America as a "Christian Nation"

Many Christians in America assert that the Founding Fathers intended the nation to be Christian. Some go as so far to say there was even a covenant between God and the Founding Fathers that America should remain Christian.

Some even say that 9/11 was God's anger against America for leaving our Christian heritage. This was the plot of a book, called the Harbinger. The book was a huge hit among social conservatives, but has no readership beyond that.

Personally, I find the 9/11 connection highly insulting.

Anyway, this whole nonsense about Founding Father's making America Christian generally rears its ugly head in our social controversies - prayer in public schools, support for Israel, evolution in schools, and of course gay marriage. 

So, how exactly was America bound to God?

Ten years ago, I saw Oliver North on television outline something similar, but pointed to the Declaration of Independence for support. Nevermind that the DOI was not the Constitution and the author himself cut up the Bible to remove the miracles. He was a Deist.

I think enough people are now aware of the Jefferson Bible so at least they stopped talking about Jefferson. But now it's moved onto Washington's inaugural prayer.

The social conservatives want to bring America back to God. 

As if we ever were. 

Here are my problems with this whole idea.

1. Slavery and Racism

If America was founded under Christian principles, then it justifies all the terrible racist injustices of our early history. Both slavery and this mistreatment of Indians are justified. 

Of course, no one actually admits this, but that is precisely the case.

2. lack of legal justification

The founding father's wrote a Constitution to protect religious liberty. 

George Washington had no authority to bind America to God. Such would have been a treaty with a foreign power and would have required 2/3 majority of the Senate anyway.

But why would he want to? If he did that, he would be acting as king and we had just fought a war to remove kingship from America.

3. Lack of spiritual justification

If you read Washington's prayer, it's a prayer of thanks, not a vow. As an analogy, giving God thanks at Thanksgiving does not bind one as a Nazarite or monastery. But that's what they would have you believe.

4. Damages Christianity

By using legislation to force people to act Christian, it's a huge turn off to secularists to explore the Christian faith. If you don't believe me, look at Europe. Centuries of enforcing Christianity through the government lead to an even more secularized society, not a Christian one.

5. Historical revisionism

Many of the Founding Fathers were Deists. To the extent they were Christian, they used Deistic language.