Half the South Thinks the U.S. Was Founded as an “Explicitly Christian” Nation
By Hemant Mehta, December 29, 2018

When the Treaty of Tripoli was signed in 1796, President John Adams made clear that “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” But it’s just a minor treaty, right? Well, the Constitution effectively says the same thing. As the saying goes, the word “religion” appears twice in the document, both times preceded by the word “no.” We don’t have religious tests for public office and the government can’t endorse religion (much less a particular one).

All of this is apparently new information to half the people in 11 Southern states, who said in a Winthrop University poll that they believe America was founded as an “explicitly Christian nation.”

It’s the sort of misinformation that makes pseudo-historian David Barton tingle in delight while sending shivers up the spine of people who actually know what they’re talking about.

The poll found that half of residents either agree or strongly agree that America was founded as an explicitly Christian nation.

This position is particularly popular among white evangelicals. In the survey, three-fourths of white evangelical respondents agree or strongly agree with this belief about how the nation was founded.

That’s a lot of ignorant people. Specifically, 51% of people polled said the U.S. was founded as an “explicitly Christian nation.” 67% of Republicans are included in that mix, compared to only 38% of Democrats. (By contrast, only 23% of Republicans disagreed or strongly disagreed with that sentiment, along with 52% of Democrats.)