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How Christian is America, honestly?

JustWondering

JustWondering

Jerk
I get tired of listening to ignorant people claiming America is a Christian nation. Capitalism is one of the defining aspects of our culture/nation, last time I checked Christ preached against greed and how the rich would likely never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ preached to love your enemy and to treat others as you wish to be treated, does slaughtering native American's for their land sound like something Jesus would do? America is NOT a Christian nation, it never was. Anyone disagree?
 
s2a

s2a

Heretic and part-time (skinny) Santa impersonator
Yes, but perhaps not in the fashion you may expect.

The US IS a predominately Christian-laden nation of self-described "Christians" (over 70%; the % number varies by source).

Yet, that percentage IS declining. More and more "Americans" today do not affiliate with any specific "church" or methodology of worship/adherence as dictated by a specific "belief". Most citizens in the US will still proclaim a "belief" in a "higher power/authority"...but decline to see themselves as "religious". Obviously, demographics play a large part in this overall estimation, skewed primarily towards younger folks as trending evermore "heathen".

As Thomas Jefferson himself acknowledged centuries before, it is not imprudent to follow the "teachings" of the alleged Jewish prophet called Jesus the Christ, but any attributions of a divine capacity or resident divine origin, were...*ahem*, foolish.

"Christians" have been here since the founding of our nation, but not to exclusion, nor even to a presiding majority of voice. The irony of this nation's founding lives within a very simple fact. Many, (if not most) of European decent (as immigrants) came here to escape religious persecution. This flaw of imposed specific religiosity (as a matter of law) inspired many others of differing faiths and beliefs to escape imposition of any personalized "faith" as civic (and even criminal) "law".

Obviously, this perspective of open and free practice of "religion", thusly allowed the expression of any and all faith-based "beliefs", even those that held NO religiosity/practices/adherence at all.

IN short, the USA is NOT a "Christian Nation". But by sheer numbers alone, the USA is predominately a "Nation of Christians". It just IS. But take heart...those numbers are consistently dwindling, and have been for decades now. :)
 
P

pearl

Well-Known Member
s2a said:
As Thomas Jefferson himself acknowledged centuries before, it is not imprudent to follow the "teachings" of the alleged Jewish prophet called Jesus the Christ, but any attributions of a divine capacity or resident divine origin, were...*ahem*, foolish.
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Actually, Jefferson referred to religious worship as 'hocus pocus'. But he did refer to Jesus as the 'greatest moral teacher'. He did write his own bible, which can be found on line at the 'Library of Congress'.
 
Brickjectivity

Brickjectivity

wind and rain touch not this brain
Staff member
Premium Member
Christianity has gone through phases and changed hats a few times here in USA. Technically we still are Christian just not in the sense that evangelists talk about it today. In many ways we are more Catholic than ever and much less Calvinist. Our protestants are often unknowingly Catholic. Even our atheists have Catholic tendencies.

In some ways we are more Christian than ever. For example our representative government recognizes the equality of every human adult now. Before it only did so in hints and suggestions. This is a Catholic ideal, not Greek, not Roman, not (you name it). Now USA is getting a lot closer to truly recognizing equality between races and sexes (and also religious people of differing religions), and efforts continue to bring it even closer to the Catholic ideal are underway. Ironically these efforts are not being led by 'Christian' leaders but by other people.

Things are a lot like they were when the USA started. Everything is always on the edge of a knife. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Bad things happen. Corporate cronyism is a problem, but it is punctuated by occasional anti trust action. Because of that capitalism is a characteristic but not the defining characteristic of the USA.
 
A

Awoon1

Member
America is a Christian Nation because the word God and Creator is used in some documents and mottoes. "God" and "Creator" are exclusive English words. That means they are Christian words.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Awoon1 said:
America is a Christian Nation because the word God and Creator is used in some documents and mottoes. "God" and "Creator" are exclusive English words. That means they are Christian words.
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Actually "god" is about as generic of a term as it gets for the English language, and "creator" applies to many other religions, such as Deism.
Can you provide evidence of the Bible being used as a basis for America's founding? Actual, legal documents that explicitly quote or reference the Bible as influence?
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
JustWondering said:
I get tired of listening to ignorant people claiming America is a Christian nation. Capitalism is one of the defining aspects of our culture/nation, last time I checked Christ preached against greed and how the rich would likely never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ preached to love your enemy and to treat others as you wish to be treated, does slaughtering native American's for their land sound like something Jesus would do? America is NOT a Christian nation, it never was. Anyone disagree?
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I disagree.

Religion isn't handed down from on high in some authoritative form. A religion is a feedback system: the religion both feeds and is fed by the beliefs and practices of its members, and these can change over time.

And if we're going to say that American Christianity isn't "Christian" on the grounds that it has nasty aspects, once we exclude all the other forms of Christianity that have nasty aspects, what would be left?

Also, I think that Jesus is a fairly nasty and contradictory character himself, so I'm not so sure that American Christianity isn't clearing the bar that Jesus set.
 
