Are We Really a Christian Nation ?

[James13]

FHL FRUIT OF LIFE
Are We Really a Christian Nation ?
Written by Minister MarcAlan

There are two ministers. Both involved in politics, one an outspoken republican and the other an outspoken democrat. Each one putting his political party first. They argue and criticize other Christians who disagree with their political views. They divide Christians and encourage quarreling among them. Is this right in Gods sight? Should Christians align themselves to a political party? As Christians shouldn't our purpose and focus be to do Gods will? According to God's word, we are not representatives of a political party; but instead we are representatives of Christ. The Holy Spirit is never and cannot be double minded. Both political parties republican and democratic alike have this in common; they both lack the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So are we really a Christian nation? Is Christ the focus of our nation? And what about the church? Is the church influencing the world? Or is the world influencing the church? When you hear contemporary gospel music do you feel the presence of the holy spirit? Does it make you want to worship God? As Christians do we produce the fruit of the spirit? According to Gal. 5: 22-23(NLT) the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is there a distinction between those who call themselves Christians from non-Christians? Do we have church leaders who overtly practice sin? Do we have Christians who knowingly ignore the practice of sin by church leaders? As a nation do we promote or support sins against God? As a nation do we promote or support sexual immorality? As a nation do we promote or support homosexuality? As a nation do we promote or support idolatry?

As a nation do we promote or support prayer in school? As a nation do we promote or support removing Christ from Christmas? As a nation do we promote or support celebrating a rabbit instead of the cross? As a nation do we promote or support materialism? As a nation do we teach our children to live a life accountable to God? As a nation do we submit to God? As a nation do we put God first? As a nation are we proud and arrogant? And is it not God who sets himself against the proud and arrogant? As a nation do we promote or support separation between church and state? As Christians we are the church and the church is the body of Christ. Anything apart or separated from Christ is dead! Rather it be one person or a whole nation. So are we really a Christian nation? You tell me!

 

[emilynghiem]

Dear James: We are "Christian" insofar as we take the spirit of the laws to heart by conscience, and embody truth and justice ourselves to enforce these, where the people and the government are one.

Where Christians or anybody disagrees on matters of law, there should be conflict resolution and agreement, wherever possible, in order to protect equal interests, represention and protection of all people of all views.

Nobody should abuse either majority rule, govt authority, political parties, media or collective authority to oppress or deny the equal protection of interests and due process to any other party, especially if we wish to invoke these rights ourselves!

We are human and bound to fall to hypocrisy here and there.
Finding fault with our neighbor and projecting that, while missing how our neighbor
sees equal fault with us and our judgment.

The true Christian would seek to resolve such grievances in truth in order to make corrections and to restore just relations as equal neighbors under the law.

We do have this tradition in our country. America is unique in having both Constitutional laws (based on natural laws) and Christian Scripture (reflecting divine laws) in our cultural foundations.

I find it interesting as well that in the founding of America, the Christian left or Quakers at that time were just as extreme opposite as the Christian fundamental types, as we see today. The pro-abolitionists pushing for equality of persons vs. the slaveholders who were investing in the building of the nation which depended on slave labor in many areas.

Although we have not yet perfectly realized the ideals in either Christianity or Constitutionalism, we still have both in our basic principles and foundation, that has shaped our process to seek truth and justice, despite the flaws and falling along the way.

Faith that we can recover and can grow stronger for our struggles is part of the Christian faith. All these conflicts you point out, are mere "growing pains" as we learn to put unifying truth before our own conflicting interests, forgiving the past and making progress.

 

[Sky Dancer]

We are NOT a Christian nation, in that Christianity is NOT the official state religion of the US. Christianity is the majority religion, in that most Americans claim to be Christian. Because Christianity is the majority religion, some Christians think they are owed a certain amount of privelege (just my opinion), and some of them argue that the US was founded on Christian principles rather than Theism.

