[TheRealThing]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

From the 5th Congress:
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.


It's official, we aren't a Christian nation. We don't have a set "state" religion. I will take official writings over BGR interpretations any day.

Your source is "Right Wing Watch"?
And wonder of wonders, Article 11 has some mysteriously inconsistent 'baggage' associated with it. From your source we see this statement, "In recent years, some “Christian nation” advocates have argued that Article 11 never appeared in the treaty. They base the claim on research conducted by a Dutch scholar, Dr. C. Snouk Hurgronje, published in The Christian Statesman in 1930. Hurgronje located the only surviving Arabic copy of the treaty and found that when translated, Article 11 was actually a letter, mostly gibberish, from the dey of Algiers to the ruler of Tripoli."

It’s clear that the English version of the treaty, which Congress approved, contained the famous Article 11. Why the article was removed from the Arabic version of the treaty, who did it and when remains another mystery.

To me what is clear, is that the absolute assertions made by the writer of your article are somewhat less than absolute. There are two possibilities, either the language was included in the treaty or it was not. The only surviving Arabic copy does not include Article 11. Language stating that America was not founded on the Christian Religion is entirely consistent with the concept spoken of by Jefferson regarding the wall of separation between the church and state. This does not mean that the founding fathers in any way denied the existence of God or our desperate need of His hand of guidance and blessing upon this land. Nor does it imply in any way that Godly men were not strongly influenced by His precepts in their decisions and governance as heads of state. And, let's get real here for just a second. To whom is the treaty addressed? I'll take the Arab world for a thousand Alex!

I mean, how likely would the congress really have been, to go Bible thumping to a group of Imams? Nobody ever claimed that American founding documents ever name Jesus Christ. But, as "Man's Creator" was clearly mentioned, it can only be referring to God. Be that as it may, I know for certain that I have outlined on here why the fathers knew that any official alignment of the state with the church, would surely produce results similar to those in England where nobody knew where the rule of Mad King George stopped and the purview of the Anglican Church started. We are a Christian nation even though the constitution forbids an official state church. So finally now, you are agreeing with me on this matter and at long last you've got it right?