The Christian Nation

This is NOT about Politics! Aren't you glad? This is about our culture. I just want to comment on a few things.

First, 92% of America believes in God! And people say we aren't a Christian Nation! Well OK, just cause people believe in God doesn't amke them Christian, but still, 92% thats something isn't it?
Well we're down 6% from 1967, does that mean we are backsliding?
But in 1947 it was only 94%. Wow, and I thought the post-WWII era was very religious!


Going back just a few years to 2007 we find that only 86% were "Sure" there was a God. But maybe some of the "unsure" if pressed would say probably so.
Still less than 90% say there's a heaven! What is that about? Surely heaven is the main product that Christianity is selling. And less that 80% believe in a Hell! Well there goes the motivation for 20% of the population to check out the claims of Christianity!

2007 May 10-13 (sorted by "believe in")	Believe in	Not sure about	Don't believe in
	%	%	%
God	86	8	6
Heaven	81	8	11
Angels	75	11	14
The Devil	70	8	21
Hell	69	8	22

But again, we're talking about a basic belief in a deity. Not neccesarily YHWH, or Jehovah God, or even a basic Christian view of God. Just God. Some of these people maybe graduates of a 12 step program that allows you to pick anything for your "Higher power." Some of these may believe in the Great Omelet in the Sky! Or the Great Pumpkin!  So how do we calculate how many folks believe in God in a way similar to Jews, Christians, or even Muslims? (Muslims are only about 8 in every thousand but a case can be made that their god is somewhat similar to the Jewish understanding.)

Maybe the next Questions will shed some light:

   How often do you attend church or synagogue -- At least once a week, almost every week, about once a month, seldom, or never?

	Once a week	Almost every week	About once a month	Seldom	Never	No opin- ion
2007 Mar 26-29	35	10	10	28	16	*

Only 55% ever attend church more than "seldom". Oh wait that's church OR synagogue. So the Jews (God love 'em) are not part of this Christian Nation (except of course, they LIVE here.)

 And as for churches that would include Catholic churches which do not teach the more evangelical view of salvation and is therefore errant. Then there are the Mormon, Jehovah's witnesses and other Christian-like cults that are even more errant than the Catholics. 

Maybe the next Question helps:

