The idea of a Christian America means different things to different people. Pollsters have found a wide circle of Americans who hold general God-and-country sentiments.
But within that is a smaller, hardcore group who also check other boxes in surveys — such as that the U.S. Constitution was inspired by God and that the federal government should declare the U.S. a Christian nation, advocate Christian values or stop enforcing the separation of church and state.
For those embracing that package of beliefs, it’s more likely they’ll have unfavorable views toward immigrants, dismiss or downplay the impact of anti-Black discrimination and believe Trump was a good or great president, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey.
They LITERALLY WROTE DOWN that they did not want this. WTAF?
- The Establishment Clause: Found in the First Amendment, it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause prohibits the federal government from establishing a state religion or favoring one religion over another. It has been interpreted to mean that there should be a separation of church and state, preventing the government from promoting or endorsing religious beliefs or practices. 2. The Free Exercise Clause: Also in the First Amendment, this clause says, “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This means that the government cannot pass laws that target specific religious practices or beliefs and cannot hinder individuals from practicing their religion freely.
Bold of you to expect any of these idiots to have paid attention in grade school history classes.
Also “We the people…” It’s a rejection of God.
I always heard the argument that the founders did not want a Christian based nation because they saw the chaos in the UK with Catholics fighting Protestants, vice versa and every time a monarch ascended from the opposite side it was the axe for you all of a sudden.
They were probably mostly Christian though, at least outwardly, and so wrote the constitution with Christianity informs ideals and morals.
That said, separation of church and state is a good thing. Anyone arguing they actually wanted a Christian nation is intentionally ignorant (or a fucking idiot).
So idk if “we the people” is intentionally rejecting God as much as it’s rejecting the king.
They were probably mostly Christian though
Most of them, at least the ones most responsible for drafting the Constitution, were deists, as was common for intellectuals during the Enlightenment. Jefferson, Madison, Franklin and Monroe were all deists. They generally accepted that Jesus existed and he brought great wisdom of the world but they also questioned his divinity. And even the professed Christians, like Adams, were heavily influenced by progressive Unitarian principles, which did not believe in religious supremacy over government.
Jefferson was so unconvinced of Christ’s divinity that he edited the New Testament down to what he considered to be the wisdom and took out all of the supernatural elements.
This (Jefferson Bible) seems like an important fact for me not to have known until now. Thanks!
But, don’t forget your side of Jesus with your politics. We are, after all, a “Christian nation.” Also, I hate the world.
I knew a lot of this but this is the first I’ve heard of the Jefferson Bible! Thanks for sharing!
Here’s some ammo for you- https://liberalamerica.org/2014/10/27/88-founding-father-quotes-that-will-enrage-the-religious-right/
They clearly can’t read the Bible, what makes you think they can read anything else?
Also…
Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay were the three main authors of the Constitution.
I’m not defending the argument below. It is patently stupid.
I have heard people make the argument that the founders didn’t expect non-christian religions to become prominent in the US. That they thought they were only protecting the right of people to practice any kind of christianity they want to practice.
They think that the founders didn’t have enough forethought to realize that people of other faiths might migrate to the US or even the presence to realize that there were already non-christian faiths being practiced in the colonies.
The Treaty of Tripoli signed in 1796 by President John Adams:
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen (Muslims); and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan (Mohammedan) nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
Many incorrectly believe the founders wanted a Christian America. AP should know better than to make it seem like that is an opinion.
Even if it seems to be the opinion of many right wingers and Republicans?
Facts cannot be opinion. No matter how hard you believe.
Yeah, the founding fathers weren’t exactly silent about the issue. There’s really no room for interpretation.
Given how many “interpret” the Bible, you bet they can “interpret” the Constitution as well…
Say no to theocracy!
Why is apnews validating these lies? The constitution is very clear.
Attacking the messenger makes no sense at all.
