Some are quite emphatic that we are/were a Christian Nation and should act accordingly. Others disagree. Does the Bible answer this question?
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I quote...
“Is the United States a Christian nation? Not in its philosophy, or in what it loves, or in what it does. Despite its Christian roots and heritage, the United States today is a nation that follows the god of self, and that is not the heart of Christianity.”
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-nation.html
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My response...
Let’s examine the above statement as we are “Living in These Last Days”
When examining both sides of this issue whether or not the USA is a “Christian nation” it depends on how in context the term is being defined and used. When we read the definition of “nation” which is: “A people connected by supposed ties of blood generally manifested by community of language, religion, customs, etc. The body of inhabitants of a country united under a single independent government; a state (Webster Dictionary), we can reasonably say that the USA has been and is a “nation of Christians”. Meaning a nation where Christians are inhabitants. But unlike England at the time of our nation’s founding, we do not have an official state church.
Certainly our founding father’s prayed and hoped that the nation would be blessed by God, be founded on biblical principles, and become by majority faithful Christian citizens who would live according to the Lord’s Word apart from government or state control or intervention. That is, Christ’s local churches would be prominent throughout every community and be respected and protected by the Constitution and laws of the land insuring freedom to practice their faith without prejudice or persecution. The same prejudice and persecution profound in Europe and from where the Protestants fled to the New World for religious freedom. So yes, the Protestants/Christians who were elected representatives and leaders of the new world nation made sure that the Constitution of the USA legally protected God’s people so that they may freely worship without the President ever having the power to claim kingship, or the Roman Catholic Church ever being acclaimed by the government to have authority and headship over Christ’s church.
Over time as two centuries and decades have past the US government and politicians have upheld and defended the Constitution on behalf of Christians religious freedom, but also over time the church has failed to maintain its status, stronghold, and dominance in society for lack of unity and bluntly, sin. Christian’s have drifted and have been led astray from Christ preferring to be lovers of pleasure and wooed by what the “world” has to offer politically, socially, and economically. The break down in faith has led to a breakdown of our Christian culture. So when Christian leaders say that we must reclaim America it is directed toward the local church standing upright and making their voices heard and votes counted as well as praying that the nation will be awakened by a revival through the power of the Holy Spirit. That only through actively participating in political and governmental affairs and voting like mindedly would/will Christians ever be able to reestablish the “God and country” relationship as it was intended to be during the days of our founding father’s. Thus the political system is not necessarily the root of the problem, it is Christians who as a body are failing to represent and defend the reputation of Christ and to be counted in unity as a nation of Christians.
During these last days as we eagerly wait for Christ’s return Scripture is being fulfilled according to God’s will and perfect timing. The signs of the close of the age (the end of human history), is at hand as described in Matthew 24 and 25, and the Book of Revelation. Satan, who God allows to be the ruler over every nation, will continue to stir up mass confusion, chaos, corruption, and sin, and nation will continue to rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The Lord appears to be implying that no nation on earth has been appointed or favored to be His Christian nation exclusively. And that life on earth will continue to degenerate until He returns to save His people whom He has a personal relationship, destroy all evil things, and restore the heaven and earth for His holy eternal kingdom.
Until the Day of His coming we as Christians are to be focused on Him and His kingdom proclaiming His Gospel through out the whole world seeking the lost and helping to set the “captives free” so that they may be saved. Christians are called to be witnesses for Christ in every sector of society thus His local churches must not be disobedient, lukewarm nor complacent (Revelation CH 1-3). Christians are also to be focused on the promise that we are only but visitors here on earth “soon” to be Raptured leaving Satan’s nations to perish.
So yes, Christians are to be actively involved in their community, politically, socially/culturally, and economically but without compromising their faith and Christian lifestyle that God has commanded them to live. In this context it is biblical to say, here and now, that we are a nation of Christians, but not a Christian nation.
Additional information…
http://www.gotquestions.org/separation-church-state.html
What if America Were a Christian Nation Again? By D. James Kennedy
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1011693&item_no=6972X
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Dear reader what do you think? Comments encouraged and appreciated.
1 comment:
Good article, bro Dan.
I was somewhat dismayed when President Obama made the statement we were no longer a Christian nation, almost gleefully, in fact. I truly believe that freedom to practice ones own religion, only works when it means the Christian religion. Sound funny? I know.
What I mean by that is, when this country of ours is infiltrated by religions other than the one true faith of Jesus Christ, we put our Christian liberties at risk. The Muslim extremists want Christians wiped off the map. Not only that but it opens the doors for those of other faiths to take public office and have a profound effect on our laws that guide this great country.
The more anti-Christ we allow this country to become, the more we will pay in the loss of our freedoms to speak freely concerning Jesus, we see this happening right here and now..
We have already seen the degeneration in our public school systems after having prayer eliminated. Next was the stripping of public buildings of all religious sayings (such as the Ten Commandments). Then the saying In God We Trust relegated to the rim of our coins.
Not to mention it is not politically correct to say Merry Christmas anymore. At one time Target was targeted for not allowing the Christian organization, The Salvation Army, to take donations on their property, but the protests come more and more infrequently. And I believe all courts of law now have the Bible used by the Muslims to swear upon. Here in Michigan there was a protest against many of the local Muslim Mosques for playing their chants over loud speakers, all day long, way too loudly, but it was never stopped. The voices of protest have slowly succumbed to the secular majority, whom, like you say, are self-serving. It is truly sad what this country has become.
Qudafi is quoted as saying that America does not need to be overtaken by bombs, because the Muslim population is propagating so fast, it will only be a matter of time before this country becomes a nation of almost all Muslims. They have 8.1 children compared to our (I believe it is 1.2), and we know a population cannot sustain itself with these kinds of numbers.
I was/am working on an article concerning the Manhattan Declaration, and I did some research on the founding Fathers and how many of them died or suffered some sort of hardship, just as a direct result of signing the Declaration of Independence. It was quite a surprise. We, at one time, had 27 members out of fifty some men who signed this great document, who had seminary degrees. So it is a false teaching, when some purveyors of extreme error say that God-fearing men did NOT found our great nation. Even all the sessions in congress back then opened with prayer, even mentioning Jesus’ name specifically. Some prayers they even claimed lasted for hours, believe it or not. I was stunned when I read that one! They always sought God’s guidance in civil as well as personal matters.
God is clear to tell us that. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance (Psa 33:12).”
Good topic, and an excellent article, my comments were OFF THE CUFF, nothing formal..
Btw, James Kennedy was my Aunt Alice’s pastor in Florida. If this is the same James Kennedy?
God bless,
YSIC,
Mary
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