Hello Christians:

We have a nice argument going on about Obamas pastor. Most people think he's a separatist. I dunno that he's not.....

But my questions are about YOU. Does YOUR church teach that America is a Christian nation? Certainly, my experience on these boards tell me that it’s not an unpopular belief among Christians. Do you believe it? If you don't, and you hear it in church, do you say anything about it? Do you stay in that church? If your church doesn't teach that, do you know of other churches that do? What do you do about that?

Do you think that the belief that America is a Christian nation is a belief that divides us, or brings us together? Do you care?

excon

michealb

Right the bible has an entire section on how to treat your slaves, which means slavery is permitted and is part of the religious values of those people. If it wasn't a moral value of Christians to have slaves the book would say don't buy slaves or you will go to hell. A book written by an all powerful being wouldn't have to make allowances for how life was, it would be right from the start. So either the bible isn't the work of god or your god says it's okay to have slaves, which since you get your morals from god that means you think it's okay to have slaves. Those are your only two options. So if your going to claim that the country was founded on Christian values you have to claim the bad as well as the good.

Dark_crow

“You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men.”—1 Cor. 7:23.

In a speech to the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church in 1842, Alexander McCaine stated that the institution of slavery was “ordained by God Himself.” Was McCaine correct? Did God approve of the kidnapping and raping of girls, the heartless separating of families, and the cruel beatings that were part and parcel of the slave trade of McCaine’s day? And what of the millions who are forced to live and work as slaves under brutal conditions today? Does God condone such inhumane treatment?

On the contrary, “God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Furthermore, Jehovah told his people: “I shall certainly bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from their slavery.”—Exodus 1:14; 2:23, 24; 6:6-8.

Clearly, the Bible does not condone the ill-treatment of others in any form. On the contrary, it encourages respect and equality among men. (Acts 10:34, 35) It exhorts humans to treat others the way that they would like to be treated. (Luke 6:31) Moreover, the Bible encourages Christians humbly to view others as superior, regardless of their social standing. (Philippians 2:3) These principles are totally incongruous with abusive forms of slavery practiced by many nations, especially in recent centuries.

The Bible gives no indication that the enslavement of humans by other humans was part of God’s original purpose for mankind. Furthermore, no Bible prophecies allude to humans owning fellow humans through slavery in God’s new world. Rather, in that coming Paradise, righteous ones “will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”—Micah 4:4.

michealb

If you believe that the bible is the word of god then yes he was correct.

Dark_crow

To the contrary, your argument is that God allowed slavery therefore he approved…that is not different than the argument that God allows sin therefore he must approve.

michealb

The bible condems sin, it doesn't condem slavery just the extreme mistreatment of slaves and has a handy little rule book on how to treat your slaves. Sounds to me like its saying it's okay to own just don't mistreat them. Which would make slavery a religious value.

Dark_crow

Clearly, the Bible does not condone the ill-treatment of others in any form. On the contrary, it encourages respect and equality among men. (Acts 10:34, 35) It exhorts humans to treat others the way that they would like to be treated. (Luke 6:31) Moreover, the Bible encourages Christians humbly to view others as superior, regardless of their social standing. (Philippians 2:3)

The Bible states that “man has dominated man to his injury.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9) This is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the oppressive forms of slavery that have been devised by man, not God.

Some Jews voluntarily became slaves to their fellow Jews in order to repay debts. This practice protected people from starvation and actually allowed many to recover from poverty. Furthermore, at key junctures in the Jewish calendar, slaves were to be released if they so desired. (Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:10; Deuteronomy 15:12) Commenting on these laws regarding slaves, Jewish scholar Moses Mielziner stated that a “slave could never cease to be a man, he was looked upon as a person possessing certain natural human rights, with which the master even could not with impunity interfere.” What a stark contrast to the abusive systems of slavery that mar the annals of history!

De Maria

You must be ready to debate then?

Did anyone say they were solely Christian principles? No. But they are Christian principles.

Did anyone say they were not Judeo-Christian principles? But did any Jews sign the Declaration of Independence or assist in the revolutionary war against the English?

In my opinion, this is a Christian nation because it was established by Christian people based on Christian principles. So, no, it is not a Jewish nation, although Jewish Law is embedded in Christian principles.

If that was your point, don't you think you should have made it before? Because it sounded to me as though you wanted to prove that they weren't Christian principles at all.

And...

Whether you think Christians are chauvinistic or not is besides the point.

And ...

Whether these principles are shared by other groups is also besides the point. Because Christian people did not go out of their way to establish a nation upon the principles of a people foreign to them.

Caught in your own trap?

Sincerely,

De Maria

ScottGem

Not in the least. None of what you said comes close to challenging the point. People still refer to Christian principles not Judeo-Christian prinicples. The omission tells the story.

No, there were no Jews in the Continental Congress because your "all men are created equal" Christian founding fathers didn't think they were equal enough. But yes Jews did assist in the Revolution:
How the Jews Saved the American Revolution
Crash Course in Jewish History Part 55 - Jews and the Founding of America
The American Revolution: Haym Salomon

tomder55

for a matter of historical accuracy the Answer is yes ;there were American colonial Jews who fought in the Revolution. Here is a little known fact ;the 1st person in Philadelphia to sign the non-importation agreement in reaction to the Stamp Act was a man named Mathais Bush;a Jew .He was President of the Mikve Israel Congregation .

The Jewish population of the colonies was split as were the rest of the colonies over support for the war .But the Jewish population was largely supportive. In one of the first major battles ;Bunker Hill ,Aaron Solomon stood in the front ranks . Francis Salvador of South Carolina was the first Jew killed in the war. Many more Jews fought and sacrificed for American independence.

It is noteworthy to consider that a major arms supply network was established on Dutch St. Eustatius island by Jewish arms traders. A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney was sent to destroy the supply base at about the same time that Lord Cornwallis began his retreat to Yorktown. Had the fleet not been otherwise occupied it is possible that Cornwallis could've been resupplied . As it turned out a weakened British fleet trying to resupply Cornwallis was defeated by French Admiral Degrasse. The battel of Yorktown was lost and Cornwallis surrendered .
So yes ,Jews did have a small but major contribution to American Independence.

Also of note ; at least 5000 African Americans fought for the colonials.

N0help4u

I always hear the 'America is a Christian nation' and I have been saying for a long time that
I do not believe it is because many so called Christians are in name only.
Like many people say they are Christian because their grandmother always told them they were Christian. Many are professing Christians and have no idea what being a Christian really means.