Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation.

The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here.

Is America a Christian Nation?
Evangelist Robert L. Sumner

IS AMERICA A

CHRISTIAN NATION?

By the Editor

In this brief article I am looking at how the nation was founded, what our founders’ intent was, and what its laws show it to be. Admittedly, we have been acting like a pagan nation for years, but that is the exact opposite of our roots. All emphasis in the article is mine, not in the originals.

While I want to see what our Commanders-in-Chief have said about this, let’s look first at the foundation of our country, as stated in our Declaration of Independence, passed unanimously by all thirteen states/colonies:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

While that sounds pretty clear, now let us quote some of our presidents in the last century and a half or so – our founders’ and early leaders’ statements affirming the fact are a dime a dozen and located in almost every speech they made – so we are skipping them. Consider (and some of these presidents were not exactly godly or religious men, either, making their admissions even more notable). We’ll start with Honest Abe:

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865): During the dark days of the Civil War, he called for a national time of fasting: “If behooves us that we humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”  And again, “Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on that God Who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty [i.e., the Civil War].” And still again, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.” And, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.”

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869): Until he was married he could neither read nor write, but his wife taught him both, along with other necessary subjects like math. “Duties have been mine; consequences are God's.” Again, “Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the cross, and there let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: ‘Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,’ and exclaim, Christ first, our country next!” And still again, “As for my religion, it is the doctrine of the Bible, as taught and practised by Jesus Christ."

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877): “The Bible is the sheet-anchor of our liberties; write its principles upon your heart and practice them in your lives. To the influence of the Bible we are indebted for the progress made in civilization, and to this we must look at our guide in the future. ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.’”

Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881): “I am a firm believer in the Divine teachings, perfect example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I believe also in the Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God to the world for its enlightenment and salvation.” Again, “Now, the best religion the world has ever had is the religion of Christ. A man or a community adopting it is virtuous, prosperous, and happy ... What a great mistake the man makes who goes about to oppose this religion! What a crime, if we may judge of men's acts by their results! Nay, what a great mistake is made by him who does not support the religion of the Bible!”

James A. Garfield (1881): When President, he walked to church so his servants might rest and worship on the Lord’s Day; he declared, “The world’s history is a Divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have been mingled the discords of warring cannon and dying men, yet to the Christian … there has been a Divine melody running through the song which speaks of hope and halcyon days to come.”

Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885): He earned, by running an honest government, the nickname, “Gentleman Boss.” His most famous quote was a prayer, “Heaven save us. May God keep you safely through it all.”

Grover Cleveland (1885-89; 1893-97): The man, who as a boy daily returned to his neighbors an egg their hen would lay on the Cleveland side of the fence, declared, “Let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledge the power and goodness of Almighty God who presides over the destiny of nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country’s history, let us invoke His aid and His blessings upon our labors.”

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): This man, whose great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence, said,  “It is a great comfort to trust God – even if His providence is unfavorable. Prayer steadies one, when he is wading in slippery places – even if things asked for are not given.” And again, “I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow-citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness; and to that good Being who has blessed us by the gifts of civil and religious freedom, who watched over and prospered the labors of our fathers and has hitherto preserved to us institutions far exceeding in excellence those of any other people, let us unite in fervently commending every interest of our beloved country in all future time.”

William McKinley (1897-1901): He, at his inauguration, placed his lips on the words in the Bible, “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, that is so great,” and who, at the opening of the State Centennial of Tennessee, refused a trip up Lookout Mountain, saying, “No, I do not go sightseeing on Sunday.” He declared, “Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our fathers … who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909): “No candid observer will deny that whatever of good there may be in our American civilization is the product of Christianity.” And again, “The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed.” And still again: “If a man is not familiar with the Bible, he has suffered a loss which he had better make all possible haste to correct.” And again, “Thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”

William H. Taft (1909-1913): “If you take out of your statutes, your constitution, your family life all that is taken from the Sacred Book, what would there be left to bind society together?” And again, “I invoke the considerate sympathy and support of my fellow-citizens and the aid of the Almighty God and the discharge of my responsible duties.”

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921): “America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.” And again: “The Bible is the revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only Guide of life which leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.” And still again, “The Bible is the Word of life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourselves. Read, not little snatches here and there, but long passages that will be the road to the heart of it.” And once again, “A man has deprived himself of the best there is in the world who has deprived himself of the Bible.”

Warren G. Harding (1921-1923): “I have always believed in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures whereby they have become the expression to man of the Word and will of God. No book of any kind ever written has ever so affected the whole life of a people.” Again, “What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929): “The legions which [America] sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross.” And again, “It is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Doubters do not achieve. Skeptics do not contribute. Cynics do not create. Faith is the great motive power and no man realizes his full possibilities unless he has the deep conviction that life is eternally important and that his work, well done, is a part of an unending plan.” And still again, “[America] cherishes no other purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.”

