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VBVMI StaffCan we call the United States a "Christian nation"?
There is no such thing as a “Christian nation.” The Bible says that the Lord establishes all nations on earth according to His purpose:
The Lord has determined the time and place for every human to exist on earth. The Lord designated one nation above the rest, Israel, and then He created all Gentile nations without distinction. The Lord created those divisions and assigned us as He chose, and He says that no Gentile nation is any more godly (or Christian) than another.
In fact, the Lord says that all men (whether Jew or Gentile) are sinners with hearts that are far from Him:
So the belief that the United States is a “Christian nation” is nothing more than American Christian self-righteousness combined with political mythology. Ironically, many of the United States nation’s founding fathers (e.g., Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, etc.) were self-avowed atheists or theists, not Christians. Even the faith of puritans or others quasi-Christian pilgrims is unclear.
Regardless of the nature of their faith (or lack thereof), we simply cannot credit an entire nation of people with saving faith based on the actions or beliefs of a few. As Paul says, only those who have the indwelling of the Spirit of God by faith are part of the Church:
In summary, the United States is merely a Gentile nation like any other on earth: one occupied by millions of sinful, lost and dying unbelievers together with some born-again Christians.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org