Are We a Christian Nation?

Friday May 16, 2008

posted by Steve Waldman @11:12am Permalink email icon Email This Add to »

My "diavlog" with former White House official Pete Wehner, over at the excellent website, Bloggingheads, including some chat about Obama's potential appeal to evangelicals and McCain's troubles with them:

Comments (10)

Filed Under: Casting Stones, christian nation, evangelicals, Founding Faith, Founding Fathers, McCain, Obama

Comments

If you mean by religion, then perhaps by majority.
If you mean how we like to see ourselves... questionble.
If you mean how the rest of the world sees us; I think playground bully would be more similar to US then Christ.

If you mean by being as Christ in the world and living his example of turning the other cheek or forgiving as we want forgiveness, we wouldn't be in Afghanistan, let alone Iraq.

We would have been able to use our military to assist victims of the Tsunami, Catrina, earthquakes in India, China and other numerous natural disasters; doubtlessly endearing ourselves in the world. I fear we've slipped from leader of the first world; instead taking on a political attitude of playground bully.

Posted by: Barbara | May 19, 2008 10:49 AM

There has never been a completely Christian nation (unless you include heaven as a nation). A truly Christian nation would not have so easily have slipped into the sinful funk that characterizes modern America. When one considers the legal availability of the Scriptures during the entire history of this nation and then evaluates the mire of degradation into which we have eagerly slipped, one must agree that America is the absolutely WORST example of "Christian" natiion. Every type of sin listed in the New Testament is committed easily ten times more in America than anywhere else on the planet. Get ready, America. Judgment is on its way!

Posted by: DRJ | May 19, 2008 3:34 PM

While I respect your attempt an answering the question, I suggest that the question's motive should be considered suspect.

This question has become a bit of a rallying cry for fundamentalist Christians on the political right. It is not s question that has ever been asked by the secular community or even politically moderate Christians. It is the leading question for a propaganda campaign. The question is only asked so that it can be answered in the affirmative by fundamentalists who are interested in seeing the lines between church and state blurred.

To that end, the question is disingenuous. I have seen this posted on message boards and the end result is not a debate on the question itself. It's a way for the Christian fundamentalist community (particularly those at wallbuilders.com) to choose a public battleground with which to illustrate their slant on history and their initiative to change public policy in education and national government.