by Alexandra Dorian

Created on: August 27, 2008

Separation of church and state is a fundamental principal to the United States' governing bodies; however, it is certain that it was founded with distinct Christian values. This is not simply a matter of opinion, but a fact based on empirical evidence left by colonists and the Founding Fathers. By looking at the various texts upon which our nation was formed, it is evident that the framers of our nation had religion, specifically Christianity, in mind when joining the United States.

Whatever religion you choose to practice, you would be hard pressed to examine the central documents that gave the United States its sovereignty and not come to the conclusion that they were not only written by Christian men, but also set the tone for a Christian nation. The Declaration of Independence is an excellent document to begin with. This document's preamble is among the most famous in America's political texts. Any grade-schooler that was made to memorize Thomas Jefferson's famous words will certainly remember that he held several "truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." The mention of a Creator in the preamble is a direct reference to God, and a direct declaration that it is He who has given the colonies their Right to break from England and its tyranny. In Jefferson's time, this meant a Christian God, and he himself was a Unitarian. The very first sentence of the Declaration furthers its Christian influences, as Jefferson points to the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" that also endow people with the rights to break from their government. If the ties to Christianity were not evident enough in these sections, it is made quite plain in the closing paragraphs. "The Representatives of the United States of America," the Declaration states, "appealing to the Supreme Judge of the worldare Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crownwith a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence." The language used to craft the founding document of our nation is unarguably steeped in Christian terms. The Supreme Judge is a reference to God, and they call upon their belief in him and in his divine Providence to legitimize their break from England.

The Constitution is another text that demonstrates the United States' founding in Christianity. The religious allusions in it are a bit more subdued, as the purpose of this document was to fully forge the laws that would guide the fledgling nation. However, consider the language of the preamble: "We the peoplesecure the Blessings of Libertydo ordain and establish this Constitution" This is indicative again of a Christian overtone, as the founders have used their religious background to "bless" and "ordain" the nation as a priest would a congregation.

Our Founding Fathers may not have set out to create a distinct Christian nation when the United States was formed, but they certainly and consciously gave the new country Christian values in its founding. School children across the country continue to pledge their allegiance each day to "one nation under God." Many of the founders were descendants of colonists who came to the new land in search of religious freedom, and that is a safeguard they carefully crafted into their establishing documents. Nevertheless, the authors of the texts that shape our nation drew upon their Christian heritage and certainly formed a nation based upon Christian principals.

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