Christian America – Part II

Ken O’Brien

On February 24^th I published a response to a letter in the Southbridge Evening News by Mr. Bob Chernisky that made the assertion that the United States of America was founded as a Christian Nation.

In the March 6^th edition of that paper he posted the following reply:

To the Editor:

Mr. O’Brien, you corrected me the other day by quoting John Adams and using that quote to summarize that this is not a Christian nation.

I appreciate your attention to detail and your desire to keep the facts straight. I disagree with you still, though. Please allow me to explain why.

I believe you have misinterpreted the meaning of what John Adams was saying. I believe he was making a statement about this country being open and tolerant to other belief systems and worshippers.

Here’s what I base these beliefs on.

 Continental Congress (May 15, 1776) — The Continental Congress having ordered, Friday, May 17. Instant to be observed as a day of “fasting, humiliation and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the Arms of the United Colonies, and finally, establish the peace and freedom of America, upon a solid and lasting foundation — The General commands all officers, and soldiers, to pay strict obedience to the Orders of the Continental Congress, and by their unfeigned, and pious observance of their religious duties, incline the Lord, and Giver of Victory, to prosper our Arms.

This our own founding fathers, as a newly founded government, instructing their Army not join in the same act to pray to the Lord (not Allah, not Confusius, etc...).

Letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail: “When the Congress met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with Prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay of New York and Mr. Rutledge of South Carolina, because we were so divided in religious sentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians, and some Congregationalists, so that we could not join in the same act of worship. Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said that he was no bigot, and could hear a prayer from any gentleman of Piety and Virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his Country. He was a stranger in Philadelphia, but had heard that Mr. Duche’ deserved that character, and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche’, an Episcopalean clergyman, might be desired, to read Prayers to Congress, tomorrow morning. The motion was seconded, and passed in the affirmative. Mr. Randolph, our President, waited on Mr. Duche’, and received for answer, that if his health would permit, he certainly would. Accordingly, the next morning appeared with his clerk and in his pontificals, and read several Prayers in the established form; and then read the Collect for the seventh day of September, which was the thirty-fifth Psalm. You must remember this was the next morning after we heard the horrible rumor of the cannonade of Boston. I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seemed as if Heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read on that morning.”

 Mr. Duche’ would become the first chaplain of Congress, elected on July 9, 1776. The following is the prayer he offered on the floor of Congress that day. “Look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States who have fled to Thee from the rod of oppressor, who have thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee — defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries.”

This some of the closing language of The Declaration of Independence: “As 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.”

Based on these comments and actions of our founding fathers, and countless others that I have read but not included in this letter, I stand by the obvious fact that we are indeed a Christian nation. However, the quotes that you brought out from the Amendment also remind us that tolerance and religious freedom are allocated for all who come to America.

This contention has brought about, unfortunately, a lot of anger, half-truths, and ugliness into our nation, from both sides of the argument. If you wish to continue discussing this, I look forward to it.

BOB CHERNISKY JR.
SOUTHBRIDGE

My reply to his missive, submitted today to the Editor of the Southbridge News, follows:

To the Editor:

I am truly loathe to belabor an argument unnecessarily.

However, Mr. Bob Chernisky’s letter in March 6th’s Evening News cries out for a response in the public interest as well as in the interests of historical accuracy.

My letter which appeared in February 28th’s paper cited the language of the Treaty of Tripoli stating unequivocally a vote by the U. S.  Senate of the time that the United States was not founded upon the Christian Religion. The key portion of that Treaty said, “As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion…”

This was the 339th time that a roll call vote had been taken in the U. S. Senate since it first met. It was only the third time that such a vote was unanimous.

Mr. Chernisky wants to focus upon this as a product of John Adams. The fact is that, in addition to the unanimous vote by the Senate, Mr. Barlow who negotiated the treaty, was appointed to do so by George Washington.

Further, if you look at the “evidence” cited by Mr. Chernisky, not once is the name of Christ or the term Christianity mentioned.

A significant number of the founding fathers were in fact “Deists”. I won’t bother to explain the term; I’ll leave it up to the interested readers to research it.

It is time to dismiss the mythology that is being promoted that seeks to create an underlying theocratic foundation to our Republic that the founders never intended or endorsed.

Kenneth M. O’Brien


Mr Chernisky is entitled to his own opinions and beliefs. He is not entitled to portraying those opinions and beliefs as fact.