Would you describe yourself as a "born again"  or evangelical?
Yes% No% No opinion% 2005 Nov 17-20 40 54 6 2004 Dec 5-8 39 55 6 2003 Nov 10-12 43 53 4 2002 Dec 9-10 46 48 6 2002 Mar 18-20 46 50 4 2001 Feb 19-21 45 49 6 2000 Aug 24-27 44 50 6 1998 Jun 22-23 44 48 8 1997 Aug 12-13 45 4 1997 Mar 24-26 43 51 6 1996 Sep 3-5 42 52 6 1995 May 11-14 39 53 8 But what does Barna mean by Born Again and Evangelical? So now we're down to 40% who call themselves "Born again"  or "evangelical." Wow, less than half. Hmmm.  This doesn't  bode well for the "We are a Christian Nation" crowd.  And gee, Evangelicals? Really? I mean those are those nominal Lutherans and Methodists that don't really believe much of  anything. Certainly not in the exclusive claims of Christ, and salvation by Grace through Faith, occuring in a  miraculous work by the Holy Spirit! So whats left?  How many Christians are there for crying out loud? Well maybe Gallup can't get us where we want to go, so let's try Barna. According to him: While more than eight out of ten (84%) view themselves  as Christian, a lesser but significant majority label them selves as a "committed Christian" (60%). Within that  framework,people’s self-identity includes 45% who  call themselves a "born again Christian," 42% who claim  to be an "evangelical Christian..."    “Born again Christians" are defined as people who  said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus  Christ - that is still important in their life today -  who ... believe when they die they will go to Heaven  because they had confessed their sins and had  accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents are not  asked to describe themselves as "born again."  Well, gosh, I know of unsaved baptists that would attest  to that! “Evangelicals" meet the born again  criteria (described above) plus seven other conditions.  Those include saying their faith is very important in their  life today; believing they have a personal responsibility  to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non- Christians; believing that Satan exists;  believing that eternal salvation is possible only through  grace, not works;  believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth;  asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches;  and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it  today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon  church attendance or the denominational affiliation of  the church attended. Respondents were not asked to  describe themselves as "evangelical." Well, OK, I guess this sounds pretty Christian to me,  and that's 42%. But Gallup said only 40% describe  themselves as 'born again' or evangelical. And when you  read Gallup's data closer you would find that some of  that 40% didn't even believe in Jesus! They defined  "born again" in their own private terms.   So, there appears to be some polling discrepancy here.  (Sounds a lot like a presidential election poll doesn't it?  BUT I'm not going there.) Taking Barna's numbers  though, we have the description of 42% of americans  who might be considered True believers. Problem is,  when I view what Jesus said,that number looks WAY  too big. Jesus said;  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is  the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to  destruction,and many there be which go in there:   Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,  which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.  (Mat 7:13-14) "Few there be that find it." Hmmm, 42% sounds like  more than a few! Jesus also said;  So the last shall be first, and the  first last: for many be called, but few chosen.  (Mat_20:16) And,  For many are called, but few are chosen.  (Mat_22:14) ______________________________________ What am I trying to say here? I guess I'm trying to say the USA is a shining city on a hill! It was founded by really sharp guys, many of whom did seem to be  Christians.  Many were deists, and various other of primarily God- believing groups.It was founded as a Republic. Where  laws could protect the disenfranchised from mob rule.  Or sometimes it did anyway, that was their goal. It was founded with representative government rather  than the divine right of Kings or despots to rule and  seize power from the people.  It was founded with an  open and free commerce system. The government may  have owned property but it wasn't actively competing  with or crippling the shopkeepers, farmers, tradespeople,  homeowners, local elected officals or churches.  It allowed ideas, even government and religious ideas,  to compete in a free market place as well as goods  and services.  It was also founded with an eye towards  common law and Biblical law. It recognized Biblical principles in commerce, philosophy, and government. It did not do all of these things perfectly because a  nation is only as good as it's people and we are not  a perfect people. These are wonderful things, however,  to be proud of. They have helped us excel beyond  many other nations on earth. (Now some would say thats a very naive opinion. They would  point to our greed and domineering attitude. To the corrupt  usage of raw materials and human resources. All of which  I would have to say we have been guilty of to some degree.  But are we so different as humans? Did not Europe, Canada,  China, Australia, etc. have raw materials and the possibility  of cheap labor? I would say yes they did. But our laws  helped us rise above using people in a demeaning way.) But, we are not a Christian Nation. And that's OK. Our constitution does not say we are Christian. It  defends the rights of all people to believe according to  their own consciences. Our laws are not all Biblical laws. Our people are not even Christian in the majority. And, there is only one Christian Nation:  The Redeemed of God, for whom Christ died, who have  been regenerated, saved, born again, and justified by the  blood of Christ. Some are here on earth. Some have  gone to be with the Lord. But it is them and them alone  who are a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an  holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew  forth the praises of him who hath called you out of  darkness into his marvellous light:" And that's not the USA! And that's OK.  In fact, its great to know!

Is the USA a Christian Nation?

There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether the USA is a Christian nation.
I wonder what brought that up? Oh yeah, Barack Hussein Obama!
He was telling some people of Muslim nations that we aren't a Christian Nation. Do you think they understood that coming from their culture and worldview? Probably not.
If anything they probably though, "Good, its not Christan, that much easier for it to become Muslim."
Anyway, I guess it depends on what you mean by Christian. Is the country made up of born-again Christians? No. Is the charter and constitution of the USA the Bible? No. Does the constitution state we are a Christian nation? No.
Were we founded by a group of people whose views of the world and what government should be were informed by Christian teachings? Absolutely Yes. This does not mean that each founding Father was a born again Christian. But even the Deists among them were surrounded by, and respected the Christians. This does not mean philosophers like Hume and Locke weren't influential as well. But then, we might trace their influences back the Reformation and rediscovery of scripture.

