ways of looking at religion, our no state favored religion says it perfectly. Bravo to Freedom of Religion.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I do not understand how these people can spout bald-faced lies about the US being founded as a Christian nation when everyone in the country has the supporting evidence in writing of the exact opposite being the case? With his most recent purge of military brass, Hegseth is becoming more and more dangerous. He’s playing war like a ten-year-old, only with real weapons that cause real deaths.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. These are the same people who don’t accept the truth about Trump when they see it day after day. Their uneducated pastors tell them every Sunday what to believe. Can none of them read? And Hegseth gets more dangerous by the day. We’ve never had a less qualified Secretary of Defense. Trump and the majority of the US Senate are to blame. So many U.S. Senators should never be re-elected after confirming this clown car full of incompetent and dangerous people.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I think you’re right. I’m seeing more and more posts on social media by MDs commenting about the orange man’s deterioration. There’s a call for a general strike in the US on May 1. I think the tide is turning.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Thank you. Our immoral president who practices no religion and only believes in himself is pushing Christian Nationalism. He knows not what it is. Nor does he care. He’s just been told it will get him more support from his misguided, ignorant supporters. What a sad and tragic state of affairs we have here.

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  11. We can hope the tide is turning! Every time I see a ray of hope, though, I hear from my Congressman. His response to my email to him this past week calling for impeachment said that Trump is doing a great job and we all need to just work together. Yeah… just like my Congressman gives a rat’s ass about his Democrat or Independent constituents. The “fact” (?) that he is a preacher (I won’t say minister because I can’t imagine him ministering to anyone!) just makes it worse that he worships Trump. That was Friday, then on Saturday his weekly newsletter came. I really need to stop reading them. He said there couldn’t be a better time than now to be an American… you know… how we’re obliterating the world’s oldest civilization and all the other wonderful things our country is doing like demolishing USAID, dismantling the CDC. I’m wracking my brain trying to figure out why it’s a great time to be an American other than Artemus II being a success. I hope you had a good visit with your daughter.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Um, I think your “Congressman” is seriously deluded or craven or both. As for these so-called Christian ministers who call for the death, destruction, and/or torture for anyone who isn’t a white male, there is a special circle in hell reserved for them. Apparently they haven’t read the Ten Commandments or the New Testament.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I agree. I cannot get my head around this. These “Christians” and “Christian preachers” being completely sucked in by Trump and his hatred is the most baffling thing I’ve encountered in my life. I can’t figure out what version of the New Testament they’re reading. That have totally missed the point Jesus made. How does one read any part of the New Testament and come down on the side of hate? Speaking of people missing the point of the New Testament… I’ve had three comments (two of which I responded to; the last one I did not) from a man who thinks Trump is a Christian. His comments are in response to my “Is The United States of America a Christian Nation? — Part 1, in case you want to look for them. I guess he hasn’t gotten around to reading Part 2 yet… or “When the U.S. President Has No Moral Compass” or whatever I named that blog last week. It is frightening just how misguided some people are about Jesus and the U.S. Government.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I’m so glad you had such a good trip and visit!

    I told you a little about my Congressman’s response to my impeachment email last week. I have not heard from Senator Ted Budd and probably won’t. Senator Thom Tillis responded with an email that I would have expected from him earlier in his tenure. Now that he isn’t running for reelection and has become outspoken against Trump occasionally, I was hoping for a braver response. Didn’t happen. Even after Trump’s unhinged tirades over Easter weekend, Tillis was back to beating the Republican drum of All Hail the Chief. Why do I keep writing these clowns? What we have here is “taxation without representation.”

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Yes! Between religion, Christian Nationalism, bigotry, economics, vaccine science, what happens to a person mentally and physically when they are put in a cage and then sent to a country they’ve never been to and they don’t speak the language, the demise of various wild species, political science, international law, psychology, psychiatry, climate change, brainwashing, … all these fields and others will be wide open for study… if there are any universities left. I shudder to think. I’m glad I’m old.

    Liked by 1 person

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