Interesting interview (.mp3 file) on PBS with the author of a book “American Gospel”. A few points that he makes -
- The founding fathers did not advocate religious tolerance but religious liberty – the difference is that the first implies that the majority grant something a minority, something that could in principle be retracted.
- Benjamin Frankin (1749) believed that “public religion” was essential to the maintenance of morality of people and governments. His sense of God was one who was a creator who was attentive to history and who would judge us in the next life for our conduct in this, the force that endowed us with fundamental human rights. This was the God the founding fathers had in mind when they used phrases like “one nation under God”. It did not represent a Christian God.
- They did not believe in a Christian nation. A Christian nation is a theological impossibility.
- Evangelical Christians claim we are a Christian nation and want us to get back to that.
- There cannot be a strict separation between church and state.
- Both sides in the culture wars fail to understand the complexity of the founding of the United States. Neither side feel that they are winning the gains they strive for and this makes both more agitated -
- The left have not had a golden hour since Lyndon Johnson
- The right have had three conservative presidents yet have not been prevailed on the two issues most important to them – abortion and school prayer.
In general I think he makes some good points. I would however take issue with a couple of things -
- I don’t think it’s true that Evangelical Christians advocate having a Christian nation. I think they are more concerned for religious freedom.
- I don’t think Liberals deny the religiousity of the founding fathers and I don’t think they appeal to such a notion to support their views about the separation of church and state.