WAS AMERICA FOUNDED as a CHRISTIAN NATION?

     The question of our Biblical origins has been bandied around in
intellectual circles for many years, especially now that there is a
renewed Christian involvement in the culture of America.  The major
hurdle in answering the question is to define terms properly.  The
concept of a Christian nation is often written off because of
misconceptions as to what this means.  A Christian nation is not one
in which all people in a society are Christians, just as in an Islamic
country, not all people are necessarily Moslems.  But in a Christian
nation, as our Founders would have defined it, the principles and
institutional foundations are Biblically based and the people in
general share a Biblical world-view.

     Nor should we confuse the term "Christian nation" with a
"Christian state."  Since the word state refers to a political body or
the body politic of the nation, the term "Christian state" would mean
one in which the government ruled in religious matters through a state
church.  This would, of course, preclude religious liberty.

          All Laws Are a Codification of a Religious System

     Nevertheless, it is imperative to understand that all laws of a
nation are the codification of a presuppositional world-view, i.e.,
the laws of the Untied States have presupposed from the beginning that
the Bible was the foundation of our system. Rev. John Wingate Thornton
said:

     "The highest glory of the American Revolution, said John Quincy
Adams, was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond, the principles
of civil government with the PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIANITY."

     Rev. Thorton's words condense and paraphrase comments Adams made
in a July 4, 1837 oration, which are even more powerful in their full
statement:

     "Is it not that, in the chain of events, the birthday of the
nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior?  That
it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? 
Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the
social compact on the foundation of the Redeemers mission?  That it
laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of
Christianity and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the
fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the
birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew
prophets 600 years before?"

     Such convictions as these concerning the Christian foundations of
our government persisted into comparatively recent times.  John W.
Whitehead analyzes the Supreme Court's historic understanding of the
relationship between Christianity and government in the United States:

     "In 1892 the United States Supreme Court made an exhaustive study
of the supposed connection between Christianity and the government of
the United States.  After researching hundreds volumes of historical
documents, the Court asserted 'these references add a volume of
unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is
a religious people ... a Christian nation.'  Likewise in 1931, Supreme
Court Justice George Sutherland reversed the 1892 decision in relation
to another case and reiterated that Americans are a 'Christian people'
and in 1952 Justice William O. Douglas affirmed 'we are a religious
people and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.'"

            Christianity the Dominant Influence in America

     America was under the dominant influence of Biblical Christianity
from 1620 until well into the nineteenth century.  There are many who,
in their desire to lay claim to the great accomplishments of that era,
have tried to minimize the Christian influence and take the credit for
themselves.  But only God deserves the glory for what He did in the
founding of this great nation.

     People from many denominations came to America in the early
years, but the vast majority of them shared a common faith in the
basic tenets of Christianity.  Whitehead's research reveals that:

     "When the Constitution was adopted and sent to the States for
ratification, the population of America numbered only about 3 1/4
million.  The Christian population numbered at least 2 million.  James
C. Hefley has commented that about 900,000 were Scotch or Scotch-Irish
Presbyterians, with another million also holding to basic Calvinistic
beliefs."

                     Christian Nation in Apostasy

     It must be admitted that today, although we are still essentially
a Christian nation in form (i.e., the Constitutional, legal structure,
church affiliation), we are not one in conduct.  For the first 250
years of our existence Christian character determined the conduct of
self-government in homes, churches, and civil society.  But today we
have forgotten our heritage and only the skeleton remains.  Even so,
deep within the American character there lingers a Christian
conscience ready to be revived by the spirit of God through awakened
american Christian patriots.

     It should be noted that by stating that America was a Christian
nation we are not saying that we were the "New Israel" or a special
race that God must bless.  Quite the contrary, God Blessed America
because our forefathers built their nation with reliance on Him and
His Word, and because God had a Gospel purpose for our nation.  If we
turn from His purpose we can expect His judgment, perhaps greater
judgment than other nations because "to whom much is given, much is
required."

     Every nation can be a nation under God if it chooses to follow
Jesus Christ.  Our history is unique in that we were allowed to
express the full flower of Christian civilization and government. 
This fact should give us cause to ponder the price we have paid for
the maintenance of our Christian liberty.  Will we be the generation
that presides over its death?



                     WEREN'T WE FOUNDED BY DEISTS
             UNRULY ADVENTURERS AND RELIGIOUS CASTAWAYS?

     This stereotype presented in TV docu-dramas and history
classrooms throughout the nation is one of the greatest defamations of
national character ever perpetrated upon a people.

