Obama: ‘America is not a Christian Nation’

by Paul Hartge 04-09-2009

Monday, in his address to the Turkish Parlaiment, President Obama made a statement guaranteed to spark controversy. “America is not a Christian nation.” Like clockwork, conservatives voiced their complaint. Though it is clear that people have vastly different interpretations of what the founding fathers intended for the religiosity of America, from a theological standpoint, we cannot assert that America is a Christian nation.

This particularly struck me after watching FOX and Friends Wendesday morning. They were asking a panel whether or not President Obama was attacking or disregarding American Christians by making this statement. To their credit, they mostly agreed that President Obama did not put down Christians in America. However, once the show cut to commercial, they aired an advertisement for what else but Hooters, the restaurant that respects the image of God in women as much as Exxon/Mobile respects the call for stewardship of God’s creation.

How much more offended should we have been if President Obama did declare America to be a Christian nation? Would we really want our faith and our savior associated with a country that gave birth to a trashy restaurant that objectifies women, or worse, a country that legalized slavery for 200 years and now has a wide gap between the rich and the poor? No. But at the same time we cannot deny that our country has done many great things under the influence of Christianity, such as the abolition of slavery, the passage of civil rights legislation, and the creation of PEPFAR.

This dichotomy is reminiscent of St. Augustine’s teachings in The City of God. Essentially, in the book he teaches that no human institution, even the institution which calls itself the church, can fully embody the teachings of Christ, but within these institutions are committed Christians who do God’s will. This applies to America too. America is not a Christian nation, but there are followers of Christ within the country pushing the government and the nation to do the will of God. The only state, nation, principality, or country that can call itself a Christian “nation” is the kingdom of God fully ushered in by the second coming of Christ.

America is not a Christian nation because no nation is a Christian nation.

Paul Hartge is the communications and media intern for Sojourners.

Categories: Faith and Politics

Eric77

This is one of those issues that will be a permanent debate because no one ever defines what a "Christian nation" is before spouting off. Before entering into a debate like this we should at least define the term.

Is a Christian nation one that has Christianity as it official state-sponsored religion?

Is a Christian nation one in which Christianity is the majority religion of the people who live there?

Is a Christian nation one that has a government and/or people that are following Christian ideals?

Is a Christian nation one that has founding ideals that are based, in part, on Christian teaching?

Is a Christian nation one that was founded, primarily, by Christians?

Of course, there are other ways to define it too. Arguing over Obama's statement makes no sense unless we define what we mean by the term.

PASTOR JEFF

Sort of like terrorism, right?

Eric77

I think terrorism, in the commonly accepted view of the word, is a little easier to define, but same idea, yes.

PASTOR JEFF

One man's godly patriot is the next man's terrorist.

arachne646

It's important to remember that President Obama was speaking in the country of Turkey, where the institution of a secular, democratic, government under Ataturk about 100 years ago is a very precious thing. Some citizens disagree, eg. female students who wish to wear the hijab (Muslim headscarf) at state universities, which is currently against secular law.

neuro_nurse

“Every institution is inspired, at least implicitly, by a vision of man and his destiny, from which it derives the point of reference for its judgment, its hierarchy of values, its line of conduct. Most societies have formed their institutions in the recognition of a certain preeminence of man over things.”

“The Church, because of her commission and competence, is not to be confused in any way with the political community. She is both the sign and the safeguard of the transcendent character of the human person.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2244, 2245

neuro_nurse

“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 Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

Treaty of Tripoli, 1797

nuclearferret

"America is not a Christian nation, but there are followers of Christ within the country pushing the government and the nation to do the will of God."

