Forum: Rededication is based on a false premise
Published 1:30 am Saturday, June 13, 2026
HERALD FORUM | Church and state
Once again the old canard that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation is being trotted out; this time by MAGA. As noted by a letter writer in the Weekend Herald, a rededication to God took place over Memorial Day weekend in Washington DC. The festivities “brought together Christians and patriots for a great gathering of faith and civic spirit”.
However, the United States as a Christian nation from its birth has been disproved over and over and over. Yet this foul and divisive falsehood continues to bubble to the surface on a regular basis. Although I fear it will once again fall on deaf ears, this country was established as a secular constitutional republic with NO official religion.
The founding fathers intentionally separated church and state in the Constitution. That document makes no mention of Christianity or Jesus Christ. Additionally, this secular foundation was affirmed at the highest levels of early government; for example, the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli signed by President John Adams and unanimously ratified by the Senate explicitly states that “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion”. While many of the Founders were influenced by Christian cultural backgrounds and Enlightenment ideals, key figures like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin practiced Deism—a belief system that values reason and natural law over religious dogma. For that reason, they designed a pluralistic democracy meant to protect the religious freedom of ALL citizens, allowing people of any or no faith to coexist without state interference
The Christian God did not appear in any Federal legislation until over a century after the founding of the country.
Annuit Coeptis (Latin for “He has favored our undertakings” didn’t appear on the dollar bill until 1935 and even then didn’t explicitly refer to any god..
“One nation under God” wasn’t added to the pledge of allegiance until 1954. “In God We Trust” became the official motto of the United States in 1955 and first appeared on paper money in 1957. All were done at the height of the Cold War to differentiate the United States from the godless communists.
It was striking and chillingly tone deaf that the earlier referenced letter writer concluded her remarks with “Americans and immigrants alike – people of different backgrounds, cultures and languages – contribute daily to what America represents at its best: a strong, diverse and influential nation, recognized worldwide for its ideals of democracy, liberty, and respect for the value it upholds”
The founders did not ask for nor did they want any god to bless the United States of America. Given what’s happening now, it’s highly unlikely any of this could be construed as a blessing.
Robert Haynes lives in Snohomish.