Listen to these quotes:
Sam Adams, the father of the American Revolution wrote: “I…recommend my Soul to the Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying on the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.” That doesn’t sound like a deist to me but a Christian.
John Hancock, remember his large signature at t5he bottom ofr the Declaration of Independence? “I, john hancock, … being advanced in years and being of perfect mind and memory – thanks be given to God – therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die (Heb 9:27), do make …this my last will and testament. Principally…I give…my soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I recommend to the earth…nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mercy and power of God."
Then Patrick Henry, remember, ‘give me liberty or give me death’?
“This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
I know that Jefferson and Franklin said and wrote things that were less than Christian, but they were definitely influenced by the teachings of Jesus. Ben Franklin used to go hear Jonathan Edwards preach his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of and angry God.”
I also know that not all the people that came to America came for religious freedom. Some came to worship the way they wanted to but didn’t want to give others the same privilege. Roger Williams, the first American Baptist, had considerable trouble with the authorities because he wasn’t an Anglican or a Congregationalist. And also because he thought the gospel should be taken to the Native Americans and they shouldn’t be treated as 2nd class humans.
But by the time the framers of the constitution came around, some important things had bubbled to the surface of the American experiment. Just like crude oil would change the world a century later something else was changing the political status quo: Namely Freedom. And where did they get it?
I don’t think they got it from the ancient philosophers who supported freedom for the elite ruling class. I don’t think they got it from the Muslims or Catholicism.
I believe they got it from scripture.
How about Freedom in Commerce?
Leviticus 25:14 says, “And if you sell ought to thy neighbor, or buy ought of thy neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another:
Or Rom 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make contributions for the poor saints at Jerusalem. So they gave as they “Pleased.” That means voluntary.
How about Freedom in Justice?
Ex 23:6 "You shall not pervert the justice [that is] due to your poor in his lawsuit. Says the poor person whould get what is justly his. But 3 verses before it says, Ex 23:3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. In other words the rich, the poor, and anyone in between ought to receive true justice. So I guess it doesn’t matter what your status is, how much money you have, or whether you’re white, black, or Hispanic. Justice is justice!
Now there was a problem interpreting the freedom that the US constitution provided and we fought a war and got rid of the horrible blight of American slavery. That wasn’t so much an issue of freedom as it was respecting our fellow man as a human being. As a result it became a terrible affront to freedom. But we began to fix that in the 19th amendment!
We also have the Freedom to be poor just like in the Bible.
Pro 21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine … will not be rich. And, Pro 14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
In one verse of the Bible you find the freedom to own property and the freedom to work! Lev 19:9 "When you … harvest your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, nor shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.
You see God provided for property ownership – YOUR harvest and YOUR vineyard. But He also provided for the poor, And He provided that the poor should Work. We need to be careful though, because God also said, Pro 14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. There is a time to give to the poor, especially those who cannot work.
God is a champion for the poor. Jesus came and preached the gospel to the poor. And He is especially concerned with the poor and oppressed. And when the government oppresses its own people so that they cannot enjoy the fruit of the own labors1 its still oppression. But our constitution calls for freedom.

And we are free from Tyranny. God didn’t want His people controlled by Tyrants, And we get to vote and change our government regularly so that no one gains a hold on power to the detriment of the country and its freedoms.
And if anyone does become a tyrant and oppress the people, we can vote them out, or even impeach them and remove them office if necessary! THAT is freedom, and it is consistent with the word of God.
And maybe most important of all, we have the freedoms to believe and say what we believe. In ancient Israel God expected all the descendants of Jacob to believe in Him and obey His laws. But He knew that unbelievers would come into their land so He said, Lev 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

That is how we as Christians should treat the alien in our land as well. I’m not saying ignore the law, but we are to love our neighbor as ourselves!
And all of this reflects the Freedom we have in Christ!
Free from the Moses’ Law which is like a tyrant to the soul.
Free from the bondage of sin so we are not slaves.
Free from to try and fail because we are forgiven.
Free to be poor, but we’ll pay a price for it.
And Free to be blessed coming in and going out!
And all of this freedom was purchased not by the blood of soldiers on a battlefield, but by the blood of our savior on a cross. Is He your savior today? Are you truly free?