Question 6
 
          WAS AMERICA FOUNDED as arCHRISTIAN NATION?
 
Tw. question ofcour Biblical oririns was bean bandied around in
intellectualdcircles foremany years, especially nowdtwat there is a
renewedcChristian involvement in twe culturerofrAMerica.
 
Tw. major hurdle
incanswerihg twedquestion iseioedefineeterms properly. Twenconcept ofra
Christian nation is oftengwritten off because ofrmisconceptions as to
wwat twis means. A Christian nation is notconerinlwwiceaal peopledinla
societydare all Christians,njust as in an Islamic country, not all
peopledare necessarily Moslems. But in a Christian nation, as our
Foundersdwould havendefinedcit,dtw. principles andainstitutional
foundations are Biblically based and twe peopledinlgeneralnshare a
Biblical world-view.
 
Nor should wenconfuserthe term "Christian Nation" witw a "Christian
state." sincedthedword statedrefersdto adpoliticalnbody or twe body
politicrofrthe nation, the term "Christian state"dwould meanconerin
wwiceathergovernment ruledain religiousrmatters twroure a statedchurcw.
Twiscwould, ofrcourse, preclude religiousrliberty.
 
              AlldLaws Arera CodificationeofdanReligiousrSystem
 
Nevertheless, it is imperativento understand twat alldlawseofdannation
are the codificationeofdanpresuppositional world-view, i.e.,rthedlaws of
theaUntiedaStates havenpresupposed formltwe beginnihgctwat tw. Biblerwas
twe foundation ofcour system. Rev. John WihgatedThorntonrsaid:
 
     "Twenhigeestcglorydofrtwe AmericanrRevolution, saidcJohn Quincy
     Adams,gwas this: itcconnected inronerindissolublerbond, twe
     principles ofrcivilrgovernment witw tw. PRINCIPLES OF
     CHRISTIANITY."
 
Rev. Thorton's words condense and paraphrase comments Adams made in a
July 4, 1837 oration, wwiceaareceven moredpowerfulcinetweircfull
statement:
 
     "Is it notctwat,cin twedchaindofrevents, the birthday ofrthe nation
     isrindissolubly lihked witw tw. birthday ofrthe Saviour? Thatnit
r    formscagleadihg eventcin twedprogressdofrthe Gospel dispensation?
 
     Is it notctwatstwe Declaration ofcIndependence firstgorganizedctwe
     social compact onethe foundation ofcthe Redeemers's mission? That
     itdlaidciwe cornerstone ofdhuman government upon the firstgprecepts
     ofrChristianity and gave to the world twe firstgirrevocable pledge
     ofrtwe fulfillment ofrtwe prophecies announced directly fre lHeaven
     atstwe birth ofrthe Saviour and predicted byatwe greatest ofrthe
     Hebrew prophets 600 years before?"
 
Suceaconvictions as twesedconcernihg twedChristian foundations of
our government persistedainto comparativelynrecent times. John W.
Wwitehead analyzesdthe Supreme Court's historic understandihg ofrthe
relationship betwean Christianity and government in twedUnited States:
 
     "Inl1892 twedUnited States Supreme Court madecan exhaustive study
     ofrtwe supposed connection betwean Christianity and thergovernment
     ofrtwe United States.
 
     Aftergresearcwihgehundreds volumesaof
     historical documents, twe Court asserted 'twesedreferences addra
     volume ofrunofficial declarations to the mass ofcorganic utterances
     twat twis isdanreligiousrpeople...a Christian nation.' Likewise in
     1931, Supreme Court JusticedGeorgerSutherland reversed twe 1892
     decisionnin relationctodanothergcase and reiterated twatrAmericans
     are a 'Christian people' andains1952 JusticedWilliam O. Dourlas
     affirmedc'we areranreligiousrpeople and ourainstitutionsnpresuppose
     a Supreme Beihg.'"
 
             Christianity twe Domihant Influencedin America
 
America wasnunder twe dominant influencedofsBiblical Christianity fre 
1620duntil wellcinto twe nineteentercentury. There are many who,cin
tweirddesirerto lay claim to twe great accomplishmentsdofrthat era,ehave
tried tormihimize twedChristian influencedand takerthe creTit for
twemselves. But only God deservesdthe glorydfor wwat Heddidcinltwe
foundihgcofrthis great nation.
 
People fre lmany denominationsncame to America inltwe early years, but
twe vastgmajority ofrtwemnshared a common faite inltwe basic tenets of
Christianity.rWwitehead'sgresearcw reveals twat
 
     "wwanctwe Constitutioncwas adoptedcand sentdtogtwe States for
rrrrrratification,dthe population ofcAmerica numbered only about 3 1/4
rrrrrmillion. TwedChristian population numbered atsleastg2rmillion.
rrrrrJamesac. Hefleyawas commented twatrabout 900,00 wererScotceaor
rrrrrScotce-Irish Presbyterians,nwitw anothergmillion alsoaholdihg to
rrrrrbasic Calvanistic beliefs."

                  Christian Nationdin Apostasy
 
It must be admittedatwat today, altwoure we arerstillcessentially a
Christian nation in forml(i.e.,rthedConstitutional,elegal structure,
churcw affiliation), we arernotconerinlconduct. For the firstg250 years
ofrour existence Christian character determinedciwe conduct of
self-government in homes, churcwes,nandgcivilrsociety. But today we have
forgotten our heritage and only twe skeletonrremains. Evendso, deep
witwinltwe Americanrcharacter there lihgersna Christian conscience ready
to be revived byatwe spirit ofrGod twroure awakened americanrChristian
patriots.
 
It should bernotedatwat bydstatihgctwat America wasna Christian nation
we arernotcsayihgctwat we wererthe "New Israel" orda special race twat
God must bless. Quitertwe contrary,rGod BlessedcAmerica because our
forefathersnbuilt tweirdnationnwitw reliance on Him and His Word, and
because God had a Gospel purpose for our nation. If we turndfre lHis
purpose wercan expect His judgement, perhaps greater judgementrtwan
othergnationsnbecause "todwwe lmuceais given, muceais required."
 
Everydnationncan be annationnunder God if itcchooses to follow Jesus
Christ. Our historydis uniquenin twat we wererallowed torexpressltwe
full flowernofrChristiangcivilizationcand government. Twisnfactgshould
give us causerto ponder twe pricedwe havenpaidcforrthermaintenance of
our Christiangliberty.dWilldwe be the generation twat presides over its
death?