On a daily basis we lie to, hassle, hustle, persecute, degrade, judge, kill, leave to starve, and envy not only our fellow American, but we do these things to the man sitting right next to us, but “In God We Trust,” right? Wrong! How can we possibly claim to be a Christian nation when we have been through hundreds of years of religious rights violations, when we have people who are in diar need but no one as a whole no one cares enough about them, and when the African-American species faces endangerment.
The basis of the Pilgrims leaving Europe and coming to America was for religious freedom! Multiple different religions in our “God fearing” nation have been shutout or cast down simply because of their right to believe in a higher being. In saying this, it must be safe to assume that religious freedom was NOT the sole reason because ever since the dust, from Europe to the “West Indies” settled, our ancestors began to tell different religious sects what they could and could not do to worship their own omnipresent deity. Even as the Pilgrims arrived full of the hatred that the religious oppressions had brought them, one of their goals was to convert Native Americans to Christianity! As our colonies became a unified nation, we began passing laws that varied religions from their normal rituals of worship. Henry Louis Mencken said, “Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.” (Leray, 2014) Thomas Jeffereson said, “I never will by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others.” (Petrie, 2014) These two quotes make the point that even though we the people, “one nation under God,” are completely severed ...
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... ourselves and could care even less if the next man lives or dies! We claim to be religious or Christian on fouding promises but continuously restrict those promises due to race, gender, sexual preference, and religion! This, simply and surely, is why America is not a Christian nation.
Works Cited
Lieberman, Joseph I. “Religious Democracy” BYU Magazine. Accessed at
1/26/2013 at http://magazine.byu.edu/print.php?a=3079
Leray, Anna. Class Lecture. Accessed 2/13/14 at American Government at Aberdeen High School at Aberdeen, Mississippi
Petrie, John. “John Petrie’s collection of Thomas Jefferson Quotes” accessed 2/18/14 http://jpetrie.myweb.edu/TJ.html
Starr, Bernard. “ ‘Love Your Neighbor as Yourself’: Failing Grade for Religious America” Huffington Post. 10/3/13 at
When the Mayflower sailed over to the New World, on the boats were Puritans that were looking for a change in the way that their religion was practiced where the Chesapeake settlers came over for gold. Alongside the Puritans were the Separatists who wanted everything their way and wanted to perfect the ways of the Puritans. When they landed in New England, they immediately settled down because they didn’t have an economic reason for coming. Both sets of religions ventured overseas so that they could create a new religion that would work for them in their favor and not be prosecuted for practici...
Writing in the late 1980s, Herbert Schlossberg provides a thorough analysis of current trends in American culture in his book Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Many scholars have examined Western civilization and concluded that we are in its declining years. Some use analogies of space: rise, zenith, and fall; others use analogies of biology: birth, maturity, and death. Schlossberg refuses to see all cultures as following these patterns, but rather attempts to use the concept of judgment, based on the biblical example of the prophets: “With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction” (Hos. 8:4). If the idols are destroyed, and we return to worship the true God, we can expect God’s blessing. However, if we continue down the road of idolatry, our culture will certainly be judged just as many cultures that went before us.
...a was based on Christian beliefs, hence, a nation under God. Acts 5: 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority”(Holy Bible). This Biblical verse reflects the Christian beliefs of our founders that men should try to live their lives as God desires. Leviticus 18: 22 says that you should not lie with another man as a women; it is an abomination (Holy Bible). If the United States was truly obedient to God as it should be then there would not be any laws passed allowing gay marriage or abortion. These go against the Bible, the word of God, but the Government has deemed them acceptable. This issue shows how obedience to authority can cripple a nation. The Government is allowing an issue they should never have considered to become recognized as acceptable. If this path continues, society will continue to crumble and decay.
Religion is one cause in the way colonial America established differently than England. Religious persecutions were more prominent in England than in colonial America. Most colonists fled to the New World searching religious freedom. Christian Catholic’s who diverged from the Protestant Church in England faced religious persecution. The New World believed, "That no person or persons which profess faith in God by Jesus Christ shall at any time be anyways molested, punished, disquieted, or called into question for any difference in opinion or matter of reli¬gious concernment, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of the province, that all and every such person or persons may from time to time and at all times freely have and fully enjoy his or their judgments or consciences in matters of religion throughout all the province, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly and not using this liberty to licentiousness nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others" (New York Charter of Liberties and Privileges (1683), 52). The colonists wanted the opportunity to worship freely and have a chance to choose which religion they wanted to follow. "Eighteenth-century ...
