Not a Christian nation

Ralph McFillen (7/13, Letters, “Put Christianity first”) claims that America is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles. I think our Founding Fathers would disagree with him, starting with the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Additionally, the Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, ratified in 1797, specifically says the government of the U.S. “is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

In other words, the U.S. has never been and will never be a solely “Christian” nation in the eyes of Congress, the Founding Fathers or the laws upon which this nation was created. Yes, the language of our earliest laws does include universal references to God. But God is not exclusively a Christian concept, but also a Jewish one, a Muslim one (Allah) and a concept of other religions as well.
 
I propose that a bit more research on this topic might enlighten you to a nation that has been made great by citizens of many religious (and non-religious) backgrounds.

Evan M. Parris
Kansas City

As a Christian and member of the clergy, I do not want the United States identified as a “Christian nation” as does Ralph McFillen. My own experience of God is through the person of Jesus of Nazareth, later called Christ, and hence the religion as Christianity. But there are many in this country who experience God in other ways, and there are those who are non-believers.

I am not challenging Mr. McFillen’s facts, but I did notice that he never mentions being a follower of Jesus. He speaks rather of references to God, by that name as well as others. Many of our founders were indeed Christians, but I do not believe that they intended for our country to be a “Christian nation.” Nor do I think that a belief in God is required to be a good citizen.

We have many Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, just to name some, who experience God in ways other than through Jesus, and they deserve to live in a country that is not labeled as a “Christian nation.” It’s my belief that we’re all the richer for our diversity.
 
The Rev. Glenda Fish
 Overland Park

Comments

[T. Hanson]

Well said Rev. Fish.