The founding myth : why Christian nationalism is un-American Cover Image

Book

The founding myth : why Christian nationalism is un-American / Andrew L. Seidel ; foreword by Susan Jacoby ; preface by Dan Barker.

Summary:

Is America one nation under God? Christian nationalists assert that the US was founded on Judeo-Christian principles -- but is this true? Andrew L. Seidel, an attorney at the Freedom from Religion Foundation, answers this persistent question once and for all, comparing the Ten Commandments to the Constitution and contrasting biblical doctrine with America's founding philosophy. This persuasively argued and fascinating book proves that Christian nationalism is, in fact, un-American. -- Publisher's description.

Record details

ISBN: 9781454943914
ISBN: 1454943912
Physical Description: xi, 354 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Publisher: New York : Sterling, [2021]
Copyright: ©2021

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-347) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Part I. The founders, independence, and the colonies : -- 1. Interesting and irrelevant, the religion of the founders -- 2. "Religion and morality": religion for the masses, reason for the founders -- 3. Declaring independence from Judeo-Christianity -- 4. Referrals: the Declaration's references to a higher power -- 5. Christian settlements: colonizing the continent, not building a nation -- Part II. United States v. The Bible : -- 6. Biblical influence -- 7. Christian arrogance and the golden rule -- 8. Biblical obedience or American freedom? -- 9. Crime and punishment: Biblical vengeance or American justice? -- 10. Redemption and original sin or personal responsibility and the presumption of innocence -- 11. The American experiment: religious faith or reason? -- 12. A monarchy and "the morrow" or a republic and "our posterity" -- Part III. The Ten Commandments v. the Constitution : -- 13. Which ten? -- 14. The threat display: the First Commandment 15. Punishing the innocent: the Second Commandment -- 16. Suppressed speech: the Third Commandment -- 17. Forced rest: the Fourth Commandment -- 18. On family honor: the Fifth Commandment -- 19. Unoriginal and tribal: the Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth Commandments -- 20. Perverting sex and love: the Seventh Commandment -- 21. Misogyny, slavery, thoughtcrime, and anti-capitalism: the Tenth Commandment -- 22. The Ten Commandments: a religious, not a moral code -- Part IV. American verbiage : -- 23. Argument by idiom -- 24. "In God we trust": the belligerent motto -- 25. "One nation under God": the divisive motto -- 26. "God bless America": the diversionary motto -- Conclusion: take alarm, this is the first experiment in our liberties.