Thread: The United States was founded on Christian Principles...

Surely, like most civilized men in the Eighteenth Century, your leading Tax-dodging Founders were deists rather than Christians, believing, as then seemed logical, in a Great Clockmaker who set the Universe up and then went off to do something more interesting?

Originally Posted by Iolo

Surely, like most civilized men in the Eighteenth Century, your leading Tax-dodging Founders were deists rather than Christians, believing, as then seemed logical, in a Great Clockmaker who set the Universe up and then went off to do something more interesting?

You're just ticked off at the Revolutionary War and our Independence from tyrannical Kings.

Originally Posted by Kranes56

We are not founded upon Christianity. We are founded upon Enlightenment ideals.

Most of the founding fathers where fundementalist Christians. Only the famous ones where associated with deism and enlightenment anti-religious sentiment. Even with that said, those who where anti-religious...

Where aiming their resentment at the Papacy and the Church of England, as opposed to Christianity in General.

Originally Posted by Iolo

Surely, like most civilized men in the Eighteenth Century, your leading Tax-dodging Founders were deists rather than Christians, believing, as then seemed logical, in a Great Clockmaker who set the Universe up and then went off to do something more interesting?

The Great Architech of the Universe can be related to the diety of your preference. Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Yeweh, Jehova, whatever. It is generic in the sense that it gives no particular endorsement to any particular belief, diety or faith.

But the founding Fathers, just like most of the Anglo colonists, were conditioned and brought up on christian/judeo values and teachings. But there was a strong push for religious freedom as to not render the populous of being yoked to any particular religion. Therefore, christianity was intentionally not sanctioned as the "official" religion or belief system. Efforts were made to communicate that clearly.

Originally Posted by onalandline

You're just ticked off at the Revolutionary War and our Independence from tyrannical Kings.

I thought that was when your current set-up was founded, after the tax-dodging war. Which tyrannical kings did you set up then?

Originally Posted by Captain America

The Great Architech of the Universe can be related to the diety of your preference. Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Yeweh, Jehova, whatever. It is generic in the sense that it gives no particular endorsement to any particular belief, diety or faith.

But the founding Fathers, just like most of the Anglo colonists, were conditioned and brought up on christian/judeo values and teachings. But there was a strong push for religious freedom as to not render the populous of being yoked to any particular religion. Therefore, christianity was intentionally not sanctioned as the "official" religion or belief system. Efforts were made to communicate that clearly.

Deism does tend to take it for granted that the Grand Architect has downed tools and won't intervene any more though, which contradicts most religions. I've never understood what 'Judeo-Christian' is meant to mean, though I can see that American fundamentalists are not Christian in any normal sense. I don't think the Grand Architect is very obviously compatible with Buddhism either. Incidentally, to answer a point you didn't raise, it was the leading figures I was thinking about, even back then in the days when only 10% attended Church, if I read my Economist correctly.

Originally Posted by Iolo

Deism does tend to take it for granted that the Grand Architect has downed tools and won't intervene any more though, which contradicts most religions. I've never understood what 'Judeo-Christian' is meant to mean, though I can see that American fundamentalists are not Christian in any normal sense. I don't think the Grand Architect is very obviously compatible with Buddhism either. Incidentally, to answer a point you didn't raise, it was the leading figures I was thinking about, even back then in the days when only 10% attended Church, if I read my Economist correctly.

You're probably right about the Buddism. I admit I know very little about that religion. But my understanding is that T.G.A.T.O.U. was symbolic of whatever diety one choses to believe in and not a particular diety in and of itself.

I submit that this nation was more founded on the tenents of Freemasonry than on any particular religion or diety.

Originally Posted by Iolo

I thought that was when your current set-up was founded, after the tax-dodging war. Which tyrannical kings did you set up then?

Tax dodging because the colonies had no part in their governing. We never had kings here.

Originally Posted by satv365

Most of the founding fathers where fundementalist Christians. Only the famous ones where associated with deism and enlightenment anti-religious sentiment. Even with that said, those who where anti-religious...

Where aiming their resentment at the Papacy and the Church of England, as opposed to Christianity in General.

Really? What do you call the speration of powers?

Just because the nation was founded using SOME christian principles, does NOT make it a christian nation. Just thought I would point that out.