I feel these rather harsh facts are necessary to make clear because of the frequently outright dishonest political effort to misrepresent American history. This dishonesty is rampant now from those who are attempting to impose coercive mythology-type beliefs upon a free society. Actual American history (our founders) were all about liberty and freedom from such dangerous subjugation.
The difference between the fundamentalist view of Christianity and the founding fathers' applications of Christianity is the difference between night and day, between Dark and Light.
There really is no factual dispute that many of our founding forebears were Christian. But they were wise enough to legally protect all citizens from the imposition of any religion. They were also wise enough to legally respect all religions, as well as the personal choice of no religion. For example, Thomas Jefferson wrote that his 1786 law The Virginia Act for Religious Freedom is
“meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew, the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.” (Link below).
So, what about "In God We Trust" and "one nation under God?" Every young student -- and every adult American -- needs to readily know that Congress put "In God We Trust" on our paper currency, and added "one nation under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, in the mid-1950's.
These phrases did not emanate from our founding fathers in the 1700's, nor even from the Baptist minister who wrote the Pledge in 1892. These phrases came from Congress in the mid-twentieth century in response to fears of "godless communism" in the McCarthy Era.
This was hysterical legislation at its worst. These 1950's new laws disrespected and overturned our founders' protective intentions, and these belated mottoes powerfully but pathetically continue to mislead people to this day.
And what response is there to the common but specious argument that "a wall of separation between church and state" is not in the Constitution? No one ever said it was! But should we not respect that phrase from President Thomas Jefferson, which he penned in his letter to the Baptists?
They had asked him to explain the Constitution's First Amendment, and that was his answer, those were his words. He said it means "a wall of separation between church and state." He knew what the First Amendment meant -- because the man was there at the time! For the safety of every American citizen -- and in the spirit of patriotism to our nation -- "the wall" between government and religion must be thoroughly respected and protected.
It is unquestionable that there are many good Christians in our country -- people who care and help and serve -- and who reinforce their own inherent goodness from aspects of traditional Christianity. But it seems clear that those who would use their beliefs to bully others into compliance -- and to thoroughly mislead innocent children -- are not "good" Christians. In terms of egotism and grandiosity, they probably are not even mentally healthy.
It is up to genuinely good Christians and genuinely good Americans to know and to bolster the truth of our history -- and in the process, to banish the old layers and current escalations of so much deceit about this being "a Christian nation.”
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Sources -- and there are many:
The Pledge of Allegiance:
Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August of 1892.
In 1954, Congress -- after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus --added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge.http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm
"In God We Trust"
It had occasionally appeared on some coins from the Civil War, but --
A law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L. 84-140) and approved by the President on July 30, 1956, IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957.
U.S. Constitution, Article VI: "...but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." This means that even the highest position in the land, the President of the United States, can be a member of any religion on earth, or of no religion at all.
U.S. Treaty of Tripoli, 1797
Article 11. "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 tranquillity, of Mussulmen (Muslims);and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan (Mohammedan) 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."
Here is the "signing statement" penned by President Adams on the Treaty document. Italics/parentheses are mine --
"Now be it known, that I, John Adams, President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the said Treaty do, by, and with the advice and consent of the Senate (which included other founding fathers), do accept, ratify, and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof...And I do hereby enjoin and do require all persons bearing office civil or military within the United States and all other citizens or inhabitants thereof, faithfully to observe and fulfill the said Treaty and every clause and article thereof."
As often happens in politics, the Treaty got broken years later. But it does stand as a statement of rock-solid clarity on our founders' intentions.
In 1786, the Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, modified somewhat from Jefferson’s original draft, became law. The act is one of three accomplishments Jefferson included on his tombstone, along with writing the Declaration and founding the University of Virginia. (He omitted his presidency of the United States.)
After the bill was passed, Jefferson proudly wrote that the law “meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew, the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.”
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/
