Founding Fathers

Thanks to Streak's Blog for referencing the Baptist Joint Comittee's take on the "Founding Fathers" arguments used by many, in this case David Barton in his book, "America's Godly Heritage". One of the key points made by the BJC post is

"Thus, even if Barton’s point were true, it does not compel the conclusion that we should privilege Christianity in any legal or constitutional sense."

I like the way this is worded. Oftentimes I have found myself in a discussion where I discover that I'm defending my support of separation of church and state by refuting my counterpart's assertion that the Founding Fathers (FFs) were devout Christians. The BJC cuts to the chase. Why does a belief that the FFs were devout Christians have to be seen as an affirmation of government support of, or at the very least government preference of, Christianity? I believe that a "Christian" nation is one made up of Christians. A Christian politician will give evidence of their faith by acting according to Christian principles. To say that we are a Christian nation because the FFs were Christians or because we have "under God" in our pledge is to say that these external, superficial identifiers automatically give substance to our character. This is, in my opinion, all backwards. A truly Christian nation, if it ever could exist, would be evident from the Christ-like character and actions of its citizens, not the logos displayed on the currency or the attempt to trace back it's legacy. Christ was less concerned with who his followers had been and more concerned with who they were at the present.

Establishment of the religious nature of the FFs is an interesting exercise in history. However, the character of the nation is determined by who we are now. The best way to display Christian national character is for those who openly claim to be Christians to act like followers of Christ in the voting booth, the public office they hold, and in the policies they draft. My belief is that most are doing the opposite. They are displaying nationalistic, imperial character while couching it in Christian terminology for political appeal.