for interest here is article 11 of the treaty of Tripoli signed in 1796 by the then President George Washington and ratified by the US in 1797:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan 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."

Also, as per the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, the United States federal government is not allowed to force people into worshiping in any one style or practicing any particular religion.

(info from Wikkipedia) 

Right. That is merely lip service to the traditions of the time. They never proclaimed the idea of Jesus sitting on the shoulder of the office of president. Sure, some of the founders were Christian, most of them DEIST, but none wanted our laws to be ripped out of any holy book. They wanted OUR LAWS based on common law. 

Even today, most people use BC/AD. It doesn't necessarily mean they believe it, its just habbit/convention. 

Your argument is not completely true. There is a clear statement of belief in a deity from the Founding Fathers in other documents that are fundamental to the United States. For example, the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson clearly indicates this belief, being signed by many of those later signers of the Constitution:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Yours In Christ, Eternal Wisdom,
StMichael

NO LEGAL STANDING?!? What published document(or word from a Supreme Justice's mouth) says such may I ask?

So qbg, it was not related to the Christian god, Jehova.

It however DOES refer to a Deist God? So lets see... the document that FOUNDS us as INDEPENDENT from all other nations refers to a Creator, Supreme Judge of the World, Divine Providence, and Laws of God. Are you still willing to say that the United States of America was not founded under a God?

That's not the topic in the first place. Not one single person suggested a bunch of atheists founded the US. The topic is whether it was founded on christianity. It obviously wasn't. Get a clue.

Lots of christians say it. So you're a liar. And I need not look at the rest of your post.

The intent of the founders is relevant. In the American system of jurisprudence which is a continuation of the English Common Law system, when a court rules on a point of law it attempts to establish legislative intent and prior legal precedents. The question as to whether or not the United States of America is a religious nation or Christian nation, a claim that is bantied about quite often by the Christian commentators in popular media, is a question of legal interest and can be settled by the principles of jurisprudence.

If someone were to actually make a claim before a court that the nation is a Christian nation, he or she would have to support the assertion with evidence. In refuting the assertion, we would also offer a rebuttal argument and evidence. Since the notion of having been founded as a Christian nation is inherently a question relating to the foundation of the nation, the Constitution is normative for representing the intentions of the nation's founders. All commentary made by the founders is useful, but it is the Constitution which is actual positive law.

The Constitution as adopted made no mention whatsoever of religion. The anti-establishment and free-exercise provisions of the First Amendment were not even part of the original constitution, they were added when the Bill of Rights was adopted. When one examines the Constitutions of other nations, those which are founded upon granting a special status to a particular religion or church explicitly say so. Although the United Kingdom doesn't have a single written Constitution as such, it's Constitution exists through Common Law precedents and statutory law. The Church of England is the established state church in England. The Church of Scotland is the established state church in Scotland. A very clear claim could be made that the United Kingdom is an explicitly Christian nation. No such claim could be strongly supported in the case of the United States. Constitutions of Islamic states explicitly grant special status to Islam. Many nations are explicitly secular in their constitutions. India and South Africa are examples that come immediately to my mind. South Africa is a very recent Constitution but also represents a nation operating under the English Common Law tradition. It is worth studying since it's Constitution is only a decade old.

Bottom line, examining the intentions of the Founders is relevant.

{Deleting my duplicate post}

The majority has no right to discriminate against the minority - that's why we have the bill of rights. And besides - would you say this is a "White Nation" since the majority of the country is white?

Nobody ever said from my end that the nation ought to be ruled by Christians. But its laws and authority basically derive from what it defines as natural law, which is established by God.

Yours In Christ, Eternal Wisdom,
StMichael

You have no clue what a the deists back then were and the "God" of nature was not a magical being like discribed in your KJV book.

Jefferson denied the virgin birth and death of Jesus so do not omit that and try to pass off our laws as based on any form or Christianity DONT LIE AND SAY THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

You want our laws based on the Christian bible THAT IS NOT WHAT THE FOUNDERS SAID OR INTENDED!

There is no mention of Jesus or "Jesus owned goverment" in OUR constitution.

Jefferson like I do, believe that your religion is personal and should be left up to you, not a burocrate or politician and for you to attempt to lie and say you arent claiming that our laws are based on your bible is bunk.

"As the goverment of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion". Treaty of Tripoly (aka) Barbary Treaty signed without dissent by both houses of Congress and signed into LAW by President John Adams June 10th 1797.

"God of nature" is Jeffersons individual idea and he didnt even use those words "God of nature" in the Constitution and he certainly did not believe in YOUR Christian God.

BUT do not lie to my face and say you dont want our laws based on your bible.

The founders all had a wide variety of beleifs most of them were deists, some were believers BUT ALL AGREED THAT GOVERMENT SHOULD NOT TOUCH THE ISSUE OF RELIGION AND THAT IT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL.

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establisment of religion or the free exorcise thereof" DOES NOT EQUATE TO ONE GROUP GANG TAGING GOVERMENT PROPERTY OR THAT A CHRISTIAN MONOPOLY IS ALLOWED!

The founders expressing personal opinions did not equate to public law.

OUR LAWS are not based on atheism, Christianity or Islam, they are based on COMMON LAW.

The First Amendment is an anti-trust law that prevents monopolies of power, and on issues of speech and religion it says, "We wont come after you, but we wont aid you either. ON YOUR OWN TIME WITH YOUR OWN DIME"

First, in response to Brian37, I never claimed that Jefferson was a Christian. But he most certainly was a deist, and a believer in God. Our system of rights and laws is based on the concept of natural laws which flow from God.
Second, evolution did not give us morality. It is a bad argument on SO many levels.
Third, in response to todangst, it neither begs the question nor commits stolen concept. That only applies if you believe that nothing meaningful can ever be said about God, which we obviously reject. If you want to maintain that, you ought to demonstrate it philosophically.

