All societies have foundational myths. And the reverence that some give to the founders is often of mythical proportions.
I respect the founders, but I don't think that they were serious thinkers. And it is true that the most significant founders were not Christians in any orthodox or traditional sense. In fact, the most conservative Christians were royalists. Indeed, one could argue that the American Revolution was unjustified on biblical grounds.
18th century America was not a haven for prolife, fundamentalist Christians. When the country was founded, abortion was basically legal. The first laws against abortion were formulated in the 1820s and then restricted only abortions after four months of pregnancy. One could plausibly argue that the founders would have been pro-choice.
The United States also enacted as treaty (the Treaty of Tripoly) in 1797, and signed by John Adams. The treaty explicitly says that the U.S. was not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
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All societies have foundational myths. And the reverence that some give to the founders is often of mythical proportions.
I respect the founders, but I don't think that they were serious thinkers. And it is true that the most significant founders were not Christians in any orthodox or traditional sense. In fact, the most conservative Christians were royalists. Indeed, one could argue that the American Revolution was unjustified on biblical grounds.
18th century America was not a haven for prolife, fundamentalist Christians. When the country was founded, abortion was basically legal. The first laws against abortion were formulated in the 1820s and then restricted only abortions after four months of pregnancy. One could plausibly argue that the founders would have been pro-choice.
The United States also enacted as treaty (the Treaty of Tripoly) in 1797, and signed by John Adams. The treaty explicitly says that the U.S. was not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
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