No, Miami Herald— We are a Christian Nation

The Miami Herald recently put out an Editorial Opinion on the question of whether America is a Christian nation. Their conclusion? "The United States is a secular nation with no official religion, so the answer is No."

But the publication's cheeky attempt at rhetorical gymnastics bends the truth, and in reality, their position on the issue is no different than many facetious conservatives who rail "America is a Republic not a Democracy."

Of course, in the technical sense, America is not a Democracy, but the United States is a democratic nation. In the same way, the United States is not a "Christian" nation by means of law, but certainly by means of culture (although that is not to suggest the founders thought faith to be irrelevent in government, with the phrase "a firm reliance on divine providence" a major facet of the Declaration of Independence).

When polling is analyzed, it is clear to see that the Miami Herald is just plain wrong on the numbers. Despite the fact that more people now fall into the secular category than ever, a whopping 69% of Americans identify as Christian according to a 2020 Gallup poll.

Moreover, the Miami Herald once again arrived at two additional eroneous conclusions by not only linking white supremacy to protestantism as a whole, but stating that Americans possess a "nostalgia for our “Anglo-Protestant” past — and white supremacy."

First, the same Gallup poll shows a plurality of Christians categorize themselves as Protestants, far from being a feature of the ancient past. Second, most African Americans identify in the Protestant column, and many of the great civil rights and abolitionist movements derived from Protestant faith communities.

Given that record, our nation needs more faith, not less. We say, "Onward, Christian soldiers!"