It’s the framing
Donald Trump and his g̵o̵o̵n̵s̵ ̵loons stechschritting toward Gilead. smh
Please watch God Forbid the sex scandal that shocked America (hulu)
Shiny happy people (prime)
The family (netflix)
Even if the “smaller hard-core group” sounds inconsequential, a lot of those people are the ones with power and/or influence.
I think there is a fourth I’ve seen that covers similar grounds and forget atm, plus I’m sure many more that I don’t know so please respond if you know others. As you may notice all mine are drastically different subjects on the surface. They have the common thread though of fundamental religious men in power AND the institutions being involved in American politics.
There’s no gay agenda. There is ABSOLUTELY a Christian agenda.
There is a gay agenda if you consider wanting to be treated like humans an agenda.
Oh shit… THAT is what they want? Fuck that’s deplorable
I’m Jewish. My daughter is Jewish and queer. This shit terrifies me.
Somewhere a republican just had an aneurysm.
Just one? That’s… okay. I guess.
Hmmm. Maybe talk her into becoming a teacher or a librarian? That might up the body count.
It’s a good start.
It’s okay. These people need you to exist to help bring about the apocalypse and the Rapture. Pretty much the only reason they support Israel.
Yes, but they need me to be in Israel. They’re going to have to force me to go.
Yeah these are the same folks arguing that if the authors of sec 3 of the 14th amendment wanted to specifically prevent a former president that engaged in insurrection they would have, so we can conclude they didn’t want that. So, if they had every opportunity to write religion into the constitution and didn’t do it, what now?
Then when you notice that they specifically wrote in the first amendment the establishment clause- and then you realize that Jefferson explained its purpose to be creating a wall of separation between church and state, what now again?
They don’t care about internally consistent logic. If they did they wouldn’t be religious.
So every church and its earnings go to the State… And Social Welfare programs become more widespread… And housing the homeless is now law… Lying during your campaign is an immediate expulsion from public office…
What else would make these fascists turn tail and reconsider?
I’m a Republican and I need someone to shoot up an Elementary School QUICK so I can pretend to care about the Constitution again!
meanwhile the white people who aren’t retarded are all facepalming and going “look around, you stupid fuck”. It’s been an overtly christian nation for fucking ever now and that you don’t have your sharia law equivalent here is a testament to the structure imposed by the founding fathers, and not the diarrhea you’ve covered it in. I wonder if they realize there are liberals just about as ready to kill them as they are to kill us. Probably not, “realization” is a magic word to the see no evil crowd.
Many? No, not many, just a very loud minority.
Which flavor of Christianity?
There’s like 12 churches within a mile radius of my house, each a different denomination. They all seem to hate each other.
It’s not that I don’t fear an attempt to institute a national theocracy (I do), I just think (and hope) that the infighting on what brand will keep them fighting among themselves before they can do any real damage.
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So Russia…
Evangelists. The worst of the worst.
Time for some Emo Philips:
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Only the cherry picked teachings you mean. Not the whole, you know, Bible.
Care for the sick and poor, sure, but this is being orchestrated by billionaires who want to reinstate slavery. No law will be made with respect to religion, if they want to take that out the constitution so goes guns. This article is disgusting and should be removed.
Ridiculous article with ridiculous assertions. I don’t know any Christians that desire a ‘Christian America’, and I live in the Bible Belt. The reason is because Christians understand that Christianity comes in many flavors; Baptists don’t want Methodists making the rules, Catholics don’t want Protestants in charge, etc. Article is simple inflammatory click bait.
You sound like the white people who say racism doesn’t exist because they don’t see it.
You ever talk politics with many of the Christians you know?
If you honestly think you don’t know anyone who wants that, you’ve deluded yourself. It’s not the majority, but they absolutely exist, and they’ve absolutely captured the republican party.
You’re an idiot.
I’m sorry that you’re too blind to reality. I hope you eventually realize that and fix it.
Dominion Theology is damn near mainstream in the Republican Party. No one ever accused Christians of being logically consistent. All simply assume their bullshit interpretation will win out in the end because God.
Just because you have access to the internet doesn’t mean you should post your dumbass opinion.