A

Awoon1

Member
Shadow Wolf said:
Actually "god" is about as generic of a term as it gets for the English language, and "creator" applies to many other religions, such as Deism.
Can you provide evidence of the Bible being used as a basis for America's founding? Actual, legal documents that explicitly quote or reference the Bible as influence?
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I said what I said because that is what Christians use to identify America as a "Christian Nation." America is a Republic that allows religions to express themselves.
 
Skwim

Skwim

Veteran Member
JustWondering said:
I get tired of listening to ignorant people claiming America is a Christian nation. Capitalism is one of the defining aspects of our culture/nation, last time I checked Christ preached against greed and how the rich would likely never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ preached to love your enemy and to treat others as you wish to be treated, does slaughtering native American's for their land sound like something Jesus would do? America is NOT a Christian nation, it never was. Anyone disagree?
Click to expand...
It's because the overwhelming majority, 83%, identify as Christians.

" Eighty-three percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Most of the rest, 13 percent, have no religion. That leaves just 4 percent as adherents of all non-Christian religions combined — Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and a smattering of individual mentions.

That's quite different from the world at large: Fifty-two percent of the world's population is non-Christian, compared to 4 percent in the United States; and one-third is Christian, compared to 83 percent in the United States. (These are rough comparisons, because the world figures, reported by the Encyclopedia Britannica, are for the full population, while the U.S. figures are among adults only.)"
source
​
Now, whether or not 83% this is enough to justify calling the United States a Christian nation is purely subjective. Personally, I don't think it is justified. As for comparing religion to America's economic and political system, capitalism, this is entirely bogus. America's religious nature is as different from its economic/political system as it is from the its popular culture nature, or its military structure. Don't be comparing apples and oranges.
 
JerryL

JerryL

Well-Known Member
JustWondering said:
I get tired of listening to ignorant people claiming America is a Christian nation. Capitalism is one of the defining aspects of our culture/nation, last time I checked Christ preached against greed and how the rich would likely never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ preached to love your enemy and to treat others as you wish to be treated, does slaughtering native American's for their land sound like something Jesus would do? America is NOT a Christian nation, it never was. Anyone disagree?
Click to expand...
America is a country mostly filled with people who identify as Christian and who will take positions based on that religious affiliation.

If you don't think they are "true Christians", you are sucked into the "no true scottsman" problem.
 
Riverwolf

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Depends on how you define a Christian Nation.

If you define it as being a nation with Christianity as a State Religion, then it is.
If you define it as being a nation with Christianity as the majority religion, then it is.

For myself, I define a nation of X religion as primarily being about whether it has a State Religion. Since US has a separation of church and state, it is a secular nation, not a Christian one.
 
George Manuel Oliveira

George Manuel Oliveira

Active Member
It doesn't matter how "Christian" a nation is, it matters how people are treated.

Religion is a fad.

Because science is based on empirical facts, evidence, theories, science superceeds any whimsical religion.

All of our technology is based on science, not any religion.

In America, people are supposed to have freedom of religion (or non religion).

Science is here to stay.

Some religions will be debunked by science.

I consider Myself as Spiritual.

~PEACE~
 
Riverwolf

Riverwolf

Amateur Rambler / Proud Ergi
Premium Member
Awoon1 said:
You have watch English speaking Christian TV shows have you.
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No, she's right. Those are not Christian words, nor are they exclusive to English. English is actually one of the most inclusive languages there is; that's one of its strongest points.

Besides, the word "God" as a name may have derived partially from "Godan", which was the Lombardic name for Odin. It's ultimate etymology likely goes back to a Proto-Indo-European word that meant "to pour" or "to invoke".

And even if they were "exclusive English words", what does that have to do with Christianity? What of countries that actually have Christianity as a State Religion, but are not primarily English-speaking countries?
 
nazz

nazz

Doubting Thomas
JustWondering said:
I get tired of listening to ignorant people claiming America is a Christian nation. Capitalism is one of the defining aspects of our culture/nation, last time I checked Christ preached against greed and how the rich would likely never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ preached to love your enemy and to treat others as you wish to be treated, does slaughtering native American's for their land sound like something Jesus would do? America is NOT a Christian nation, it never was. Anyone disagree?
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I'm in complete agreement
 
A

Awoon1

Member
Riverwolf said:
No, she's right. Those are not Christian words, nor are they exclusive to English. English is actually one of the most inclusive languages there is; that's one of its strongest points.

Besides, the word "God" as a name may have derived partially from "Godan", which was the Lombardic name for Odin. It's ultimate etymology likely goes back to a Proto-Indo-European word that meant "to pour" or "to invoke".

And even if they were "exclusive English words", what does that have to do with Christianity? What of countries that actually have Christianity as a State Religion, but are not primarily English-speaking countries?
Click to expand...

They are spoken in English. Mexico is a Spanish Christian nation speaking Spanish.
 
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