Herbert C. Hoover (1929-1933): “American life is builded, and can alone survive, upon ... the fundamental philosophy announced by the Savior nineteen centuries ago.” And again, “The whole of the inspiration of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the Prophets. To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life.” And still again, “There is no book so various as the Bible, nor one so full of concentrated wisdom … We are indebted to the Book of books for our national ideals and institutions. Their preservation persists in adhering to its principles.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945): “If the spirit of God is not in us and if we will not prepare to give all that we have and all that we are to preserve Christian civilization in our land, we shall go to destruction.” And again, “We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a Nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic.” And still again, “I doubt if there is any problem – political or economic – that will not melt before the fire of a spiritual awakening.” Again, “In this dedication of a nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us! May He guide me in the days to come!”

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953): “This is a Christian Nation. More than a half century ago that declaration was written into the decrees of the highest court in this land.” And again, “In this great country of ours has been demonstrated the fundamental unity of Christianity and democracy.” And, although he called Billy Graham “a counterfeit,” still again, “The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.” Again, “All of us – at home, at war, wherever we may be – are within the reach of God’s love and power. We all can pray. We all should pray. We should ask the fulfillment of God’s will. We should ask for courage, wisdom, for the quietness of soul which comes alone to them who place their lives in His hands.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961): Under his leadership and support, Congress added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. He declared, “We are Christian nations, deeply conscious that the foundation of all liberty is religious faith.” Again, “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.” Still again, “To read the Bible is to take a trip to a fair land where the spirit is strengthened and faith renewed.”

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): “With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969): “In these last 200 years, we have guided the building of our Nation and our society by those principles and precepts brought to earth nearly 2,000 years ago on that first Christmas.” And again, “The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees. This private unity of public men and their God is an enduring source of reassurance for the people of America.” And still again, “If we fail now … we will have forgotten that democracy rests on faith … For myself, I ask only in the words of an ancient leader (Solomon): ‘Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people.’”

Richard M. Nixon: “Let us remember that as a Christian nation, but also as a nation that is enriched by other faiths as well, that we have a charge and a destiny.” Again, “Let us go forward firm in our faith … sustained by our confidence in the will of God.”

Gerald R. Ford: He was presented with the two billionth copy of the Holy Scriptures printed and distributed by the American Bible Society. On one occasion he declared, “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first – the most basic – expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”

James E. Carter: “Here before me is the Bible used in the inauguration of our first President in 1789, I have just taken the oath of office on the Bible my mother gave me just a few years ago, opened to the timeless admonition from the ancient  prophet Micah: ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’” And again, “You can’t divorce religious belief and public service … I’ve never detected any conflict between God’s will and my political duty. If you violate one, you violate the other.” And still again, “I am a Christian. I'm very proud of my faith. It's the most important element of my life.”

Ronald Reagan: “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States of America into a distinctive Nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.” Again, “America has begun a spiritual awakening. Faith and hope are being restored. Americans are turning back to God. Church attendance is up. Audiences for religious books and broadcasts are growing. And I do believe that He has begun to heal our blessed land.” And still again, “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” And, "If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under."

George H. W. Bush: “I believe in grace, because I have seen it; I believe in peace because I have felt it; I believe in forgiveness because I have needed it.” Again, “At no time of the year are Americans more mindful of our heritage as one Nation under God than at Thanksgiving – a day when people of every race, creed, and walk of life join in celebrating the many blessings that we have received as individuals and as a Nation. Thanksgiving is among the happiest of days because it fills our hearts with appreciation for the things that matter most: the goodness of our Creator, the love of family and friends, and, of course, the gift of life itself.” And still again, “… each of us can echo this timeless prayer of Solomon, the ancient king who prayed for, and received, the gift of wisdom: The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us; so that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways ... that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.”

William J. Clinton: “The Bible is the authoritative Word of God and contains all truth.”

George W. Bush: After the 9/11 attacks: “I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me’ … God bless America.” Again, “The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us; so that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways … that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.”

Finally (and strangely),

Barack H. Obama: At a news conference in Turkey, April 6, 2009: “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation! We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

To the above we would add what Chuck Norris wrote in his 2/2/10 column, “God Save the US and Our Courts.” The added emphasis is mine:

James Wilson, a signer of the Constitution who was appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington, explained the relationship between religion and law: "Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is divine. ... Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other. The divine law as discovered by reason and moral sense forms an essential part of both. The moral precepts delivered in the sacred oracles form part of the law of nature, are of the same origin and of the same obligation, operating universally and perpetually."

Article 6 of the Constitution guarantees that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." But as a matter of free speech, it is perfectly acceptable for citizens and even government officials to advocate the election of those who are devoutly religious.

John Jay – the first chief justice of the United States, also appointed by George Washington – wrote to Jedidiah Morse on Feb. 28, 1797: "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

At the very least, in light of the progressive cases now before U.S. courts and our own president's audacity to disrespect and lie about the Supreme Court justices to their faces during one of the most watched political prime-time events of the year, we all should bow our heads and pray what the marshal of the court repeats every time the U.S. Supreme Court justices enter the courtroom to hear arguments: "God save the United States and this Honorable Court!"

Amen and Amen!