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We are having a debate in school and I need some proof that it is secular. But if you want to give me proof it is Christian then by all means go for it.

The first settlers came to America in search of religious freedom.  The Pilgrims who traveled to America on the Mayflower were fleeing England and the inability to practice their religion which is Christianity.  From these roots, the American colonies grew and were based on the principles of Christianity, not the required belief in the faith.  The morals, ethics and organization of government was based on a belief in freedom. The Founding Fathers were guided by their Christian beliefs to form a government that would serve the people.

It was because of their Christian beliefs that the Founding Fathers were able to write the Declaration of Independence, seeking freedom for the colonies from the rule of the English King.  It is necessary to understand that the right of man come from God or the Creator, and therefore, cannot be taken away, reduced or granted by any man, whether he be king or commoner.  Without an acceptance of God as the center of the universe, the Founding Fathers could not embrace this belief. 

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."
--Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.  

It might be hard for modern individuals to understand how integrated religion was to behavior.  References to God and to freedom are inexorable.  Particularly, words spoken by Thomas Jefferson, who is often misinterpreted as being the Founding Father who wrote about the separation of church and state.  He did this to preserve the individual's right to worship as he chose, not to protect the state, but to protect the freedom of the individual.  The government shall make no religion.  Jefferson and others were determined that there be no state religion, but the founding principles are based on Christian morality.  For example consider Jefferson's words:

"The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them."  (Jefferson)

George Washington's faith sustained him as the Commander of the Continental Army.  He believed that Providence, God was on the side of the colonists who sought freedom from English tyranny.  Washington's first inaugrual address gives thanks to God for the new job that he has been summoned to, President of the United States. 

"Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiary improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe; who presides in the councils of nations; and whose providential aid can supply every human defect; that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States" (Washington)

Of course the foundation of this nation was secular. It was the initial effort to establish a "city on a hill" theocracy in Boston by the Puritans that led to such abuses as the Salem witchcraft trials.

Several of the Founding Fathers were avowed deists rather than Christians. They saw clearly the peril of permitting a majority religion to rule the country and wrote the Constitution's establishment clause specifically to prevent this from happening.

Did Christianity influence the founding of the country during the eighteenth century? Of course; however, the Christian influence was predominantly moral and ethical rather than specifically religious. Christianity does not hold a monopoly on ethics and morals.

I have to agree with pmiranda2857.  The concept that all men are created equal comes from the belief that God created us and that we are all made in his image so no one man is more valuable in His eyes than another.  Many of the concepts of the Declaration of Independence were derived from the writings of John Locke who strongly believed that representative government and the freedom that it engendered would only be successful in its citizens observed Biblical standards in issues of morality.  While the concept of Freedom of Religion was important, the thinking of the founders was that Americans should be free from having a state church that prevented men from worshipping God as their conscience dictated, not that we should be guaranteed freedom from religion.  Our society as it is now with its insistence that children not be taught Christian values and virtues in schools would have shocked them.  Indeed the reason our country valued education in its early days was so that all men could read the Bible and interpret its words for themselves.

With respect to jillessa and pmiranda2857, and notwithstanding the fact that I am a Christian myself, I challenge the statement, "[t]he concept that all men are created equal comes from the belief that God created us." Christianity does not have a monopoly on this concept. It is completely possible to be an atheist or agnostic and believe in the inherent equality of all men.

I also challenge the assertion that "society insists that children not be taught Christian values and virtues in schools." I am a public school administrator and I have yet to work in a school where there is no emphasis or instruction on values such as honesty, hard work, treating others kindly, etc. What is prohibited, and rightly so, is the teaching of these values as specifically Christian.

The Establishment clause was certainly not designed to be a guarantee of freedom from religion. And public schools are not devoid of religious faith. What they are devoid of, or should be, is organized, state-sponsored and government-enforced religious practice.

andrea4, Although all the previous posts are well argued, I would suggest that you clarify your topic. The topic generalizes the foundation of America, and needs to be more specific   so that the answer has revelance.  The foundations of colonial America differ depending upon the geographics of the colonies. There is no doubt that the New England colonies had a religious agenda, however their southern counterparts came here to make money, it was business that motivated them not the piety of religion. Furthermore, look at the colony of Georgia, the sole purpose for its creation was to rid England of those 'unsavory sorts...hardly a Christian mentality.

Having said that, the Puritan theocracy in New England had a profound influence in America. Since your post asks to support secularism, I think it could be argued that the Great Awakening that spread through colonial New England in the 1740's led to religious factions within the movement thus paving the way for a more secular society. In the end those factions ended up creating a new view of religious tolerance in America. It was this new view that helped to initiate a new and totally 'American Philosophy' with regard to religion.