Hence the beauty of the United States, since the followers of Christ are by no means monolithic in pushing the government to do the will of God, and the majority do not believe that a theocracy is appropriate anyway. Sojourners has their interpretation of "will of God," fundamentalist evangelicals have theirs, Catholics have theirs, as do Jews, Muslims, and others who do not even recognize Christ.

bjbrown

I like Paul's response. I felt like Obama's word choice was rather poor. Instead of trying to get liberals and conservatives to work together, he is simply doing what every president does, which is drive a wedge between the two. I understand what he's saying and I understand the context in which he said it, I simply wish he had chosen his words more carefully. Disappointing.

xfree9

I'm glad America is not a Christian nation, because historically when Christians get into power, they do just as horrendous things as when non-Christians do... not always, and not in all places, but Christianity is not about gaining power and control over society, it's about subverting the power structures and defending the defenseless and growing like a mustard seed: from the ground up.

brgulker

Even if we were founded as a Christian nation (and I don't think we were), we definitely are not one now.

We oppress our own poor; we kill thousands of innocent people around the world each year; our society if littered with idols; etc., etc., etc.

Put perfectly above:

This dichotomy is reminiscent of St. Augustine’s teachings in The City of God. Essentially, in the book he teaches that no human institution, even the institution which calls itself the church, can fully embody the teachings of Christ, but within these institutions are committed Christians who do God’s will. This applies to America too. America is not a Christian nation, but there are followers of Christ within the country pushing the government and the nation to do the will of God. The only state, nation, principality, or country that can call itself a Christian “nation” is the kingdom of God fully ushered in by the second coming of Christ.

America is not a Christian nation because no nation is a Christian nation.

BlueDeacon

I will add only this: Because of the nature of our faith, Christians are and should always be the perpetual "outsiders" -- just like the early church. And like xfree9 wrote earlier, subversion was the name of the game, the church using civil law in a way it was never intended to so that it could give God the glory.

xfree9

Glad we agree!

Massmedia

I have enjoyed reading the varying opinions on Obama's not (only) a Christian nation. The comment BlueDeacon made above seems to be a theme mention many times. May I ask this; Whare are Christians "outsiders" and in what way did the nature of this faith produce this outcome?

paradoxtor

What I find interesting is that the statement appears to be made to placate those who think that we see ourselves as a Christian nation and are offended by that. Yet we see no corresponding attitude toward those who unapologetically declare themselves to be a Muslim nation. That said, I agree that we are and never have been a Christian nation. There is only one Christian nation and it is the kingdom of God. We are, as Christians, aliens in this land.

letjusticerolldown

To me this is one of those issues forever unresolved because everyone wants to make the counterpoint.

Persons that say this is a Christian nation and those that point out it is not a Christian nation are saying something worth hearing. Both sides will be able to stop making their point as soon as the other side listens.

One would think that persons so dogmatically demanding the truth be known would demonstrate a little more humility in seeking the truth together.

PASTOR JEFF

I thought Israel was a Christian nation.

Canuklehead, how come Canada never makes a claim to being a Christian nation. Were you guys founded by heathens or what?

prprudence

When I was a young girl, we lived in Turkey. I learned there that Turks thought America was a Christian nation... and belived that to be a Christian, one must have a big car, a TV set and have a loud party on the weekends. That is what they had experienced from Americans who were stationed there... I remember as a little girl thinking how sad that was... because it didn't sound very Christian to me then.
No. America is NOT a Christian nation, and Christians should be the first to say so. We live in a secular nation full of secular and very selfish values which we have been quite content to be understood by the rest of the world as "christian." Finally, we have a president who is willing to be respectful and honest. That's a breath of fresh air.

Joe_Allen_Doty

If the United States were a Christian nation, it would be a theocracy.

Jesus did not come to set up a political kingdom; he came to set up his kingdom in the hearts of those who believe in him.

Almost every country which had "Christianity" as its official state religion, especially those which were founded by the Spain, have ended up with dictators as the rulers of the country.

I don't have to go to Roman Catholic Church denomination sources to know what Jesus' kingdom really is.

neuro_nurse

"I don't have to go to Roman Catholic Church denomination sources to know what Jesus' kingdom really is."

What's up? Are you offended that I post paragraphs from the Catechism?

saucybeef

"Amen" to your comments. Right on target. Shame on "Christians" who can't accept these sad truths.

saucybeef

brgulker nails it. Too many "Christians" do not want to admit to America's horrors, past and present. I find very little Christ in American religious institutions.