The United States of America is 250 years old.

Today.

I love this country. A country that historically has been admired and envied around the world. A country that immigrants viewed as their land of opportunity- including my grandparents. A country with the best education, inventions, healthcare, and creative energy that has improved and continues to improve the lives of past, present, and future generations. A country with breathtaking natural beauty. The Stars and Stripes are displayed off my front porch. Members of my family have proudly served and are serving in the military. There is no other country where I would rather live.

This grand experiment has survived wars, divides, insurrections, scandals, attacks, assassinations (and several attempts) of its leaders, and more than one crisis. 

The United States was built on the experiences, confidence, and the hopes of the Founders of this Great Republic. History and tradition have taught, reminded, and have assumed that the framers of the nation, who declared independence on this date in 1776, were Christians. Hence, we have come to accept that the United States is a Christian nation.

Not exactly. 

The Founding Fathers had a hodge-podge of religious perspectives. Yes, there were some orthodox Christians in the bunch, but men like George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin were theistic rationalists. That is, they believed in divine providence and applied Christian morality in their lives. But they rejected core Christian beliefs – like the Trinity, or the literal resurrection. Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine were deists, favoring science and human reason. Jefferson even wrote his own version of the New Testament, leaving out references to miracles and the supernatural. 

So we need to go back to the source – actually, the sources. Let’s start with the Constitution. 

These men understood that the state could not and should not dictate how one should worship. After all, the Colonies declared their independence from a country with a national religion – the Church of England, which today is the mother church of the Anglican Communion. They wanted these United States to be free, including in worship. And that means not having an identifying religion. The Constitution says so, in the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

Note there are two distinct clauses in this first part of the First Amendment: the Establishment Clause prevents the government from establishing or favoring a religion, and the Free Exercise Clause protects our right to practice the faith of our choice. The First Amendment also ensures the freedom of speech, the press (or any other media), peaceful assembly, and to hold the government accountable without punishment.

This was reinforced by Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli – ratified by Congress in 1797 - which explicitly states that the United States has no religious foundation. It was included to reassure the Muslim rulers of Tripoli – now known as Libya - that America was a secular state and would not wage a religious "Holy War" against them.

Through the influence of the colonial settlers, the National Reform Association during the Civil War (which unsuccessfully lobbied to add an "explicitly Christian" amendment to the Constitution), to the anti-Communist movement in the 1960s, to the push for Christian nationalism, the confusion surrounding Christianity of America remains.

So, are we a Christian nation? Or a nation of Christians?

We have been blessed with the freedom of choice. We can choose to follow any religious conviction that fits our desire. It’s a true measure of the greatness of our country and the blessing of God. That’s because following Jesus is ultimately a choice, made by individuals, without the influence or coercion of the government. And that is confirmed by another source – the Word of God.

Jesus himself noted the choice we all have to make. After revealing his divinity to the disciples:

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23).

This in the first century, when the influence of the Jewish leadership and the Roman government pronounced and oppressive. This overbearing effort to follow the man-made rules of both authorities drove people to seek a savior – but not what Jesus was offering. Hours before his crucifixion, he had a conversation with Pilate:

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place" (John 18:36).

In a sense, identifying with a state religion is a very low standard.

Being forced to follow a belief, or being part of a movement or cause by defult does little to promote commitment, allegiance, and a willingness to promote that belief. The same right we have to be free to worship is the same freedom God gives us to choose to repent, believe, and surrender one’s life rather than being forced into faith.

It is not a corporate or community decision to become a Christian. And no government can declare that you have given your life to Christ. If it was, that decision would not be based on your free will – countering the intent of the Founding Fathers.

It is not institutions that affect change - it is changed individuals living within those institutions. It is only through those transformed, Spirit-led individuals where governments and other establishments can move closer to a worldview that tracks with God's Word.

With the same freedom to choose comes the freedom to share the Good News of Jesus. We in the United States have God’s blessing and the constitutional right to share our faith with anyone and everyone. Even the apostle Paul encouraged speaking up and speaking out:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14). 

God has given us the opportunity to bring the Good News of salvation through Jesus to a nation that needs to hear it.  From that point, they can chose. If they accept the grace of God through the sacrifice of his son, they will experience true freedom from the bondage of sin. Then they can chose to share. 

Jesus himself said it:

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

Freedom in Christ means today is truly your Independence Day.

Encouragement for you: The United States is a nation of individuals who identify as Americans. But those who are true followers of Christ identify first with him. One can’t be a Christian simply because one is an American. And one cannot be an American and assume Christian faith. It is an individual choice, ordained by God. And God alone.

Dive Deeper: Isaiah 9:6-7, 61:1; Daniel 7:14; Galatians 5:1; Colossians 1:12-14; Hebrews 11:6