America: not a Christian nation.Religious fundamentalists appear to be making quite a fuss over what they consider a fact--that America was founded as a Christian nation. In some of my readings I came across a reference to the Treaty of Tripoli The Treaty of Tripoli (the Treaty of Peace and Friendship) was a 1796 peace treaty between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary. , which was one of the so-called Barbary Treaties The Barbary Treaties refer to several treaties between the United States of America and the semi-autonomous North African city-states of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, known collectively as the Barbary States. . This treaty was ratified by the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. on June 10, 1797. Article 11 states: "As the government of the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, is not in any sense [my emphasis] founded on the Christian Religion,--as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims],--and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." The pact was signed at Tripoli Tripoli, city, Lebanon Tripoli (trĭp`əlē) or Tarabulus (täräb`  l , Nov. 4, 1796, and at Algiers, January 3, 1797.
This appears to make it clear what our founding fathers thought about it. I pass this on as a possible item of interest. David Ostby Anaheim, Calif. |
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