Influence of Christianity on the Early American Republic

Many of our contemporary freedoms originated during the mid-Eighteenth century in a period of enlightenment and religious initiative where a focus was moved from the good of the state to the good of the individual. The idea that each citizen of the United States owns certain God-given rights was sparked by virtues synonymous with the Christian faith and can only blossom as well as it did in a democracy.[1] Christianity can be seen in the drafting of American documents from the Declaration of Independence to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In a more conservative day, the rules of society and a manner of behavior was measured only with those of Christians. Christianity, no matter what denomination, was the most dominant factor affecting the culture and policies of the early United States.

Many of the ideas during the Enlightenment originated in Europe and had a sort of Machiavellian attitude accompanying them. The typical philosophy during the Middle Ages focused around the idea that the good of the state was above the good of the individual. This changed during the formation of a new democracy overseas; a new nation called the United States of America. This form of government allowed the free exchange of ideas giving every citizen a list of freedoms and a Representative to argue on their behalf. The proof comes from reading the Declaration of Independence where Thomas Jefferson refers to a higher being many times citing that each human is given certain rights that are not to be infringed upon.

These principle ideas evolved during the early American republic and acted as a template that today’s policies were formed upon. At the time of this change, there were century old institutions that were difficult to challenge, let alone overturn; the most ancient and controversial was the institution of slavery. For thousands of years, humans have owned other humans and it was seen as normal. With a new Christian movement and free thinking, it would take some time, but eventually free Americans would not see African Americans as slaves, but as fellow Christians with the same rights they enjoy. During present times, it is easy to view ninety years as a long time, but historically, that length of time is the equivalent to the blink of an eye; for a millennia old practice to essentially disappear from most societies is remarkable.

There was a revolutionary moment when Jefferson stated that a division between church and state is necessary to uphold the individual freedoms and prevent religious persecution, nevertheless we can see many Christian traditions throughout mainstream American culture. An example would be a large focus on Christmas during the Holiday season and one can even take notice that Americans are more likely to perform charitable acts than most other times throughout the year. With a rise in secular progressive feelings accompanied with a wave of liberalism American society is finding itself slowly moving away from traditional Christian values and putting a focus on the minority of citizens who don’t share Christian values for whatever reason.[2]

This new way of thinking continues even though rituals or traditions within our own form of government have roots in the early American Christian foundation. The act of having a newly confirmed government official take their oath of office with their hand placed on the Bible is still present to this day and is currently becoming under fire by those who don’t share the Christian beliefs that many of our forefathers did. Up until now, the majority of government officials were Christian and no contradiction was given to the practice of swearing an oath on the Bible.

It wasn’t until recently when United States Congressman Keith Ellison, who was a practicing Muslim, swore his oath of office on the Quran.[3] This has had mixed reaction because many argue that the Bible isn’t representative of any particular religion, but rather a tradition started centuries ago and should be carried on. On the other hand, many Americans have said that if one doesn’t believe in the book they rest their hand on, how can they be trusted to carry on their duties in an honorable way? This initiates a new way of thinking. It forces the public to reconsider what is more important; having a belief in God, or having a belief in general.

Even though American culture has gone through several changes, our nation exhibits many Christian virtues and beliefs in mainstream society and many secular practices and traditions can be traced back to early Christian ideas instituted by Puritans and other devout Christian pioneers. America today is a very religiously tolerant place compared to many other societies around the world due to the open-minded attitude of the Founding Fathers when looking at the eclectic blend of Christians that occupied the original thirteen colonies. This allowed the various brands of Christians to share the same general belief, but to practice it in their own way, all the time maintaining that common bond as fellow Christians.

[1] Henretta, James and Brody, David and Dumenil, Lynn, America: A Concise History (Bedford/St. Martins 2006), 277.
[2] O’Reilly, Bill. Culture Warrior (Broadway Books, New York, 2006), 89
[3] Frommer, Frederich, Associated Press, Ellison Uses Thomas Jefferson’s Quran http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jan08/0,4670,EllisonQuran,00.html