--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America was founded on Christians not…" description: "\"America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach out to the godless than to someone from anot..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg" --- # America was founded on Christians not trusting each other… ![“America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach out to the godless than to someone from another sect.” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg) > “America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach out to the godless than to someone from another sect.” [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that early America was built on religious distrust, and paradoxically, people were more open to non‑believers than to other Christian sects. **In simple terms:** America’s founding involved religious distrust and unexpected openness to outsiders. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about historical religious tolerance. Themes religion trust historical perspective Mood critical analytical Type historical social When to use this quote - political discourse - community building Key Concepts social cohesion interfaith dialogue Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about modern religious tolerance? - How can we bridge sectarian divides today? A Different Perspective Historical claims are contested; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Founded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-founded-262934/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians/) [Christians Trusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christians-trusting-6085330/) [Founded Christians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founded-christians-5767413/) [Godless Sect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godless-sect-6085331/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Not trusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-trusting/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Reach out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-out/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) ## Related quotes > [The world before Christ was a world without hospitals, a world without charity, a world without respect for the sanctity of life. Hospitals were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/the-world-before-christ-was-a-world-without-hospitals-a-world-without/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [The Obama presidency, and liberalism in general, are based on not trusting the American people - a belief that big government is better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/the-obama-presidency-and-liberalism-in-general-are-based-on-not/) [Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/) > [“If there was any great lesson in life it was this: No battle was ever won with silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-there-was-any-great-lesson-in-life-it-was-this-no-battle-was-ever/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Don't trust people who don't laugh. I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/don-t-trust-people-who-don-t-laugh-i-don-t/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [ \[Riley\] slapped his hands to his face and then dropped them as if in surrender. 'I always say the wrong thing around you. Look,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/riley-slapped-his-hands-to-his-face-and-then-dropped-them-as-if-in/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [Christian's family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Striogi, trading thier magic and mortality to become immortal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/christian-s-family-lived-under-the-shadow-cast-by-his-parents-they/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I realised how paranoid and guarded and not trusting - walled-in - I had become. Not consciously so, but just this armour that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-realised-how-paranoid-and-guarded-and-not-trusting-walled-in-i-had/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [It took a pretty drastic moment to shift my thinking towards visual arts. I got to a moment in my writing career when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truong-tran/it-took-a-pretty-drastic-moment-to-shift-my-thinking-towards-visual/) [Truong Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truong-tran/) > [I have been skeptical and not trusting of traditional models of the entertainment industry. I never got a manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-heidecker/i-have-been-skeptical-and-not-trusting-of-traditional-models-of-the/) [Tim Heidecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-heidecker/) > [Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/whoever-is-careless-with-the-truth-in-small-matters-cannot-be-trusted/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God's sovereignty in your life. When you believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-broger/anger-and-bitterness-are-two-noticeable-signs-of-being-focused-on/) [John C. Broger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-broger/) > [The biggest problem I see among people who want to excel in chess – and in business and in life in general – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/the-biggest-problem-i-see-among-people-who-want-to-excel-in-chess-and/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [How many people do you know believe they're going to heaven because, they're not trusting so much in Christ as they are the sincerity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/how-many-people-do-you-know-believe-they-re-going-to-heaven-because/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [Only if you believed me and started to trust me..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/only-if-you-believed-me-and-started-to-trust-me/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [The idea of the peace movement and of people who spent their entire lives trying to have a more egalitarian, just society, suddenly became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amram/the-idea-of-the-peace-movement-and-of-people-who-spent-their-entire/) [David Amram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amram/) ## More by Penn Jillette > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) [Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach out to the godless than to someone from another sect.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Penn Jillette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/america-was-founded-on-christians-not-trusting-each-other-and-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/america-was-founded-on-christians-not-trusting-each-other-and-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/penn-jillette-1046_america_america-was-founded-on-christians-not-tr_3226446.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach…” — Penn Jillette", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Penn Jillette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America was founded on Christians not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/america-was-founded-on-christians-not-trusting-each-other-and-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/america-was-founded-on-christians-not-trusting-each-other-and-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```