Are We A Christian Nation?

Are we a Christian Nation? That is such a loaded question these days. We have politicians saying we are or we are not and religious leaders coming out on both sides of the argument too.

I think the first question to ask is can a nation be "Christian"? Certainly as we look at the founding of America, Christianity has it's fingerprints on all of it. Some revisionists would say otherwise but they are simply putting their heads in the sand to think that Christianity had little or no influence on this nations founding. But can a nation as a whole be Christian? Is that something that is biblical or is it a marker we want to place on our nation to help us feel better about ourselves?

Christianity is a personal decision. In fact, I am afraid that calling our country a "Christian" nation can be dangerous to our citizens. When you read the results of recent Barna studies, a large majority of Americans say they are Christians. But when those same people are asked about very specific, Biblical aspects of being a Christian, the numbers shrink to a small minority of the nation that actually uphold the true aspects of being a Christian.

So rather than asking the question " Are We A Christian Nation" the better question is "Are You A Christian". It is a harder question to ask but I think in light of eternity, the second question is much more important. And while the answer to the question "Are we A Christian Nation" will always be a subject of debate, answering "yes" to the question, "Are You A Christian" can and will have an eternal impact on you, and, I think, on our nation.