Yours In Christ, Eternal Wisdom,
StMichael

Aye, and the precise reason these same words who's first draft was on hemp paper has made such an impact on this nation, even today is for what reason? Because it's a legal document, then and now and always.

The newly formed United States of America derived its just powers from the consent of the governed at such day where the governed happened to be Christian. Such is precisely the fact there was freedom of religion. Christians were afraid of being prosecuted.

And today, such a document has held true(save Civil Rights) to this day, and today, it is as strong as ever. The governed is of all citizens(it might be all people...but I kind of doubt this?any insight?) and the powers derived by the government is from such citizens.

It sucks, but the fact is, such a powerfull organization as the Church has a huge stake in this country even today. They do what they do in this country, simply because they have a right to. Just as much of a right you have to picket outside a church, it is as much their right to have things ranging from television shows all the way down them picketing as well. Fight fire with fire if you must, but I'm sure there has to be a better way. Granted places like these is a safe harbor for intelectual sources of "fighting" instead of people acting like fools.

Simply put, no matter how much pressure you think Christians are putting on the government, the seperation of church and state is evident. The power given to Christians is near soley in political activism by putting people in office and lobbying for their desires to see this nation to be. Essentially it comes down to money and power, in which not many, if any at all, atheist organization have.

This coming from a US History teacher-- Without the consent of the governed circa 1776, being Christians, the United States would have not of formed, and if it did, it would have been at a different time in history. Undoubtedly, the course of human existence would have been changed dramatically. Take it for what it is, but surely the Declaration of Independence IS a legal document, for it firmly states that we are all the governed, not just the Christians. If you want to stop the Christians, then simply gain the power to do so. It is NOT the governments fault to stop legal actions, but almost always(You can't ban the Pledge..I'm sorry, that is ridciculous) the illegality of any violations of church and state are covered. For instance, there have been several Ten Commandment statues removed from court houses all over the south. These orders are evidence enough that Chrisitanity doesn't have any governmental power besides that of shear legal(for the most part) politics.

Yes vastet, it obviously wasn't founded by Christians, and today it still isn't run by Christians.

"We are simply sick of Christians claiming they have a right to gang tag OUR GOVERNMENT as Jesus run."

Who cares who tags our country as Jesus run, because lets face it, Jesus was not a real person. Who can something that NEVER existed, rule the most powerful nation in the world? (you peoples style of argument is so fun. stupid, but fun)

"Our goverment is founded on the concept of sanctuary for all, no monopolies allowed. Neutrality does not mean atheist run, it means citizen run."

Is it not citizen run? Lets see, we have a Democratic-Republican form of government. It is NOT citizen run. This government is moved and shaped by bipartisan politics. Don't like how the country is being ran, then vote for the other guy. If you don't think your single vote really matters, then go out and inform others on the misdeeds of such a politician.  If you don't like the 2 party system, then go out and make a movement to amend the constitution for a new system of voting. Get 2/3 of the peoples support, and there you have it, Amendment 28. Such is the power of the PEOPLE not the power of the PERSON. (George Washington didn't want to be president because he feared the institution of such a powerful position would no doubt lead to corruption[as it has so many times, but yet we NEED a president. Such is the way of the greatest form of government in the world])

The fact is Brian, you need to stop bitching like a little girl. Christians have such a strong backing in this country(they don't control it) because they are politically active, and the constituents of such an organization comprise of the largest politically active group in the nation(once again by way of teacher)

So either

A.)stop being lazy, and go get people to vote for YOUR cause(stopping the Christians from ruling the world??)

or

B.)Run for office.(notice why there are several members of the government who are Christian? Becaue they were VOTED in)

This government is not citizen run. It is not person run. It is people run. Plural, my friend. Even the president doesn't have full control over the nation, and he is the most powerful citizen in the nation.

Brian, do you think for yourself? Is someone forcing you every day to "think" a certain way? Or do you have the free will to choose to think and hold convictions about whatever you like?

Yes Apostate, the intents of the founders were very relevant. One may also point out that the actions in which the founding fathers were taking, were ACTS OF TREASONS. Oh yeah, and that one guy...John Hancock; If I remember correctly, he was one of the largest smugglers in the world. So, this country was essentially founded by a bunch of would-be convicts. Sweet, we really do live in the greatest country ever. 

And that's the damn beauty of such a government. Who really has the right to determine what the intentions of the founding fathers really were? You or I? Or the people? Anyone at all? No, the founding fathers did. They weren't treasonous anymore, they were freedom fighters. They became freedom fighters because the victors always write the history books. Had the rebellion been quelled, the American Revolution would not have been a revolution at all. It would have been the American Colonial Rebellion. A large number of people would either be sentenced to jail or HUNG for acts of treason if say...the Christians weren't there to back the cause. There would be NO founding fathers, because they would have founded nothing but acts of terrorism. Such is precisely how the history books would have it today, had we not won the rebellion.

In this day and age however, we have the RIGHT to view the government as being anything we want. A Christian wishes to state that the United States was founded out of Christianity, then so be it. Such state of ignorance can only be rooted in EVIDENCE. The fact is, evidence, being the Declaration of Independence, states specifically that this nation was formed with an idea of SOME God. It is so, but does God rule this nation? "One nation under God." Is that really truth? Or is it just tradition?

You all have just as much rights as Christians. Make the dough, and get active in politics. Tides will change if you wish.