Though many seem to believe it so, there is no evidence that it was and more than a little evidence that it was not. Two of the most prominent founders, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, either seriously doubted or outright denied the divinity of Jesus. Doubt is plenty to render one a non-Christian, though.
Both have been considered Deists by some. But the traditional definition of Deist is one who believes in the Creator, but also believes the Creator set all this in motion and is just watching it play out. A true Deist has no reason or incentive to pray, believing that God will not intervene in the affairs of men.
But they were not Deists. Franklin believed in God and believed in the efficacy of prayer. He even made a motion that all meetings of the constitutional convention be opened with prayer, but the motion was defeated for two reasons: the variety of religious sects represented in the convention and there was no money to pay a chaplain. (One has to wonder why they felt only a paid chaplain could lead a prayer if the body consisted of even a few devout Christians.)
Jefferson considered himself a Christian in the only sense that mattered and believed in a Creator. He did not believe in Biblical miracles, but he did believe that Jesus was the “first among human sages” and that the Christian religion “when divested of the rags in which they (clergy) enveloped it” would be the best religion in a republic because, in that state, it was most friendly to science and liberty and the free expression of the human mind. He styled it a “benign religion.” Though accused of being an infidel in the election of 1800, it made no difference in the outcome.
Jefferson believed the Gospels were rife with error and set about “correcting” them in what is called now The Jefferson Bible. He believed the true words and teachings of Jesus were as distinguishable from the rest of the Gospels as diamonds were in dunghills.
There is no record of any of the other founding fathers faulting him on this point. In that day and time one’s religious beliefs were considered more personal than they seem to be today. Certainly neither Franklin nor Jefferson would meet the definition of “evangelical” in any shape, form, or fashion. The definition of that term today is even a tad inscrutable.
Then there is the Treaty of Tripoli, ratified unanimously by the Senate, in which surely sat a few of the founders, in 1797. Even if no founders were in the Senate, many were still alive and known to the members of the Senate. The copy of the treaty ratified without opposition and without debate has this clause:
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen (Muslims); and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan (Mohammedan) nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
There is no record of any objection from any Senators.
To be sure, there is some controversy surrounding Article 11. The copy that was signed by the other side has a crudely written and unimportant letter from the Dey of Algiers to the Pasha of Tripoli in place of Article 11. No one knows why. One theory is that those leaders had for so long convinced their people that the United States was an enemy to Islam because it was a Christian nation they did not want an official document challenging that.
But no matter – the official copy ratified by the Senate DID contain Article 11 worded as above, and the Senate did not know of the alternate wording In the copy signed by the other parties.
As a nation, we cannot return to a place we never were. But I suppose it is possible, at least theoretically, to become a Christian nation.
But how would it differ from what we have now? What achievable things would need to occur and how would we go about doing it? Who would decide on the definition of a true Christian? Denominations and personal opinions differ greatly on that. Since Jesus ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, more than a few people claiming to be Christian have even been burned at the stake by other people claiming to be Christian.
There is no evidence Jesus came to create “Christian nations.” His interest was not in earthly government. Rather, I think He and the apostles and disciples whose writings are included in the New Testament made it plain that one should obey the governing authorities because no government exists except that which God allows. And this was during the time of Pontius Pilate, the various Herods, and Nero, no big fans of Christianity among any of those. (It’s also a tad problematic, given our history of rebellion against our governing authorities and modern equivalents to those ancient dictators – like Hitler and Stalin.)
Rather than working toward an unachievable goal of making the nation Christian, Christians would do well to emulate Jesus to the extent they can. I read “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon many years ago, in the first version before it got “modernized.” Great book that spawned the What Would Jesus Do movement and all those WWJD bracelets.
I always think WWJD in making decisions but I don’t always do it. Jesus had no mortgage, no wife, no children, no paying job once He began His ministry, no need to make provision for retirement, and a host of other things that we mortals must deal with. He only owned one set of clothes at a time and one pair of sandals, depending on others for food and a place to sleep at night. Anybody who lives like that nowadays would be considered a bit kooky. And, in fact, many back in His day DID consider him that. I don’t believe He expects us to be like He is to that extent, but to keep Him in mind in the decision process.
In addition to the primary purpose for which Jesus was made incarnate, He also obviously came to upset the applecart. He sharply criticized the religious leaders, raised the status of children and women in that society, said things like “man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man,” and “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” and “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.” He likely didn’t pay taxes Himself because He didn’t have anything with which to pay taxes, but that’s beside the point. He said, basically, don’t cheat on taxes.
Had they had such a word that meant “woke” at that time, do you think the Pharisees might have considered Him woke?
Glynn Kegley is a Rankin County southsider. He is the owner and sole employee of a think tank. Sometimes he sits and thinks, and sometimes he just sits.