Throughout the history of mankind, numerous events such as the Crusades, have occurred in the name of religion and religious freedom. Sadly, motivation for the early settlers coming to America wasn’t strictly about finding religious freedom. It was actually deeply rooted in the desire for economic growth and new trade opportunities. The New world presented itself as an opportunity for many to gain higher social economic status and growth in their business ventures. A number of known historical facts, including: hunger for new trade, poverty of many English inhabitants, and the rivalry between Spain and England, contributed and fostered the foundation and settling of the American Colonies.
Religion has always been a topic that makes people uncomfortable, it has sparked wars, legal cases and arguments. This is a controversial issue that reigns havoc in many countries and because of this American citizens are afforded religious freedom through the US constitution. The goal of the United States government has never been to make our nation irreligious but to uphold the values of religious freedom.
The pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock has had a number of important impacts on America today. Whether the impacts were positive or negative, it was the pilgrims that had taken the journey to the New World and made the present what it is today. Originating from England, the English were Puritans who believed that the Church of England was in need of spiritual purification. Instead of altering the church, the English set off on a voyage to the New World for new opportunities. The pilgrims could start over and build a new society from scratch without having the chance of having corrupting influences on the Old World. Religion wasn’t the only temptation of going to the New World, there was famine and the taxes in England that made them want to depart to the New World. The New World had the opportunity to obtain rights and then they could live in the society that they had envisioned (Gray, 48).
Christianity’s role in America has rapidly changed over the last decades. Although it is still the most popular religion in the country its power over the people has decreased significantly. However, there are still many misconceptions towards American Christianity and in order to understand the unique nature of this religiously diverse country; one must understand its history and its citizens own views on the matter.
Throughout the year Christians have strived to do the will of God. From to converting people into Christians to making a society pleasing to God. Christians in America have been present since the colonial times. In the late 19th century, they were still thriving in the United States. In the early 20th century they were still involved in the broader American culture, committed to shaping public policy and welcome in political life. But as time continued, evangelicals started to create their own subculture, no longer involving themselves in politics and the rest of the American culture. By mid to late 20th century, evangelicals saw that the nation was becoming further way from God and it was affecting them. They sought to partly reinsert themselves in the American culture and politics and found they were not as welcome as before. Even though they are not welcome, Christians must try to do the will of God by turn peoples eyes back to Him in everyday life and politics.
This country was founded upon the Judo-Christian Faith and the our four fathers who created our government were true believers. In establishing this great nation, they understood the inherent rights that God, their Creator, gave to all men. Within these rights given to all citizens, there is a statement that reads, ”that all men were created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” (The Declaration of Independence: Full Text) They are endowed by their creator is referring to a divine power such as God. This nation was built upon faith and it often helped out in hard times such as, the attack on pearl harbor, as well as 9/11. Both tragic days in our society where faith and hope have been relevant in bringing this nation together as
Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Now Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print
Christian Influence on the Progress of American Society. Charissa Bogner, Korissa Murphy, and Britni Killingsworth. Throughout history, standing up for our rights has been a big part of America’s growth in regards to women’s rights, segregation, taxation, religion.etc. However, with the expansion of America over the last few hundred years, Americans have gone from respecting others’ point-of-views to being offended when those point-of-views that differ are shared. “We often hear it said that ‘if your religious beliefs work for you, that’s great, but don’t impose them on others’”.
Some would agree that freedom of religion is one of America's most important laws. When it comes to Native Americans, however, freedom of religion was almost non-existent. Native Americans have had to struggle to survive in a country that has discriminated against them and persecuted them for hundreds of years. The tribes in North America just want one thing from the United States government and that is respect: of sacred sites, the sacramental use of peyote, and the use of eagle feathers and plants for cultural practices. The United States stole from the Indians in the past and has never kept promises they made to the Native Americans. The one aspect of the Indian’s lives that has kept them going has been their religion. The Native Americans will have to endlessly fight for complete freedom of religion and for respect.
“...for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us…” Winthrop’s idea of “a City Upon a Hill,” was a model society for everyone else. It was based upon a good Christian foundation, of serving God, and no one being better than thy neighbor. America is nothing close, nor will it ever be close to John Winthrop’s idea of “a City upon a Hill”. The citizens of this Nation are so consumed in themselves, the nation is corrupt because of their selfish actions.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, people from Great Britain, moved and voyaged to the colonies for many reasons. A bulge of people moved to the “New World” , because there were more opportunities, as well as freedoms. The colonies offered freedom of religion and freedom and belief. As a colonist you had a right to believe in different religions than another person. In England you were to believe in the Church of England. In the colonies you were allowed to belief in any religion, stated in the first amendment(Brannen Jr., et al pg. 109).