President Obama told a news conference in Turkey last week that America “is not a Christian nation,” thus demonstrating that it is indeed possible for a Harvard Law graduate to be correct strictly as a matter of law and otherwise completely out to lunch on the facts of history.
Here’s how our chief executive put it:
“Although…we have a large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”
Technically, Obama was right. America’s government provides no official support for any particular faith, Christian or otherwise. But he would have been more historically accurate to say America was created by a mostly Christian people based on principles closely reflecting their faith, including the right of individual conscience.
Or, to put it in Obama’s terms, America was and remains a nation of citizens bound by ideals and a set of values that make little sense apart from their explicitly Christian history, experience and convictions.
Skeptical? Check out the preambles to the 50 state constitutions, each of which refers to God. Surprised? The following list includes the adoption dates of the documents quoted, which span virtually the nation’s whole history:
Alabama 1901 “… invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God …”
Alaska 1956 “…grateful to God …
Arizona 1911 “… grateful to Almighty God…”
Arkansas 1874 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
California 1879 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Colorado 1876 “… reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe..”
Connecticut 1818 “… Providence of God …”
Delaware 1897 “…Divine Goodness … their Creator …”
Florida 1885 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Georgia 1777 “ …protection and guidance of Almighty God …”
Hawaii 1959 “…Grateful for Divine Guidance .. “
Idaho 1889 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Illinois 1870 “… grateful to Almighty God …and looking to Him …”
Indiana 1851 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Iowa 1857 “… grateful to the Supreme Being … our dependence on Him …”
Kansas 1859 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Kentucky 1891 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Louisiana 1921 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Maine 1820 “ … goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe …”
Maryland 1776 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Massachusetts 1780 “… the Great Legislator of the Universe …”
Michigan 1908 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Minnesota, 1857 “ … grateful to God …”
Mississippi 1890 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Missouri 1845 “ … grateful for His goodness …”
Montana 1889 “ …grateful to Almighty God …”
Nebraska 1875 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Nevada 1864 “ …grateful to Almighty God …”
New Hampshire 1792 “… inalienable right to worship God …”
New Jersey 1844 “… grateful to Almighty God …looking to Him …”
New Mexico 1911 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
New York 1846 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
North Carolina 1868 “ … grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations …”
North Dakota 1889 “… grateful to Almighty God …”
Ohio 1852 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Oklahoma 1907 “… Invoking the guidance of Almighty God …”
Oregon 1857 “ … to worship Almighty God …”
Pennsylvania 1776 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Rhode Island 1842 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
South Carolina “ … grateful to God …”
South Dakota 1889 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Tennessee 1796 “ … right to worship Almighty God …”
Texas 1845 “ … grace and beneficence of God …”
Utah 1896 “ … Grateful to Almighty God …”
Vermont 1777 “ … the Author of Existence …”
Virginia 1776 “ … Duty which we owe our Creator … to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity …”
Washington 1889 “ … grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe …”
West Virginia 1872 “ … our faith in and constant reliance upon God …”
Wisconsin 1848 “ … grateful to Almighty God …”
Wyoming 1890 “ … grateful to God …”
For a non-Christian nation, we sure have been thanking the Christian deity a lot over the years.
NOTE TO THOSE WHO ARE NOW SAYING “AHA, TAPSCOTT WANTS TO MAKE CHRISTIANITY THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF AMERICA”:
No, you are wrong. I’m a Southern Baptist and my denominational ancestors in North Carolina and Virginia were at the forefront of the movement for adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution, specifically including the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of religion, speech, assembly and petition.
The prolem today is that what you call “separation of church and state” too often turns out to mean separation of Americans from the facts of their history and the enduring roots of their heritage. America is not a theocratic “Christian nation” in the perjorative way that term is often meant.
But America very definitely is a nation explicitly based on Judaeo-Christian vaues, classical virtues and the great wisdom of the people.
What is truly remarkable are the lengths to which some people will go to deny the obvious. “God Almighty,” for example, is the specifically Christian translation of the Old Testament’s “El Shaddai,” thus clearly indicating a Judeao-Christian reference framework, not one that is inclusive of Islam or Hinduism.
UPDATE:
For those with open minds and a desire to know all of the facts, I recommend these three works:
Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, Edited by Ellis Sandoz, two volumes: A remarkable collection of the election sermons of New England ministers in the decades before and during the revolutionary period.
The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States,” by Benjamin F. Morris, a comprehensive collection and analysis of the specifically Christian sources and influences on the colonial and constitutional institutions.
The Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition,” by Willmoore Kendall and George Carey, the classic political theory analysis of primary symbols in the founding documents, beginning with the Mayflower Compact.
And if you are really serious about understanding these issues, check out: “The Lamp of Experience: Whig history and the intellectual origins of the American revolution” by Trevor Colbourn. Clarifies why, for example, Edmund Burke, in his memorable address to Parliament on reconciliation with the colonies, reminded his colleagues of the inseparable link between religion and liberty in the minds of the Engishmen living in the American colonies.
Mark Tapscott is editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner and proprietor of Tapscott’s Copy Desk blog on washingtonexaminer.com.
