Let's not quibble over Christian nation
Two topics never to bring up in polite company are religion and politics.
But who says an Opinions page is polite company?
Religion and politics have again joined hands — or are those closed fists? — as an old and somewhat tiresome topic has again reared its star-spangled head: The debate over whether or not the United States is a Christian nation, presumably based upon what our Founding Fathers had in mind almost two and a half centuries ago.
The melting pot theory suggests we are a land of all religions, as well as no religion.
Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study says 70.6 percent of Americans identify as Christians. So there’s that.
But the wise guys with quill pens and powdered wigs; what did they believe, and how did their values shape the marching orders for the greatest nation on Earth?
Passionate but non-expert advocates tend to seek out only evidence to support their position, which is a very American trait in itself. For instance, ardent agnostics may pick and choose writings and subsequent interpretations that paint a pro-Deism picture with broad strokes. Devout Christians who consider themselves patriots may, on the other hand, assemble an impressive collection of quotes and anecdotes that will hold up in any court of like-minded souls.
Our suggestion is to ignore all that. Consult the work of those who have applied actual research to form the most complete and accurate picture of our Founding Fathers’ beliefs and practices. For instance, check out “The Faiths of the Founding Fathers,” by American historian of religion David L. Holmes. The book was published in 2006 by Oxford University Press.
Holmes researched the Founding Fathers’ correspondence, public statements, contemporaries’ applicable comments, and — quite telling — information from the clergy who knew these great men.
According to Holmes, three religious categories cover the Founding Fathers:
- Those who had left their Judeo-Christian heritages and became advocates of the Enlightenment religion of nature and reason called “Deism.” These figures included Thomas Paine and Ethan Allen. This is the smallest group.
- The founders who remained practicing Christians. They retained a supernaturalist world view, a belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, and an adherence to the teachings of their denomination. These founders included Patrick Henry, John Jay, and Samuel Adams. Holmes also finds that most of the wives and daughters of the founders fell into this category.
- The largest group: Founders who retained Christian loyalties and practice but were influenced by Deism. They believed in little or none of the miracles and supernaturalism inherent in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Holmes finds a spectrum of such Deistic Christians among the founders, ranging from John Adams and George Washington on the conservative right to Benjamin Franklin and James Monroe on the skeptical left.
Holmes’ book is only 225 pages. If you really care about this subject, learn from somebody who puts accuracy above advocacy.