The United States: A Country founded on Paganism

Originally Posted On a Myspace Profile Blog -- August 13th, 2007.

I Occasionaly like to argue the position that religious-right fundamentalist have that this country was founded as a "Christian Nation"

I Disagree with that based on fact; keeping in mind the founding fathers wanted religious freedom via. the constitution, and the bill of rights, and the seperation of church and state. Also seeing as how most of the founding fathers were actually deist, and most were Free Masons, and some even went as far as renouncing Christianity all together.

(If you'd like to see all the points I have a blog about it)

now keeping that in mind, somehow I found this webpage that contains this essay, I havent read it all the way through yet...but so far its really interesting.

The United States: A Country founded on Paganism

by Pagan Jim
Originated: 20 March 2005
Additions: 20 Aug. 2006

*The Introduction*

Pagan n. 1. A person who is not a Christian, Moslem, or Jew; heathen. 2. One who has no religion.

--The American Heritage Dictionary

Although the common meaning of Paganism seems to imply atheism, a Pagan can worship any other god not common to the god of the Torah, the Bible or the Koran. This also includes those who worshiped gods before the advent of the Judeo-Christian religions. As Mortimer Adler put it: "Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Cicero were Western pagans. The Western peoples of pre-Christian antiquity were all pagans in the sense defined. Many remained pagans during the early centuries of the Christian era; and from the 16th century on, the number of pagans living in communities that were predominantly Christian or Muslim has steadily increased." [Adler]

So if we wish to find the origins of a government based on Paganism, we must establish two things: 1. The lawful documents, symbols and mottoes of the founding government do not contain any mention of Christian, Moslem, or Jewish religions. 2. The documents, symbols and mottoes of the founding government describe Pagan deities and concepts.

Since the government in question involves the founding documents and symbols of the United States of America, we must satisfy the above two criteria with evidence for Paganism and a lack of evidence for Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.

This becomes evermore interesting in light of the recent religious-right movement in their attempt to convince citizens that the American government derived from Christian principles. The inspiration for creating this article came from deceptive claims by right-wing Christians about Moses and the 10 commandments depicted on the Supreme Court building and other state courthouses (more about this below). This article shows their error by examining the very documents establishing the United States of America (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) and the symbols and mottoes used by the early Americans. In every case, Paganism prevails and Christianity does not. In fact, Paganism reveals itself so predominantly that it should give the reader pause to consider the power of Christian propaganda to deceive and disguise these obvious facts for so long.

When I was a boy
World was better spot.
What was so was so,
What was not was not.
Now I am a man;
World have changed a lot.
Some things nearly so,
Others nearly not.
There are times I almost think
I am not sure of what I absolutely know."
--The opening words to the song, "A Puzzlement" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "The King and I".

*An excerpt*

Pre-independence America:

Although the first colonists in America came from Europe (mostly Great Britain, Spain, and Holland), many of them to escape religious persecution (Christian persecution no less!), to establish a place of free Christian worship, these early European-Americans eventually succumbed to the government of Great Britain. The religious-right propagandists like to put emphasis on this period of American history because, indeed, these first European-Americans did live under Christian rule and it makes it seem as if these first colonists established the government of the United States. They did not.

Of course the first Americans did not practice Christianity at all. Native Indians lived in America thousands of years before the Christians invaded their land. These original Americans got dispossessed, slaughtered, or segregated to the will of intolerant Christians. Today's religious-right Christians conveniently leave out any mention of the original Americans, Pagan to the very core. Only a very brief period before the formation of the United States could Christians call America their land. The following gives a brief historical summary:

The Spanish founded the first European colony in North America at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565. In 1607, the London Company founded the Jamestown colony. In 1620 the Mayflower ship lands at Cape Cod, Massachusetts and its colonists formed the Mayflower Compact (a true Christian document) to establish a form of local government. But these early Christian colonies (the Puritans) became so religiously intolerant that a few of the colonists began to rebel. In 1636 Roger Williams founded Providence and Rhode Island because his fellow Christians banished him from Massachusetts. Why? Because of his "new and dangerous opinions" calling for religious and political freedoms, including separation of church and state. Providence then became a haven for many other colonists fleeing religious intolerance. Just a few years later in 1646, the Massachusetts general court approved a law that made religious heresy punishable by death! In 1692 hysteria grips Salem, Massachusetts as suspects accused of witchcraft got arrested and imprisoned. These religious Puritans accused one-hundred-fifty people of their own citizens and they executed twenty of them. In 1700, Massachusetts passes a law ordering all Roman Catholic priests to leave the colony within three months upon penalty of life imprisonment or execution (New York passes a similar law). In 1702 in Maryland, the Anglican Church gets established as the official church. In 1706 South Carolina also established the Anglican Church as its official church.

All of this occurred well before the establishment of the United States.

These early European Americans began to feel very suspicious of the growing encroachment of Christianity upon government and personal freedoms. By the mid 1750s, a few of the colonists began to introduce heretical ideas. Benjamin Franklin publishes Poor Richard's Almanac, and he begins to question Christian principles. More and more Americans become wary of religious and political impositions on their life. In January of 1776, Thomas Paine publishes "Common Sense" in Philadelphia which criticized King George III's allegiance to Monarchy, and argues for American independence. It becomes an instant best-seller. Paine, a Pagan deist would later write "Age of Reason" where he rejected Judeo-Christian tenets and scriptures.

Remember that at this time the colonies belonged to Great Britain.

Things had come to a head. The most influential American colonists rebelled against Great Britain and their taxes, institutional churches, and desired to form an independent government free from religion and Monarchies. On July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence (written by a Pagan deist) announced their independence to the world.