We could end up a Christian theocracy, a truly Christian nation, if Dominionists like Sarah Palin have their way.

 

[FuelRod]

We should be striving to be a Christian nation and planet.
Outlook...not so good.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Christian privilege at the individual level occurs in proselytizing to convert or reconvert non-Christians to Christianity. While many Christians view proselytizing as offering the gift of Jesus to the non-Christians, many individuals of other faiths and many non-believers consider this as an imposition, manipulation, and oppression. (Schlosser, 2003)

The concept of hegemony (Gramsci, 1971) describes the ways in which the dominant group, in this case U.S. Christians in general and predominantly Protestants, successfully disseminate dominant social constructions as being common sense, as normative, or as universal, even though an estimated 70% of the world’s inhabitants are not Christian (Smith & Harter, 2002). Christian hegemony also supposes that Christianity is part of the natural order, even at times by those who are marginalized, disempowered, or rendered invisible by it (Tong, 1989). Thus, Christian hegemony maintains the marginality of already marginalized religions, faiths, and spiritual communities. According to Beaman (2003), “the binary opposition of sameness/difference is reflected in Protestant/minority religion in which mainstream Protestantism is representative of the ‘normal’” (p. 321).
Christian privilege - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[High_Gravity]

The majority of this country is Christian however Christianity is not the official state religion.

 

[Sky Dancer]

1. It is likely that state and federal holidays coincide with my religious practices, thereby having little to no impact on my job and/or education.

2. I can talk openly about my religious practices without concern for how it will be received by others.

3. I can be sure to hear music on the radio and watch specials on television that celebrate the holidays of my religion.

4. When told about the history of civilization, I am can be sure that I am shown people of my religion made it what it is.

5. I can worry about religious privilege without being perceived as “self-interested” or “self-seeking.”

6. I can have a “Jesus is Lord” bumper sticker or Icthus (Christian Fish) on my car and not worry about someone vandalizing my car because of it.

7. I can share my holiday greetings without being fully conscious of how it may impact those who do not celebrate the same holidays. Also, I can be sure that people are knowledgeable about the holidays of my religion and will greet me with the appropriate holiday greeting (e.g., Merry Christmas, Happy Easter, etc.).

8. I can probably assume that there is a universality of religious experience.

9. I can deny Christian Privilege by asserting that all religions are essentially the same.

10. I probably do not need to learn the religious or spiritual customs of others, and I am likely not penalized for not knowing them.

40 Examples of Christian Privilege - Democratic Underground

 

[Sky Dancer]

The majority of this country is Christian however Christianity is not the official state religion.

Not yet.

 

[FuelRod]

I liken the term "Christian Nation" to do we follow the teachings of Christ?

I'd like to see anyone legitimately argue that would be a bad thing.

 

[Two Thumbs]

In answer to the title question.

Yes.

Every city, large town, medium size town, small town, and anything big enough to have a Main St that is not a highway had a St. Patricks Day Parade last weekend or will have one this weekend.

The people that initially settled here, to build a society, did so for religious reasons.

Each branch of the Military has an RP, Religious Person, and a place to come and pray.
Every town has a church of some kind

on and on

We are a christian nation and should be proud of that fact.

 

[Sky Dancer]

I liken the term "Christian Nation" to do we follow the teachings of Christ?

I'd like to see anyone legitimately argue that would be a bad thing.

I would be happy to argue that point. It would be a disaster. We would soon have our own version of the Christian Taliban.

We aren't a theocracy now but Christian zealots argue we are already a Christian Nation.

 

[FuelRod]

Well No our nation does not follow the teachings of Christ.

Do you find fault with any of those?

 

[Immanuel]

The majority of this country is Christian however Christianity is not the official state religion.

And may it never be.

Whose brand of Christianity would we be required to adopt? Pat Robertson's? Jeremiah Wright's? Fred Phelp's?

Christianity is not a one size fits all faith. May we never be forced to adopt a particular faith whether it be Christianity, Jewish, Muslim or what have you.

