Courtesy of Gage Skidmore
Political rightwingers like Charlie Kirk and Tucker Carlson argue the U.S was built on Christian principles
In a climate of political turmoil and turbitude, in which extremist views once thought banished to the far reaches of the internet become mainstream, America faces her greatest challenge: the return of Christian nationalism, with a vengeance. More interesting than the affliction itself is the motivation behind Christian legal posturing, the idea that religion can be used to justify public policy decisions.
Where it was once common to acknowledge the reality that America is a nation founded by the tired refugees of religious persecution upon the pillar of separation between church and state, popular political activists like right-wing debater and YouTuber Charlie Kirk have repopularized a view repainting America as a Christian nation built by Christian founders on Christian principles.
The veracity of the argument is dubious at best and blatantly wrong at worst. Though some Founding Fathers may have been Christian at heart, they were all undeniably secularist in their political philosophy.
President and Founding Father John Adams wrote in a 1796 treaty with Tripoli in unequivocal terms that “the government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The treaty was ratified unanimously without debate by the Senate. If a law dared to use similar verbiage today, it would no doubt be voted down without hesitation.
President Thomas Jefferson, perhaps the most influential Founding Father and the author of the Declaration of Independence, cast “Christian philosophy” as “the most perverted system that ever shone upon man.” Benjamin Franklin famously remarked, “Lighthouses are more useful than churches.” President James Madison, one of the authors of the Federalist papers, often called the “Father of the Constitution,” argued in a 1785 address that 15 centuries of Christianity in Europe wrought naught but corruption, “superstition, bigotry, and persecution,” damning the “the legal establishment of Christianity.” Thomas Paine, whose pamphlet “Common Sense” kickstarted the American revolution, put it in no uncertain terms: “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Contrary to many current popular assertions, America was not built on the foundation of the Bible; instead, it was raised as a shrine to secularism, built within a wall separating church and state. The amount of irrefutable literature confirming the American secularist tradition begs an important question: Why are current Christian nationalists so hell bent on viewing America through a religious lens?
Portraying America as a Christian nation allows these nationalists to bypass the logic barrier in debate. Questions that ought to require legitimate debate become easily resolved with a simple answer: because the Bible says so. Why should abortion be banned universally? Because the Bible says so. Why should homosexuality be criminalized? Because the Bible says so. Why is evolution an incorrect theory? Because the Bible says so.
Regardless of political party preference, all Americans should see such answers as unsatisfactory.
A 2024 Pew Research poll found that nearly half of all adults believe that the Bible should have a “great deal” or “some influence” on lawmaking in America. Society has, for all of history, bestowed outsized import and significance to religion. Religion is the ultimate trump card; regardless of the question, society has been normalized to prioritize religious belief over others. What makes a religious belief different from any other? Why must logic halt at the doorstep of religion?
While all other opinions must withstand rigorous examination, opinions founded upon religion get a free pass. Even on a personal level, the ubiquitous spectre of religion allows it to be used as an illogical framework for moral beliefs, a crutch that prevents individual reasoning.
The issues with the seemingly infinite domain of religion are not exclusively Christian; instead, religion of all flavors seems to hold a magical sway that banishes rational discourse. That’s not to say all religious ideas are wrong. If ration and logic bring you to the same conclusion as religious faith, great! Thoughts and beliefs gain value not from their literal interpretation, but instead from how we arrive upon them. Instead of using religion to answer questions, we must refocus on critical thought. While religion and faith may have a place in addressing the potentially supernatural questions, like that of the origins of the universe, or the potentially spiritual questions, like that of the meaning of life, religion has no place in justifying day to day actions and beliefs.
Christian jingoism in the United States, Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Hindu nationalism in India are all merely symptoms of the greater, millenia long problem of lending too much credence to religion and using it as the basis for governing. As humanity continues to progress, religion’s sphere of influence must shrink, not grow. The forward and enlightened trajectory of the world lies in reason, not religion.
