Re: America's Christian conservatives are not much different than Islamist fundamenta
It is true that the majority of European colonists were christians it was the majority religion at the time of the country's founding and has remained by far the dominant religion through the history of our country. There is no doubt that the country was settled by Christians and has been populated by a Christian majority.
However, its commonly said that the United States is a Christian nation. To examine this, Declaration of independence, The Constitution, Treaty of Tripoly and The Founding Fathers.
The Declaration of Independence
There are no specific references to Christianity or Jesus in this document. There are a few references to a 'Nature's God' who is the creator of life, giver of rights and 'supreme Judge of the world' but that is rather vague.
Such as here
"the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them"
Note specifically, that it describes 'Natures God' this is a more generic idea of god, this is god as nature.
"that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights
This does describes God as a creator of life and giver of rights but goes no further.
"appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions"
Here God is the 'Supreme Judge'.
It is expected that people of the time would speak of a god, there was little to no doubt at that time of God's existence, but there was plenty of doubt about Christianity among the framers. In order to justify their defiance of the King they had to invoke a higher authority and make the case that they were endowed with the higher power's blessing.
The Consitution
The constitution is a godless document. It mentions neither God, Jesus nor Christianity. It does however have a provision against requiring specific religious ideas as a qualification for office.
Article VI, Section 3
"...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
Treaty of Tripoli
In Article 11 of the treaty of Tripoli it states
"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen..."
Here again, the government offically states that we are not a christian nation.
The Founding Fathers
Even though the majority of Americans at the time were Christians, several of the key figures in politics were Deists. They rejected the specific beliefs of religion and Christianity.
John Adams the 2nd president, Proposed and signed the Treaty of Tripoli
In a letter to John Taylor he writes
"Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1500 years".
In a letter to Thomas Jefferson he writes
"The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles."
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president, Drafted Declaration of Independence, Signer of Constitution, influential on 1st Amendment, says this
"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."
"Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies."
"Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, and imprisoned, yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half of the world fools and the other half hypocrites."
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes"
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as His father, in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."
"...an amendment was proposed by inserting the words, 'Jesus Christ...the holy author of our religion,' which was rejected 'By a great majority in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Hindoo and the Infidel of every denomination
"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own"
Not really a better arguement than that eh.