THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE MAGA MOVEMENT Day 13
THE BELIEF
“America was founded as a Christian nation—our laws, our government, our very identity are rooted in the Bible. The Founding Fathers were devout Christians who built this country on Christian principles, and anyone who says otherwise is rewriting history to erase our heritage.”
THE PERFORMANCE
This belief is performed with the cadence of a sermon and the certainty of a closing argument. Pastors like Robert Jeffress, a Dallas megachurch leader and frequent Fox News guest, declare it from pulpits and cable news panels: “The Constitution itself is a Christian document, written by men who believed in the sovereignty of God.” Politicians echo it in stump speeches—Mike Pence, in a 2019 speech at the Family Research Council, called America “a nation founded on the Bible.” Online, influencers like Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, amplify it in viral clips: “The left wants you to believe the Founders were secularists. That’s a lie. They were Christians who created a Christian nation.”
The origin story of this performance traces back to the 1950s, when the phrase “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” became the national motto—both during the Cold War, as a cultural bulwark against “godless communism.” But the modern version was weaponized in the 1990s by the Christian Right, particularly through the work of David Barton, a self-taught “historian” whose book The Myth of Separation (1989) argued that the First Amendment was only meant to prevent a national church, not to keep religion out of government. Barton’s claims, though debunked by actual historians, became gospel in evangelical circles. Today, the belief is performed as both a shield (“They’re attacking our faith!”) and a sword (“This is who we are—take it or leave it.”).
THE DOCUMENTED RECORD
The historical and legal record does not support the claim that America was founded as a Christian nation. Here is what it shows:
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The Constitution Does Not Mention Christianity The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1788, contains no reference to Christianity, Jesus Christ, or the Bible. The only mention of religion is in Article VI, which states: “No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” This was a radical departure from the state churches of Europe—and from many American colonies, which had official religions. James Madison, the primary architect of the Constitution, wrote in 1785: “Religion is wholly exempt from [the] cognizance” of civil government.
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The Treaty of Tripoli (1796) In 1796, the U.S. Senate unanimously ratified a treaty with Tripoli (modern-day Libya), negotiated under President George Washington and signed by President John Adams. Article 11 of the treaty states: “The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The treaty was published in American newspapers at the time, with no recorded objection from the public or clergy. When Adams signed it, he did so without comment—because the idea that America was not a Christian nation was uncontroversial.
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The Founders’ Own Words
- Thomas Jefferson, in an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, wrote of a “wall of separation between Church & State.” He also created his own version of the New Testament, cutting out miracles and supernatural claims, calling it The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.
- John Adams, in a 1797 letter, wrote: “The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature… without the aid of priestcraft.”
- Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiography, described himself as a “thorough deist” who did not believe in the divinity of Jesus.
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George Washington, while a member of the Anglican Church, rarely attended services and never took communion. In his 1796 Farewell Address, he warned against “the spirit of religious animosity” and called religion a “private” matter.
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The Supreme Court’s Ruling In Torcaso v. Watkins (1961), the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the U.S. is “not a Christian country” and that the government cannot “aid those religions based on a belief in the existence of God as against those religions founded on different beliefs.” The Court cited the Founders’ intent to create a secular government, free from religious tests or preferences.
The gap between the belief and the record is not a matter of interpretation. It is a matter of omission—of ignoring the plain text of the Constitution, the treaty, and the Founders’ own writings in favor of a narrative that serves a modern political agenda.
THE AUDIENCE
This belief resonates most strongly with white evangelical Christians, particularly those who feel that American culture is slipping away from them. For them, the idea of a “Christian nation” is not just about history—it’s about identity. It answers a deep fear: If America was not founded on Christian values, then what is our place in it?
The grievance is real. Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has become more secular, more diverse, and more pluralistic. Church attendance is declining. Same-sex marriage is legal. Public schools no longer lead Christian prayers. For many evangelicals, these changes feel like an erasure—not just of their faith, but of their dominance. The belief that America was always Christian provides a sense of moral legitimacy: We are not the aggressors. We are the defenders of the true America.
The belief also serves a psychological function. If America was founded as a Christian nation, then any policy or social change that conflicts with conservative Christian values is not just wrong—it’s un-American. This turns political disagreements into existential battles. The audience is not stupid. They are responding to a real sense of loss. But the belief exploits that loss by rewriting history to make their cultural retreat feel like a heroic stand.
THE CONTRADICTION
If America was founded as a Christian nation, why did the Founders explicitly design a government that kept religion at arm’s length? Why did they ban religious tests for office? Why did they write a treaty declaring the U.S. was not founded on Christianity—and why did no one object? If the Constitution is a “Christian document,” why does it never mention Christ, the Bible, or even God (until the 20th century)? The belief collapses under its own weight: either the Founders were lying in their private letters, their public documents, and their legal treaties—or the belief is false.
THE THING THEY GOT RIGHT
The grain of truth here is that Christianity did shape American culture in profound ways. Many of the Founders were influenced by Christian ethics, even if they rejected its supernatural claims. The abolitionist movement, the civil rights movement, and countless acts of charity were driven by Christian faith. The fear that secularism might erode moral guardrails is not baseless—many European nations, where religion plays a smaller role in public life, have struggled with social atomization and declining birth rates.
The problem is not the concern. It’s the solution. The belief that America was legally founded as a Christian nation is ahistorical. But the fear that something vital is being lost? That is worth taking seriously. The question is whether the answer lies in reclaiming a past that never existed—or in building a future where faith, of any kind, is free to persuade but not to coerce.
THE ONE LINE
The Founders wrote a Constitution without God, a treaty without Christ, and a government without religion—because they knew a nation built on faith could not be free.
This newsletter uses direct quotes, public records, court documents, and documented biographical fact. It does not make claims beyond what the record supports. Readers are encouraged to consult primary sources and reach their own conclusions.