Is America a Christian Nation?

President Obama created a stir a few weeks ago when he said the following during a speech in Turkey, "...although as I mentioned, we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

Faith has undoubtedly played a large role in the life of our nation. Many of the Founding Fathers were Christians. Others were deists, notably Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin (and Geo. Washington?), or indifferent "Christians" who were inspired by the Enlightenment. But I believe that the relevant question is not whether the United States was founded on Christian principles, but whether, "Are we today a Christian nation?"

Let's ignore the rhetoric and examine some facts:

• 40% of births in the US are out-of-wedlock;
  
• We (as a nation) have butchered 1 million unborn babies a year since Roe v. Wade in 1973;
  
• 1 in every 100 American adults is in either jail or prison. The U.S incarcerates more people than any other nation and is also the leader in inmates per capita;
  
• Between 40-50% of marriages end in divorce;
  
• The government's enhanced interrogation (i.e., torture) policy is supported most enthusiastically by evangelical "Christians";
  
• Pornography is now mainstream;
  
• Only 45% of Americans attend religious services weekly; and
• The definition of marriage as the union of a man and woman is being challenged.

According to Jesus, "You will know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:16)

And of those Americans who identify as Christians, a recent Barna Group poll indicates that professing Christians either do not understand or agree with basic historical tenets of Christianity. Barna recently (4/13/09) released its survey of the beliefs of self-described Christians.

Here is a sample of the poll results:

• "More than one-fifth (22%) strongly agreed that Jesus Christ sinned when He lived on earth, with an additional 17% agreeing somewhat";
• "A slight majority of Christians (55%) strongly agree that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches, with another 18% agreeing somewhat";
• "...three-quarters (78%) said he (God) is the “all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules the world today";
• Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective";
• "Much like their perceptions of Satan, most Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a living force, either. Overall, 38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat that the Holy Spirit is “a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity.”

And these are the beliefs of people who profess to be Christians.

Based on the above, I believe that America is most accurately described as a 'post-Christian' nation. The religion of the majority of Americans is consumerism (def. "the equation of personal happiness with consumption and the purchase of material possessions") and the god that they worship is their "stuff".