“Colonial America was not settled out of a search for religious liberty, but it stumbled onto that principle just in time.” — Steven K. Green Colonial Copy Share Image
“As George Marsden reminds us, “at the time of the American Revolution there was no distinctly ‘Christian’ line of political thought as… — Steven K. Green American revolution Copy Share Image
“As noted, late in their deliberations the drafters of the Constitution included a clause prohibiting religious tests or prerequisites for holding any… — Steven K. Green Freedom Copy Share Image
“Religious imagery and symbolism were the common idioms that all speakers employed when making rhetorical points. Rather than indicating a level of… — Steven K. Green Bible Copy Share Image
“The “large majority of ministers who published sermons during the Revolutionary era justified the war effort by a rationale that was more… — Steven K. Green Copy Share Image
“while one can debate whether a particular Founder was religiously devout, there is little question that many regularly attended Christian worship and… — Steven K. Green Christian worship Copy Share Image
“Whether it was celebrated or lamented, the Constitution was universally seen as a secular document establishing a civil frame of government. In… — Steven K. Green Christian nation Copy Share Image
“The myth of America’s religious founding thus provided an explanation for those who needed to sanctify the past before they could go… — Steven K. Green Manifest destiny Copy Share Image
“The haphazard unfolding of religious toleration described above occurred chiefly by default (and in New York, to enhance a commercial environment), not… — Steven K. Green Religion Copy Share Image
“With religious nonconformists outnumbering Anglicans after 1700, and economic motives eclipsing any sense of a religious mission, the colony adopted a moderate… — Steven K. Green Copy Share Image
“At the risk of oversimplification, the unifying theme of the Hebrew scripture is one of forging a national identity connected to God… — Steven K. Green Bible Copy Share Image
“In both instances of Franklin and Jefferson, revisionist writers have emphasized those aspects of their beliefs that are consistent with Christian faith,… — Steven K. Green Christian faith Copy Share Image
“With its emphasis on stability and Christian unity, colonial Virginia was not a receptive place for religious dissenters. Catholic clergy were banned,… — Steven K. Green Christian unity Copy Share Image
“Cotton’s code was never enacted, but in 1641 the General Court adopted the Body of Liberties, written by lawyer and pastor Nathaniel… — Steven K. Green Bible Copy Share Image
“Because Americans lack a common ethnicity or extensive heritage, our founding myth is more important than it is for most other peoples.… — Steven K. Green American exceptionalism Copy Share Image
“Jefferson then distilled and enunciated these “essentials” in several personal works he shared with friends, his “Syllabus,” and two extracts from the… — Steven K. Green Bible Copy Share Image
“Yet, more is at stake in this debate beyond simply acknowledging the religious inclinations of those people involved in the nation’s founding.… — Steven K. Green Bill of rights Copy Share Image
“All in all, Christian nation proponents commit several errors in their claims about the religious beliefs of the Founders. Their claims isolate… — Steven K. Green Christian nation Copy Share Image
