Many of the Founding Fathers espoused Xtianity in public, but inveighed against it in their private letters. Railing against it in public (then as now) would’ve amounted to political suicide, as evidenced by Paine’s publication of the Age of Reason, in which he was stigmatized in the very country he’d helped build.
Madison, Jefferson, Adams, Paine, even Franklin (who rather liked the benign JC, but was unconvinced of his divinity).
There was perhaps a knee-jerk response against the ‘Divine Right’ concept propounded by the Vatican (which helped give birth to the Deist movement).

But track record is everything. It’s how we measure employees, criminals, children, adults, & yes, even saints.

“Their theistic beliefs are intertwined all through the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”

Wrong!

In the Declaration, yes. It refers to a “Creator” and to “Nature’s God.” But the Constitution is completely and absolutely 100% secular. No dieties nowhere. And the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

- Mike

p.s. no, the date doesn’t count!

I agree. I have faith in freedom because I have seen how the alternative works out. It is not blind.

Like religion, patriotism is maladaptive in that it leads to negative consequences.

I see where you’re coming from. I should clarify my position. My loyalty is not to a person, an administration, a party or “The United States of America.” It is to the principles upon which this country was founded. It is to the ideas of freedom and democracy. Often, the greatest enemy of the country I love is the government thereof. I don’t give the actions taken by the American government a free pass. That kind of patriotism is, in fact, maladaptive. If we, as the body of the nation, see the head facing the wrong direction, it is our responsibility to turn it rather than follow it wherever it leads us.

As for the meat of your post, outstanding! You are correct to point out that we live in a Christian culture and that this provides the context in which we find ourselves - often without realizing it. In the same way, we live in a culture that is insidiously sexist, rascist, and homophobic. Like the “god bless America” banners, it is acceptable (and rarely noticed by the majority) to use “that’s gay” in a negative sense. It is difficult to critique these problems without being able to step outside them, and yet it is difficult to remain outside all the time. Thus, your experience of finding yourself standing up for the Christian song without realizing what was happening is all too common.

Reluctant Atheist, That’s an interesting quote, but it’s kind of hard to tell what that means without context. I tend to think that was more of an indictment against the church at the time than it was some sort of statement against any belief in Christ.

Mike, It seems hard for me to believe such great historical figures were all great only in spite of their beliefs. It seems to me (through biographies and autobiographies) that the resolve of such leaders was direct result of their faith, both in steadying their perserverence and conviction.