Here’s a video that captures some of the heart and passion that go into this question. “Are we a Christians nation?” Related to this- were we ever? Or, do we still want to be one?
That’s some intense debate and my views on this issue are constantly evolving. What I think this video does do for us is answer unequivocally that our forefathers and many great leaders in this country have absolutely relied on God, and not just a vague “god”, but God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for guidance. Not just in private, but they let people see their faith in public as well. They acknowledged that God guided them personally and in their work and that his values were bound up in what they saw as values our country should promote.
I don’t think we should let this be taken away from us. Leaders should be allowed to lead in a way that God guides them. In fact, I want leaders to be guided by God. And I want this country to promote values that God promotes. Why? Because I believe his values are the ones that he has written into the design and fabric of this world to make things work. If this is true, a person should be able to find these values, these freedoms, these virtues in the Scriptures, and also be able to argue for them from science, nature, sociology, history, etc, becuase these are all God’s realms as well.
This is important, because we need to think in terms nonChristian faiths as well. What are the implications for other countries. Do we want our Christian brothers and sisters to face oppression because the leaders of those countries say they should be able to promote Shariah law, the Hindu faith, or something else?
No, but here’s where we should be ok. One, leaders can be guided by their faith. NonChristian leaders can be guided by their faiths as well. It may not guide them in the right direction, but everyone has the freedom to adhere to their faith and speak about it publically as they like. Two, the only laws we make and promote in a country need to be ones which we can show to be grounded in science, sociology, history, nature, etc as well as Scripture. So that applies to others countries as well, and Shariah law or whatever else should not find such support. At the same time, what’s great to see is that there are certain principles which God has written into the fabric of creation which many faiths hold in common. Their faith will drive them to be allies in the effort to help people go back to creation and look at God’s design for lives.
Those are some of my thoughts right now on the topic. It’s intense, and like I said, my views continue to evolve as I study the theology and practice associated with it.