Remember, Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was a testament to Locke's political philosophy of God given natural rights, but it was devoid of the fire and brimstone of the Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards damnation to hell.

If you seek the time period of America to the period of the founding fathers (1765-1776) my previous statement makes a strong argument in the defense of a secular America. Simply because the founders support their arguments as far back as Magna Carta. They concentrate their efforts on the good that man has to offer to the world instead of focusing on what they would call worthless damnation.

It was both. People emigrated to North America for both religious and economic reasons. The men who "founded" the United States of America were both Christian and secularists.

America is founded on The Constitution. The bedrock of America is The American Constitution. It is a legal document, not a religious document.

The American Constitution specifically describes itself as secular. It marks itself as not connected to any religion whatsoever. It recognises religions as a free expression, but it rejects all religious beliefs and values as irrelevant to American political and legal process.

No mater what half-truths the Christian fundamentalists try to tell you about 'America's Christian Heritage', America is based on the values of the Enlightenment, NOT the Bible. The Enlightenment made America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_enlightenment

The Pilgrim Fathers were not Americans, they did not want to found America and they would be horrified by America's melting pot of faiths. They were ill-prepared, intolerant, religious extremists and their belief system was opposite to America's tolerant values.

The Founding Fathers, on the other hand, espoused tolerance for all religions by expressing preference for none. And the supreme ruler of America is not God, nor the President nor The People; The supreme ruler of America is The Rule of Law. The Law is written by Man, without the influence of God. The Law is separate from God. And it is above God. And we forget that at our absolute peril.

The moment you let any Godclaim 'special status' over America, we will fall into anarchy and chaos.

In reply to #8: Good post Frizzyperm. I agree with you that the enlightenment was probably the greatest influence on the founding fathers.  However, they guarantee freedom to practice of religion not freedom from religion.  I think that is a fairly important guarantee for those who desire to practice their faiths openly and in public.

I think that the majority of the founding fathers had a sense that there was a Supreme Being.  Many were Unitarian or Deists. I do not espouse the notion that the founding fathers were athiests. Nor can I find any proof that any of the founding fathers were athiests.  I do not espouse the notion that the founding fathers intended for athiests to insist that this nation be athiestic. I do not get the sense that the founding fathers wanted any type of restrictions on the practice of one's religion so long as it did not harm another.

I do get the sense that the founding fathers would not deny a person the right to practice his or her religious faith because one or another might be offended by this practice of faith in a public place.

America was to many of the early colonists a "light on a hill" "a utopia" or a "New Jerusalem". Due to various persecutions of protestants by Catholics, or of Catholics by protestants or disagreements between protestant denominations, many sought to travel to the "New World" and set up communities where they could practice their faith in unity.  Therein lies the problem. How could the entire country made up of such a diverse religious population get along under one flag?

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel01.html

If Maryland was Catholic, could a Deist live there?  If Virgina was plainly Anglican/Puritan, would a Catholic be welcome there? Would a Quaker be welcome in catholic Georgia or Presbyterian North Carolina?

In order to establish a more perfect union between all of the states, the founding fathers used the secular views of the time and ideals gleaned from The Enlightenment. The founding Fathers put in the words "freedom of religion" so that any person of any belief could practice his or her religious faith without fear of persecution by any other religious group or the government. There is no religious test to hold public office. And it is against the law to persecute persons because of their religious faith.

http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html

The other thing is that by declaring freedom of religion, the American government is firmly separating itself from the English government which is a monarchy/theocracy as the King is also the "Defender of the Faith" or "king of the church of England".  The founding fathers plainly declared that the government would be run by the people rather than by a king or by a king who claimed to be head of a church. This declaration boldly rebelled against the "divine right of kings" as proclaimed by James VI.

I think that the Founding Fathers held up the freedoms of man as more important than the establishment of a state religion.  I am not so sure that the Law is necessarily separate from God as much as some would like.

I realize that there are some "fundamenatlists" who would deny the right for someone to practice his or her faith, but that is prevalent in all religious faiths.

http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html

Is it possible that there are athiest fundamentalists?

Hmmmm, . . . I hesitate to say that the foundation of America is Christian because that denotes a focus on Jesus Christ.  There is simply no evidence of that:  a wonderful point for you to make in your debate.  However, there is definitely a focus on monotheism.  "One nation, under God."  "In God we trust."