Christian Nations

Can They Be Found?

Over at M&M we have been debating whether the United States is a Christian nation.  We issued the following challenge to one of the protagonists who asserted that the US is an overtly Christian nation:

If you can find one current governing document (Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. at either Federal level or state level), one Supreme Court Decision, one federally funded entity, one public school, one federally funded college or university, one officially sanctioned public prayer, one act of Congress, or one democratic vote on anything anywhere that publicly acknowledges and honours Jesus Christ as Lord of these United States, or college, or state legislature–or whatever, then you may have a point–at least for that one particular public institution that performed an isolated act of obeisance to the King of kings. But to speak of the US as a Christian nation whilst all institutions of public governance are forbidden by law to mention, let alone honour or invoke the Christ, would seem at first glance bizarre. . . .

If you were to observe that there are plenty of Christians in the US and that makes the US an overtly Christian nation, I would observe that there are millions upon millions of Christians in China, but that does not make China an overtly Christian nation in any sense whatsoever.

The discussion raises interesting questions.  Can any nation accurately be called Christian today?   Secondly, what would an overtly Christian country look like?  The answer would be quickly to hand if we were to ask: what does a Christian family look like?  Two things.  Firstly, it is necessary that the family, as a family, profess the Lord Jesus Christ as its head, and profess loyalty and obeisance to Him.  This is a necessary condition to being a Christian family.  There must be an "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" position taken and proclamation made.  But this is not sufficient.

In addition, a family that is Christian must not only make the profession, but must evidence an actual living faith that is transforming the lives of all its members to be more like Christ.  Or, to use the modern idiom, it must talk Christianly and walk Christianly.  Then we can accurately and fairly speak of a Christian family.

The same principles and tests would hold true for any Christian institution, such as a Christian school, a Christian hospital, or a Christian law firm.  Precisely the same tests hold true for a genuinely Christian nation.  In order for a nation to be fairly called Christian it is necessary that the nation, as a nation, publicly acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as its Head, as the King over its judges, courts, parliaments, executives.  But this is not sufficient.  In addition, in national life, the nation must walk the walk, which would require, of course, that the vast majority of its citizens as citizens are Believers and are living out their faith.

Does this mean that in a Christian nation, everyone would be forced to become a Christian?  Of course not.  You cannot force anyone to be a Christian: it is a contradiction in terms.  No-one can force the regeneration of the Spirit which leads to a man being born again.  Did not our Lord say that the Spirit blows where He wills?  But it does mean that in a Christian nation even Unbelievers will adopt Christian practices and habits because they will have become cultural.  When everyone is doing something, others go along for the ride. 

Given these litmus tests as to whether a nation is Christian, is there any Christian nation upon the earth today?  Clearly not.  Are there nations that are more Christian than others?  Clearly yes, if we mean by that nations where Christians have freedom to believe and practise their faith, and that as such they have some influence over their local communities.

Will there ever be genuinely Christian nations upon the earth?  We believe so--provided you also believe, as we do, that the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed ensure the fulfilment of the Great Commission.  Why else would He have been raised to the office, position, and glory of absolute ruler of the heavens and the earth?