Immie

 

[Douger]

MASONIC SYMBOLS OF POWER IN THEIR SEAT OF POWER -- WASHINGTON, D.C.- Christian Updates - New World Order.

 

[dilloduck]

The majority of this country is Christian however Christianity is not the official state religion.

Not yet.

Your paranoia is approching that of our conspiracy theorists. If you could give up being a victim for a second you would see that America will never be a Christian theocracy and a majority of Christians have no interest in pursuing such a thing.

 

[R.D.]

Yes

Patrick Henry said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship."

 

[FuelRod]

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

[Sky Dancer]

Dominionism: (or Reconstructionism)A particular school of evangelical political thought that holds Christians as having rightful “dominion” over the earth- including its political institutions. They wish to make America a “Christian” nation, ruled by Christians, and have stated boldly that the U.S. Constitution should be replaced by Christian sovereignty and Christian principles, including, by the way- the execution of gays.

The fountainhead of Dominionist theology is Rousas John Rushdoony, who held, among other notions, that the principles of Christianity and democracy are enemies.

Pat Robertson is, and Jerry Falwell was….self-avowed Christian Reconstructionists/Dominionists.

There are obviously variations on the degree to which Dominionists want to influence government. But the fundamental principles are:

1. We were founded as a Christan Nation.
2. Christianity is superior to other religions (not all seek convert all people though that varies as well.)
3. Our laws should be based on Biblical law.

This attempt to replace democratic ethics with religion is truly disturbing to citizens who believe that the Constitution should be the rule of the land.

 

[Immanuel]

Dominionism: (or Reconstructionism)A particular school of evangelical political thought that holds Christians as having rightful “dominion” over the earth- including its political institutions. They wish to make America a “Christian” nation, ruled by Christians, and have stated boldly that the U.S. Constitution should be replaced by Christian sovereignty and Christian principles, including, by the way- the execution of gays.

The fountainhead of Dominionist theology is Rousas John Rushdoony, who held, among other notions, that the principles of Christianity and democracy are enemies.

Pat Robertson is, and Jerry Falwell was….self-avowed Christian Reconstructionists/Dominionists.

There are obviously variations on the degree to which Dominionists want to influence government. But the fundamental principles are:

1. We were founded as a Christan Nation.
2. Christianity is superior to other religions (not all seek convert all people though that varies as well.)
3. Our laws should be based on Biblical law.

This attempt to replace democratic ethics with religion is truly disturbing to citizens who believe that the Constitution should be the rule of the land.

I suspect that according to you, this makes them evil.

You do understand, of course, that most people that seek influence regardless of what their faith is want to control the government. This is probably the biggest problem we as a nation have today. Lobbyists work for people who desire to control this country regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation. Lobbyists don't care about those things. Money is all that matters to them.

Unfortunately, the only people you feel the need to condemn are Christians.

Immie

 

[Two Thumbs]

Dominionism: (or Reconstructionism)A particular school of evangelical political thought that holds Christians as having rightful “dominion” over the earth- including its political institutions. They wish to make America a “Christian” nation, ruled by Christians, and have stated boldly that the U.S. Constitution should be replaced by Christian sovereignty and Christian principles, including, by the way- the execution of gays.

The fountainhead of Dominionist theology is Rousas John Rushdoony, who held, among other notions, that the principles of Christianity and democracy are enemies.

Pat Robertson is, and Jerry Falwell was….self-avowed Christian Reconstructionists/Dominionists.

There are obviously variations on the degree to which Dominionists want to influence government. But the fundamental principles are:

1. We were founded as a Christan Nation.
2. Christianity is superior to other religions (not all seek convert all people though that varies as well.)
3. Our laws should be based on Biblical law.

This attempt to replace democratic ethics with religion is truly disturbing to citizens who believe that the Constitution should be the rule of the land.

Never heard of them.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Here's hoping you recover from your faux victimhood.