“Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (United States Constitution)
The idea of America as a “Christian Nation” has exploded onto the forefront of the American political spectrum. Matters of faith have become a key factor in many elections. In 2008 President Obama was berated with rumors of being a secret practitioner of Islam, there were even whispers of him being the Anti-Christ. This may have been due more to his political ideology, race, and birthplace. Why are matters of faith so paramount in a country who’s foundations were laid in a way that deemed it impossible to be a nation of any specific faith or denomination?
Recently, particularly after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the polarization of American politics has become nearly dichotomous. The republican right is seen as back woods, Bible thumping, uneducated hillbillies, while the left is seen as pompous, elitist, atheists, who want to make your children either gay or aborted. Obviously, this paradigm is not accurate. Unfortunately the media and politicians use matters of faith and beliefs to exploit both parties. Republicans and conservatives are often distracted by highly emotional issues such as gay marriage and abortion rather than war and the economy.
Many secularists see the First Amendment as the founding father’s attempt to distance our country from all religion. They neglect to remember why the United States revolted from Great Britain in the first place. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence Ln 5). The issue was God given rights, freedoms from having any ruler but God Himself.
These ideas of freedom, God given rights, and democracy stem directly from English Puritan beliefs. Hugo Heclo explains the viewpoint of Alexis de Tocqueville stating that, “the foundation of Puritan principles- fervent Christian piety, democratic self-government, and freedom- spread its influence to gradually enlighten “the whole American world” (Heclo 75) The concept of this freedom in all aspects of a man’s life was that one could not legislate morality because belief and faith cannot be forced by any government entity. Examples of Christian beliefs towards free will and equality for all are seen in nearly every fundamental shift in American Governmental policy. Christian thought was a major driving force behind the destruction of institutionalized slavery.
The abolitionist movement was a thoroughly Christian ideology. John Welsey, the Angelican founder of Methodism, declared to slave owners, “Thy hands, thy furniture, thy house, thy lands are at present stained with blood” as a consequence of using slave labor and that, “only repentance before God and emancipation could put things right” (Montgomery 122-123). In 1835, nearly thirty years before the emancipation proclamation, Professor Asa Mahan, of Lane Seminary, was offered the presidency of Oberlin College. He accepted but only on the condition that negroes were admitted on equal terms with other students (Oberlin was already a co-ed college). Oberlin became the first American institution which gave equal opportunity to higher education to both sexes of all races (Montgomery 126). This in radical in light of the presidential order of federal troops to descend on University of Mississippi in 1963 in an attempt to quell riots and allow entrance to James Meredith, the University’s first African-American student, nearly one-hundred and thirty years after Oberlin College integrated (Webb 220-221). Unfortunately, increasingly over the last hundred years of American History, these highlights of Christianity, contributing to freedom of choice, have been far overshadowed by the Christian Right’s attempts to legalize the morality of others.
In following the concepts of English Puritans, the thoughts of our Founding Fathers, and the parables of Christ, it’s hypocritical of Christians to attempt to legislate morality. In Jesus’ words, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). How can a professed Christian, believing that all sin is equal (James 2:10), attempt to tell a non-believer how to live while they themselves don’t walk the true Christian path. Is this a Christian nation? Clearly, in light of hermeneutical cyclical logic, America was founded of Christian principles, but as a populous are we truly a Christian Nation?
According to a Pew Research Center survey, two-thirds of American adults profess belief that they “consider the United States a Christian nation” (Feld Straughn 280). Professed Christians account for nearly eight out of every ten people in America. From 1990 to 2006 the self described “religiously unaffiliated” has grown from under ten to sixteen percent in the same period that self described Protestants fell from sixty to fifty percent of the American adults (Feld Straughn 281). It should be noted that even among the religiously unaffiliated the majority claimed to believe in a personal God and/or the Bible being divinely inspired (Helco 65). There are obvious deep ties to faith in our country, even amongst the non-religious. Talking the Christian talk is not to be seen as true belief. Do we as a “Christian Nation”, walk the walk? At least eight out of every ten of us?
Helco presents, in Political Science Quarterly, a confusing series of statistical trends. While four fifths of Americans profess Christianity, only forty-five percent are strongly believe that the a Christian faith is relevant in their lives these days. One fourth say that the basis for their moral decisions in grounded in the principles and teachings of their religion. Amongst self-described Catholics only sixteen percent and “born-again” believers, only a four out of every ten say that Biblical or church teachings are their primary source of moral guidance. Six out of ten Americans state, “that their moral guidance comes from considering what will bring the most pleasing results to themselves or other persons“ (Helco 66).
