A Christian Nation

At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard America referred to as a Christian nation. That’s become less prevalent in modern times because, as the data shows,* America is growing more secular. However, in the past, it was a far more common sentiment particularly when Christians were trying to resist some national change that they felt was in opposition to Christian belief.

Was the sentiment ever true? In my opinion, no, not really. It’s true that most of the early settlers and founders of the nation were Christian, but the nation was never a theocracy. It was not created to subscribe to any particular faith. That’s why the term “separation of church and state exists.” It’s also part of the reason why our constitution has the First Amendment, which guarantees everyone the right to practice whatever religion they want without fear of state sponsored persecution. The U.S. is supposed to be a nation that is not beholden to any one faith, but is instead tolerant of whatever faith the citizens choose to adopt. Now whether the U.S. lives up to that ideal or not is in itself debatable, but that’s a different conversation.

While the U.S. isn’t formally a Christian nation, it would be hard to deny the influence of Christianity on the nation. After all, some courtrooms in the nation have the Ten Commandments listed in the buildings suggesting they are the cornerstone of the nation’s laws. “In God We Trust” is plastered over our money. That is certainly a very Christian thing to say. However, that’s the problem. You can’t just say you’re a Christian; you have to live the life. Similarly, a Christian nation can’t just be one that is associated with a bunch of religiously influenced platitudes. It has to stand on actual Christian values, and that’s where the idea that the U.S. as a Christian nation really falls apart.

Christian values aren’t what define this nation. When people think of the “American Dream,” they tend to think of the idea that anyone can make it big with hard work. American ideals often break down to the pursuit of personal wealth and glory at the expense of everything else. Americans are sold on the idea that personal merit is what matters, and that anyone can succeed if they are willing to pull themselves up. It’s debatable if that’s even true, but again that’s a different conversation.

What is true is that all of that is antithetical to Christian doctrine, particularly the teachings of Jesus Christ. First and foremost, the Bible is adamant about the fact that believers aren’t supposed to trust in their own merit, but instead in God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding – Proverbs 3:5

A truly Christian nation wouldn’t be full of people believing solely in themselves and betting their futures and fates on their own capabilities. It would instead be composed of people who worked hard while putting God first and believing that he would open the right paths for them.

Americans are often caught up in the pursuit of wealth, but that in and of itself goes against what Jesus taught.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:19-23

To be clear Jesus is not saying that it’s wrong to have nice things. He’s saying that people shouldn’t be driven by the need to acquire things in this world. Jesus is condemning the drive that, at times, seems central to the American experience.

However, Jesus didn’t just say that we shouldn’t be so focused on obtaining more. He also gave us instruction on how we should treat what we have.

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – Matthew 19:21

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. – Matthew 5:42

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” – Luke 3:11

God doesn’t mind us acquiring possessions, but Jesus makes it clear that we should be willing to give and share those possessions freely. Hoarding wealth for oneself simply isn’t something that fits within Christian doctrine.

Our government debates on how much we as a nation should help the poor, the sick, or people from foreign nations. The truth is that if this was really a Christian nation, there would be no debate.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:34-39

A truly Christian nation would put God first in front of everything else and seek to provide and care for everyone in need. That simply isn’t the focus of the U.S. and never has been. This blog entry isn’t meant to be an indictment of the U.S. The truth is that no nation on earth truly represents Christian values. Even when we look back at the Old Testament where God took a more active role in nation building, the people still weren’t able to uphold the rules and values God put forth.

It seems that we humans are incapable of creating a nation that truly encapsulates God’s goodness. We’ll just have to wait until God creates that nation for us. In the meantime, we believers can do our part to represent the values that Jesus espoused. We may not change this nation or any other, but we can give people an image of what could be if they accepted Jesus as their Savior and followed his lead. We can give them a preview of what will happen when Christ comes back and takes charge.

*U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious | Pew Research Center (pewforum.org)

Chris Lawyer

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