American history sets the stage for the development of Christianity in the U.S. over the course of nearly four centuries: Patrick hennery once said "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ".
In his book, The Empty Church, Thomas Reeves says "The United States is the most religious nation in the advanced industrialized west, but it appears blatantly, almost aggressively secular." (55). This is the great American paradox. The first amendment of the constitution states: .
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Yet as George Bush pointed out "One can not be America's president without a belief in God, without a belief in prayer." (qtd.in Reeves 55). Even though there is the freedom of religion clause in the constitution the U.S.'s underpinning is religious: one can find such sayings as "God Bless America", and "In God we trust" even the pledge of Allegiance refers to God: "I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United Stated of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Americans are a divided people: they are torn between their ability and the comfort of embracing the advancement of modern science and technology, and still accept the religious beliefs that give them solace and comfort even though they contradict the scientific way. George Gallup jr. says "The degree of religious orthodoxy found among Americans is simply amazing such a nation can not by any stretch of the imagination be described as secular in its core beliefs." (qtd.in Reeves 51) when describing the paradox.