How can that not be seen as quasi-hedonism, or at minimum an equational basis to morality? Even if the twenty percent of non professed Christians claimed this, that would still leave four out of ten Christian believers making moral choices based on what make them happy. This is radically contrary to the Apostle Paul’s writings in Colossians 1:10, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Christians are called to live a life in an attempt to please God not man (Galatians 1:10), also to continually be “growing in the knowledge of God”. Considering that ninety-two percent of Americans claim to own a Christian Bible, only one out of three claims to open it weekly outside of church services. “Given the rate of Americans’ false reporting about churchgoing and tithing, it is fair to surmise the actual proportion of Bible readers is a small minority of Americans” (Heclo 73). Outside of the obvious lack of true belief in Christian principles and doctrine, are Americans even living the faith? Regardless of church attendance, how often a person reads their bible per week, or whether or not they think the Bible is the ultimate authority, can we find where true passions lie in our free time?
Internet pornography is a twelve billion dollar industry; it brings in more revenue annually than the combined revenue of ABC, NBC, and CBS. More money is spent in the U.S. in strip clubs than the combined revenue Broadway, regional, and non-profit theaters and symphony orchestra performances. Americans spend more on the “adult entertainment” industry than on professional football, baseball, and basketball combined every single year.
It’s a growing industry too, in the late 1980’s around sixteen hundred hard-core adult films were released. At the turn of the millennia this number had grown to over eleven thousand new releases. From 1998 to 2004 the number of individual pornographic webpages had grown from fourteen million to around four hundred and twenty million. As of 2005 half of the multimedia traffic carried U.S. mobile carriers was pornographic content (Heclo 74). Surely a nation of professed Christians wouldn’t participate in such lewd behavior. At least we can be confident in the pastors of such churches to set an example as Jesus taught them to, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Unfortunately even church leaders fall far short of their calling. Over a quarter of American pastors confessed to seeking out porn on the Internet anywhere from a few times a year to a couple times per month or more (Helco 75).
None of this is to say that Americans do not follow other major tenants of Christianity. Individual Americans accounted for 152.6 billion dollars in charitable donations in 2000. Considering, “Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive’”, Americans actually seem to be doing well in the self sacrifice department (Acts 20:35). Per capita that comes out to around five hundred and eight dollars from every man woman and child. The only issue that comes to mind is that as this moment the per capita GDP in the United States is $47,240. That equates to Americans giving a mere one percent of their income. Granted, in no fashion is giving limited strictly to finances. Many give time, skills, and compassion as freely as they received them. When it comes to the American’s pocket book, the game time film does not match the coach’s game plan.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40 ESV)
The average GDP in the world today is a mere $9,217. Ironically, the Occupy Wall Street Protesters are, in a global perspective, the true one percent. Globally, the top ten percent of the world’s income bracket controls two thirds of the worlds wealth; the bottom ten percent controls just under one one-thousandth of a percent of the worlds riches. 1.4 billion people currently sustain themselves on less than two dollars a day (Lorea 263). These 1.4 billion human beings, with hunger, joy, brothers, sisters, and mothers, just like you and I, are “the least of these” whom Jesus refers to. This is a clear distinction from the American Dream that so many, that adhere to this notion of a “Christian America”, strive for.
The truth is that following true “Christianity”, not simply being Christian by name sake, is about as counter-culture as a person can be in America. Many theologians even interpret Luke 12:16-21 as a the denouncement of retirement, social security included. In layman’s terms Christianity is against every thing America is currently for. Yet we continue to see ourselves as the “David vs. Goliath“ story; a nation chosen for the divine purpose of correcting injustice. Statements such as “greed is good” and “we’ll put a boot in your ass it’s the American way” are testaments to how far from a “Christian America” we truly are.
The only reason the debate even rages about the authenticity of America’s status as a Christian nation is because is keeps both sides of the aisle focused on shiny immaterial things. They are both constantly manipulated by the media and politicians who shine the spotlight on highly emotional topics. Never before in history has being highly political been seen a Christian thing to do. Although this country was built on many Christian ideas, as a populous we are far from any form of real Christian following. By attempting to define true “Americanism” as being a white Protestant Christian any other minority group is excluded from being American. Straughn and Feld state “a key function of symbolic boundaries is to ‘separate people into groups and generate feelings of similarity and group membership.” We are at an apex in human and American history. This is a time to look towards our similarities rather than our differences. The concept of “America is a Christian nation” creates an intersection between political and religious boundaries. It creates a wall between Christians and non-Christians that regulates more or less “prototypical” Americans (Feld Straughn 283).
Christians who identify themselves by their religious and nation background forget their “Lord’s” own words, “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world...” (John 18:36). A true Christian see’s this verse for what it is. Their faith should not be a part of any political or national identity. Unfortunately, as research has revealed, Christianity has become something radically disfigured and continually manipulated for gain in the United States except to a select few.
Sure there will be some disagreements. Open for discussion. God Bless. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving
-Blake
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