*Another Expert*

The Declaration of Independence, a Pagan document

Although strictly not a lawful document, the Declaration of Independence, a pre-government document, revealed the first attempt by the American colonists to establish their own independence from Great Britain. The Declaration also mentions god where the religious-right of modern times have tried to use as evidence for their Christian god. But does the god of the Declaration speak about a Biblical god? No, not at all. Clearly the god mentioned describes a Pagan concept. Lets look at the Declaration's words directly:

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.

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.

A Few Examples of Pagan Nature Gods:

Baal- God of Thunder

Agni - God of fire

Mars - God of war and agriculture

Poseidon - God of the sea

The Egyptians worshiped Anuket- Goddess of the Nile, Baal- God of the Desert, Yamm- God of the sea, etc. The Hindus worshiped Vedic Gods: Surya- God of the Sun, Agni- God of fire, Varuna- God of Rain, etc. The Greeks had Apollo- God of the Sun, Aphrodite- Goddess of love, Poseidon- God of the Sea, etc. The Romans honored Ceres- Goddess of Corn, Libertas- Goddess of Liberty, Neptune- God of the Sea, etc. The Pagan nature gods number in the thousands.

Clearly then, to worship a god of nature regardless of whether you think it means the laws of nature of a supernatural god of nature means practicing Paganism by the very meaning of the word.

To continue with words in the Declaration:

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.

The Declaration echoes John Locke's idea [1] that in the "state of nature, " all human beings lived free and equal (Locke would remain a hero of Jefferson throughout his life). [Mapp] The idea that "all men are created equal" goes against Biblical doctrine. The Bible supports inequality from a top down hierarchy: God-man-woman-beast (Catholic dogma adds the church and their priests between God and man). Moreover the word "Creator" describes a Deistic term in the 1700s.

Jefferson, in his many papers and correspondences throughout his life expressed a Deistic view of religion. Deists did not believe in miracles, revealed religion, the authority of the clergy, or the divinity of Jesus. Jefferson regarded ethics, not faith, as the essence of religion. Of course Deists believed in a creator, but thought that the original Creator no longer lived or did not play any part in the world or influenced the lives of people. That goes to the very reason why the American founding fathers knew that they (We the people) had to form the laws of the land, laws based on human reasoning.

Nowhere else in the Declaration (or any other founding document) do we find mention of gods or creators. The entire bases of connecting god with the U.S. government rests entirely on only three words, "Nature's God" and "Creator." Nothing more. And even these three words come from a deist describing a Pagan concept!

*end of essay excerpts*

*(my Conjecture)*

I think the reason why this author writes the way he does is mainly for shock value to grab your attention, its a style of writing. as Jason to my knowledge is a writer im sure he is familar with this style of writing.

I think the reason why he (the Author - "Pagan Jim") claims this country was founded on paganism is because:

America was not a nation until the founders like Ben Franklin, Tom Jefferson, Tom Payne, ect. sat around and wrote up some documents...and they were deist who spoke up against christianity, and therefore wanted this country to be a free nation based on religious freedom, therefore not a Christian nation.

and if I go back to the article and post up the very first thing said:

Pagan n. 1. A person who is not a Christian, Moslem, or Jew; heathen. 2. One who has no religion.

--The American Heritage Dictionary

So by the dictionary def. Anyone who isnt a Christian is considered a "Pagan" So Since the diest founding fathers were not Christian..based on that def. and def. by christians the "If you're not with us, youre against us" Then america certainly was founded on "Pagan" Principles *Please note the quotation marks - Its mainly to get a rise outa people from the author*

obviously if they were not christian, it makes sense that they would not establish a nation based on a religion they did not adhere to. therefore the "Christian Nation" Myth holds no merit.

every search I have ever made into this realm, points to that, that the founders were open deist and not christian.

but dont take my word for it, do some secondary research yourself.

I hope anyone who actually took the time to read the essay will realize its satire: ---- However that does not change the fact that this country IS NOT Founded on an idea of a "Christian Nation"

From the section A small revelation:

The astute reader will realize that I wrote this essay as satire against those Christians who go around claiming America as a Christian nation because of the few Judeo-Christian symbolic references found on various artifacts ("God" on coins, 10 Commandments in front of court houses, etc.). If we use mottoes, pledges, and pictures of coins as a means to determine our founding principles, then the Christians will lose by a large margin considering the numerous pagan references that far outstrip the number of Christian references.

Although I have attempted to present an accurate history of pagan references above, I have purposely hidden the secular reasons for the founding principles of U.S. government. Our founding fathers never intended our country to reflect religious pagan or Christian principles. They formed a secular government (the first in the world) in order to separate religion from politics which includes the separation of pagan, and Judeo-Christian religions. Yes, indeed, American founders founded our government upon pagan ideas, but not on pagan religious ideas.

The references to pagan deities do not violate separation of church and state because the religions of these deities no longer exist. Through force, Christianity and Islam virtually wiped out all the European and middle-east pagan religions from the 4th century onward by labeling them heretics, burning them at the stake, and destroying their sacred texts. Our founding fathers used pagan symbols to represent the ideas of liberty and freedom, not to promote pagan religions. The use of "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and on currency, on the other hand, got put there precisely to promote Christianity. These uses of a monotheistic "God" points to an existing religion, and for this reason, violates separation of church and state.

In this tongue-and-cheek historical lesson, I presented myself as pagan, but of course I don't really practice pagan worship any more than I do Christianity or Judaism. Nor did any of our most influential founding fathers. I find no offense in using dead pagan symbology, but the use of monotheistic Christian symbols certainly offends many freethinkers, atheists, or the polytheistic religious.

So if anyone points to the 10 Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the word "God" on a coin, and tries to claim America as Christian, give him (or her) a copy of this essay and perhaps they might feel offended, thus putting themselves into other American's shoes. You might then recite their Golden Rule to them.