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Abstract: Did America have a Christian Founding? This disputed question, far from being only of historical interest, has important implications for how we conceive of the role of religion in the American republic. Mark David Hall begins by considering two popular answers to the query—“Of course not!” and “Absolutely!”—both of which distort the Founders’ views. After showing that Christian ideas were one of the important intellectual influences on the Founders, he discusses three major areas of agreement with respect to religious liberty and church–state relations at the time of the Founding: Religious liberty is a right and must be protected; the national government should not create an established church, and states should have them only if they encourage and assist Christianity; and religion belongs in the public square. In short, while America did not have a Christian Founding in the sense of creating a theocracy, its Founding was deeply shaped by Christian moral truths. More important, it created a regime that was hospitable to Christians, but also to practitioners of other religions.
Did America Have a Christian Founding?
Posted from heritage.org
1st Amendment
Constitution
Religion
Government
American History
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 4
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This was a very interesting article. I agree both sides are wrong. The Puritans only supported THEIR view of Christianity. They would pillory or ostracize any person or group that did not agree with them - ask Anne Hutchinson, Roger Williams, and the Quakers. Thomas Jefferson was definitely not a Christian but a deist. His Bible was cut and pasted where every supernatural occurrence was cut out of his Bible. Thomas Paine was absolutely not a Christian. Of course most of the new immigrants were Christians, but many were not tolerant of Native Americans or Catholics, let alone Jews. However, while many of our Founding Fathers were Christians, they were very leary of a state sponsored religion. My view is keep Church and State separate by honoring the 1st Amendment.
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Sgt (Join to see)
Real Christian people heavily influenced this country for the good more than the bad from the get. Just as now.
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Many of the earliest settlers in the 13 colonies were fleeing persecution from the Church of England or Reformed Church. Quakers and the Pilgrims, to name two. Ensuring they would be able to worship as they wished was fundamental to the nation's founding, especially since the Constitution needed to be ratified by states with large populations of religious migrants from Europe.
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History should always record that Nearly 100% of Founding Fathers, who compiled the most important documents signed early in America’s history, were of Christian denominations.
All Americans have enjoyed the protections and freedoms given through these documents. :
https://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html
The three major foundational documents of the United States of America are the Declaration of Independence (July 1776), the Articles of Confederation (drafted 1777, ratified 1781) and the Constitution of the United States of America (1789).
All Americans have enjoyed the protections and freedoms given through these documents. :
https://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html
The three major foundational documents of the United States of America are the Declaration of Independence (July 1776), the Articles of Confederation (drafted 1777, ratified 1781) and the Constitution of the United States of America (1789).
Religion of the Founding Fathers of America
List of the religious affiliation of the Founding Fathers of America: all signers of the Declaration of Indepence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Virtually all of them were Christians of various denominations. Tables and lists show the religion of the Founding Fathers of the U.S.
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