Predominance Of Christianity In The Us Essay, Research Paper

Predominance of Christianity in the United States

It is not without merit to assert that the United States was founded on the corner stones of Christianity. The Puritans were relentlessly merging religion with life in an effort to transform the New World into the city on a hill. After the Constitution was adopted, however, Christianity was no longer a prerequisite for positions in the political scene. As a result of the doctrine holding to the separation of church and state, the beliefs of those who comprise the leadership of the United States has no bearing on the beliefs of the populace. The United States may be recognized as a Christian country due to the fact that America s populace is predominantly Christian, a fact that can not be negated by the beliefs of even a powerful few.

Embedded in the roots of this country is the tenet that the function of government is to secure and protect the rights of its citizenry. In accordance to the United States Constitution, the duty of the President of the United States is to enforce laws and adhere to the outlined principles of government. In a manner of speaking, the president is not a person but a figurehead, and the individuality of the president-elect disintegrates as his hand becomes one with the bible on Inauguration Day.

The first seven presidents were elected to mold this young nation into a democratic work of art. If our initial leaders prioritized religion over policy in this country s infancy, there would have been disastrous implications. Democracy would have fallen to an ideology, which is as threatening as Marxism. Although they did not know at the time, our first several presidents were setting the precedent for the others to follow. They were not chosen to promote Christianity or any other system of belief, they were chosen to promote democracy. It is through the history of America, not the history of United States of America, that we came to be a predominantly Christian country. Because the office of the presidency evolved with the history of the United States, which occurred after the stage was set for Christianity in America, the beliefs of those occupying the presidency does not negate several decades of religious resolution.