Christian or Not? Unpacking America's Religious Identity

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

Can America guarantee free expression of religion in public as an officially secular, but culturally Christian nation? Expressing religious faith in public is both protected by law and socially acceptable. As a secular nation, the US has no official religion, but since two-thirds of American are Christian, most of the displays of religion in public places we see represent one faith. For example, Christmas is the only religious holiday observed by the that’s also a federal holiday when all government services and most private businesses are closed. And some argue that, because of our history and founding, America was intended to be a Christian nation. On this episode of Top of Mind we explore how free non-Christians in America actually feel to express their religious identity and beliefs in public? What’s the fairest way to approach the topic of religion in public places? Did the American founders intend to establish a Christian nation - and what does that complicated history mean for freedom of religion in the United States today? Guests: Linda K. Wertheimer, journalist and author of Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance (https://www.lindakwertheimer.com/?page_id=722) Rim-Sarah Alouane, Ph.D. candidate in comparative law at the University Toulouse-Capitole in France (https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-weaponization-of-laicite) John Fea, professor of American History at Messiah University and author of Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (https://www.amazon.com/Was-America-Founded-Christian-Nation/dp/0664235042)