Is America a Christian Nation?

Is America a Christian nation?

This past Monday and Tuesday I attended a conference of ministers put on by the New Hampshire Renewal Project--and I’m pretty sure you’d find the vast majority of those attending that gathering would wholeheartedly say, "Yes!" to that question.

How would you answer it?

How would you define it?  ("It" being "Christian nation.")

For instance, to be a Christian nation would the Bible need to prophesy about us?  Some people are convinced in Scripture’s symbolism they can find our great union.  I would argue that someone really wanting to can pretty much find anything they want in the imagery of Daniel and Revelation…or elsewhere like Ezekiel 38 with "merchants of Tarshish with all it’s villages" (Ezekiel 38:13, NASB).  However, I think that we can all agree that (a) being spoken of in the Bible could mean quite opposite of being a Christian nation (they might be words "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction"--Romans 9:22) and (b) that if somehow the U.S. Is mentioned, it’s clearly not in the same sense of Israel--where God called, redeemed, and ruled that nation.

Canaan, New Hampshire

I grew up in Canaan, NH…a town that was about the same size as Antrim when I lived there, but now appears to have about a thousand more people.  I still remember our address and phone number…PO Box 172 and 523-7763.  Not bad, eh?  ☺

Although Canaan also has a couple major roads running through it like Antrim does (Route 4 and Route 118)…growing up it seemed "sleepier" to me than this wonderful town.  Perhaps it’s just the difference in what we are aware of as an adult versus what we are as a child…but Canaan definitely seemed more like the middle of nowhere than Antrim does.

And although she was a registered nurse, my mom stayed at home to watch us boys in our house on Canaan Street Road (yes "Street Road").  To earn extra cash she took up macramé--and became quite accomplished.  She even started an annual craftsman’s fair in town.  Since I was actually somewhat cute as a kid (I know, I know, very difficult to believe)--and just as extroverted--she often would leave me alone at the table because it increased sales. ☺