America’s Religious History
Govt 329 – B01 LUO
Sharon Pettaway
AMERICA
Religion has always played a part in the history of the United States. This nation
was formed on part, because the Europeans wanted to gain religious freedom from the
Church of England. In an article written for beliefnet.com, Bethany Blankley states that
“since its founding in the early colonial days, when settlers came in search of religious
freedom, America has been profoundly influenced by religion” (Blankley, n.d.).
“Religious belief among Americans today is as vigorous, dynamic and widespread as it
ever has been. Immigration constantly brings new and different religious traditions and
practices to the United States” (bc.edu, n.d.). Although religion in America is diverse, the
United States’ current religious/political landscape is predominately Christian.
According to research findings from Pew Research in 2008, the biggest religious
tradition here in the United States is Christian: this includes, non-denominational,
Catholic, Protestant, Evangelicals, and other groups that would fall into the group
“Christian”. An even more recent study by Pew shows that “more than nine-in-ten
members of the newly elected 114th Congress are Christian – a significantly higher share
than is seen in the general population” (Pew Research Center, 2015). If one were to take
a look at all the elected presidents, we would find that they were all Christians. Not all
were affiliated with a church, but they have all been Christian. As Blankley pointed out,
“while the majority of Americans claim to be Christian, the faith of the presidency has
disproportionately reflected Americans’ religious identity. There has never been a
Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or member of another faith who has been elected President or
Vice President” (Blankley, n.d.).
The Founding Fathers were very religious men. They were men of faith and
founded this nation in part so that they could have religious freedoms. It cannot go
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unnoticed, that there were some religious influences when they took on their initial
approach to government. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed and it
was essentially “a unifying body of beliefs to which the Founding Fathers and their
countrymen subscribed” (Gingrich, 2011). “Judeo-Christian values in America have a
basis in the Declaration of Independence: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’” (Cherry, 2007).
Based on this document alone, it can be seen that they did acknowledge God as creator
and that there was a relationship between religion and government: Church and State.
Although “God was to be acknowledged as the creator of humankind and the source of
“inalienable” rights”, “government is properly understood as a human, not divine,
institution whose authority and power is derived from citizens themselves, not from God”
(bc.edu, n.d.).
There were other influences on the Founding Fathers when it came to their
approach to government. They were also influenced by the ideas of democracy, equality,
and freedom for all men. This is part of the reason they understood the need for a
separation of church and state. This is demonstrated in the United States Constitution.
Because government is indeed human and not divine, there is a need for this separation.
Looking just at the Constitutions’ Bill of Rights First Amendment clauses of
Establishment and Free Exercise, it states that the government “shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” “Of the
ten constitutional amendments…the first was the most novel” and the religion clauses
“provided the legal framework for religious freedom in this country by establishing a
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state religion, and by protecting the right of the citizens to adhere to any religion they
chose. In doing so, the aptly named First Amendment represented a revolution in the
relationship between religion and government” (bc.edu, n.d.).
These influences have contributed to American Exceptionalism. American
Exceptionalism is the uniqueness of America and that sets our nation apart from all
others. There are those that question why there is no national religion if indeed most of
America is Christian. Well that is simple, because we are a nation founded upon the
importance of each individual’s liberties. This nation “is exceptional in that it is the only
country founded upon a philosophical idea: the idea that government exists for and must
be limited to protecting the individual liberties of man” (intellectualtakeout.org, n.d.).
Without the influences of religion, democracy, equality, and freedom, the United States
would not be much different from other nations. “Never before had a nation recognized
sovereignty in the citizen rather than the government” (Gingrich, 2011).
I don’t believe that one can truly look at America and not see that it is indeed
exceptional. We are a nation of many diverse ethnicities and we open our doors to all that
want to come and become citizens; following the core principles set forth in our
Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Although as a nation we have gone
through many growing pains, it is a nation like no other. Although the majority of
citizens within our borders are Christian, everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural
background, religious beliefs, etc. are equal.
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References
Blankley, B. (n.d.). The American Religious and Political Landscape. Retrieved
February 3, 2015, from http://www.beliefnet.com/News/ElectionCenter/Gallery/The-
American-Religious-and-Political-Landscape.aspx
U.S.Religious Landscape Survey Religious Affiliation: Diverse and Dynamic.
(2008, February). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf
Faith on the Hill. (2015, January 5). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/01/05/faith-on-the-hill/2/
Hall, M. (2011, June 7). Did America Have a Christian Founding? Retrieved
February 5, 2015, from http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/2011/06/did-america-
have-a-christian-founding
Separation of Church and State. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/centers/boisi/pdf/bc_papers/BCP-ChurchState.pdf
Cherry, R. (2007, October 6). Articles: Judeo-Christian Values. Retrieved
February 4, 2015, from
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2007/10/judeochristian_values.html
Gingrich, N., & Haley, V. (2011). A nation like no other: Why American
exceptionalism matters. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Pub. ;.
America's Exceptional Founding. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/sociology-and-culture/americas-exceptional-
founding
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