     The influence of Deism in America was minimal until the
nineteenth century when it made inroads through the Unitarian Church
and the atheistic philosophy of the French Revolution.  During our
Founding period, however, it had little influence.  According to
historian Perry Miller, Deism was strictly "an exotic plant" imported
from Europe which did not flourish here.  This distinguished historian
also makes the point that the colonial clergy presented to the people
a religious rationale for the American Revolution which united them
behind its goals.  Deism was incapable of producing such a phenomenon. 
It professed a belief in one God but denied the divine origin of
Scriptures.  Its weak philosophy of a non-active, spectator God who
left all the affairs of the world to human whim was no match for the
powerful Biblical faith of the majority of our people in the Founding
Father generation.  Even Jefferson and Franklin, the two men most
often quoted as being Deists, give little credence to the view in
their writings.  Undoubtedly, both of these men did imbibe a mixture
of European religious heresy, but the predominant influence upon their
world continued to be Christian.

                  Franklin's Plea for Public Prayer

     In the summer of 1787 a feeling of desperation and deadlock had
descended upon the Constitutional Convention.  Men from various states
were planning to leave and it would be years before they could gather
again for another try at bringing the loosely-knit confederation
colonies together to form a republic.

     On June 28, 1787, as the Convention was ready to adjourn in
dissension, a wise old man addressed its President, George Washington,
with quiet simplicity:

     "How has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought
of humbly appealing to the Father of lights to illuminate our
understandings?  In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain,
when we were sensible to danger, we had daily prayers in this room for
Divine protection.  Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were
graciously answered All of us sir who were engaged in the struggle 
must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in 
our favor... And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do We imagine 
we no no longer need   His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time and 
the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God
governs in the affairs of men - and if a sparrow cannot fall to the
ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise
without His aid?  We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings
that 'except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build
it.' ...I firmly believe this."  I firmly believe this.  I also believe that, 
without His concurring aid, we shall succeed like in this political building 
no better than the builders of Babel;  We shall be divided by our little
parital local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves
shall become a reproach and a by word. down to the future of ages.
And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, 
despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance or 
war, or conquest.

        I therfore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the
assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliveration be held in this
assembly every morning before we proceed to buisness.

     Benjamin Franklin's words were heeded and the Convention went on
to complete its task.  Although Franklin is often classified as a
Deist, it is clear from the above statements that he had been deeply
influenced by the Christian world-view and such great Christian
ministers as George Whitefield.
        The previous quotes on Ben Franklin can be found in The "Light And the 
Glory" by Peter Marshal,p.342-343 "The myth of Separation" by David Barton
,p. 217-218, in "In God We Trust" Edited by Norman Cousins p. 42 ,and in 
James Madison, "Notes of Debates in the Fereal Convention of 1787" 209-210 
June 28, 1787.

     It could be well argued that many Christians today have acted
more like Deists than the few accused of this heresy in our founding,
because today we often give lip service to the Lord Jesus Christ over
all things, but then act as though He were an absentee, distant
monarch just biding His time to claim His throne!

                     Don't Believe What You See?

     Regarding the charge that wild adventurers and womanizers roamed
the land in early America, there is little need for refutation.  On
the frontier, starting in the times of the Puritans, some scouts and
settlers did precede the church and families, and there were some
atrocities perpetrated upon the Indians and some rowdy settlements. 
But as soon as settlements were established and churches were formed,
the immoral and rowdy were made subject to the rule of the law.  The
Christian women of the community, especially, demanded it.  Our TV
generation has absorbed too much western cowboy-fever, most of it
fictitious distortions of true life in early America.  The US News and
World Report (May 21, 1979) reports that the American people receive
most of their knowledge of history from watching TV docu-dramas. And
most of these docu-dramas bear little resemblance to the true story of
our history.  Only by going back and reading the original documents,
as you are going to be challenged to do in this study of America's
Christian History, can you determine the real story.

     The truth is that those that saved their money and possessed the
fortitude to settle this country were for the most part character-
filled Christians.  Rev. R.J. Rushdoony points out that it took two
years living expenses just to cross and settle America and that the
well-established families with the Puritan work ethic and Christian
faith were the true hardy breed that settled our country.  These Godly
men and women, due due to their family orientation, free-enterprise
spirit, and Christian discipline, maintained cultural dominion over
the sin-loving reprobates that we read so much about.  Our history is
evidence of the fact that, in the long-run, nothing can thwart an
individual who has an understanding of his Commission from God to
subdue the earth and who believes God for the victory.

One final note:  Our form of government is highly unique, there is not any
other government which is like it in the world.  Numerous components of our
current government can be shown through those early writings of our founding
fathers to have their source in Bibical concepts.  For an example teh concept 
for three branches of government can be found in Isiaiah 33:22 "Indeed the 
Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes, the Lord our judge, the Lord
our lawgiver, the Lord our King"  The logic for the seperation of powers was
based on Jeremiah 17:9,this chapter talkes about how man's basic insticnts 
are evil in nature, therefore to have seperation of powers would make it 
difficult for a terrible change to occur in our country, the idea being that
the odds of having all three branches of government corrupt at the same time
and moving the same direction would be difficult.

Computers for Christ - Chicago