Across the world, religion has become an increasingly significant factor within the political sphere. The U.S., included, faces its own religious identity crisis: whether its Christian roots should influence legislation. The United States tends to frame its national identity around its Christian past, but this completely overlooks the deep history of indigenous tribes—the true original inhabitants. Everyone else in the U.S. is either descended from immigrants or immigrants themselves. The argument for Christian values within the American government fundamentally silences centuries of suppression and violence against Native Americans and their voices. Before addressing the religion debate in the U.S., we must acknowledge the nation's roots began with Native Americans but were reframed to be centered around a historical narrative crafted by the colonizers to obscure the Native American heritage. Indigenous history has been erased to build the very government that selectively uplifts and privileges certain groups, reinforcing a legacy of inequality and creating a xenophobic culture.

Christianity first came to America through European settlements in the 16th and 17th centuries. Although Judaism was present, Christianity primarily grew in popularity. Christianity evolved into various branches, gaining popularity throughout settlements and creating diversity within the faith. England had encouraged its residents to settle in the “New World,” and England even promised naturalization if they went through a 7-year process that included a Christian declaration. This incentive proved highly appealing to families struggling to gain citizenship status and effectively advanced the British Parliament’s objective to spread Christianity. However, the main reason many traveled to the new land was to escape Europe’s government, where religion and government were closely intertwined. Some were even fleeing from religious persecution in England. The prospect of freely practicing their faith was a key driver.

The thirteen individual colonies often had varying dominant branches of Christianity. For example, Massachusetts and Connecticut consisted of Puritans, Pennsylvania mostly had Quakers, and Maryland had many Catholics. The colonies were somewhat tolerant of diverse religious practices understanding many of the settlers came for religious freedom. Still, almost all the colonies imposed strict religious observance laws. There were laws mandating attendance at places of worship, and they had taxes that paid for the minister’s salaries. Discrimination against other religions still existed with one notable example being four Quakers hanged in Boston in 1660.

Determined to prevent the new nation from repeating England's history of religious conflict, the Founding Fathers came to a decision. Wanting to explicitly protect individual rights at a federal level in 1791, the First Amendment was written, stating, “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.”

They had now established freedom of religion, but as the country of immigrants grew over the centuries so did the religious and racial divisions. In 1958 John F. Kennedy said that the US is “a nation of immigrants. Except for those of Native American ancestry, we all can trace our heritage back to somewhere else, whether our ancestors came on the Mayflower or a slave ship, into Ellis Island or Angel Island, into JFK Airport or across the Rio Grande.” America is known for its long list of metaphorical descriptions from a melting pot to a salad bowl because it is a country of individuals with vastly diverse backgrounds. Developing a Christian presence as a form of conformity shouldn’t work in a country founded on the principle of freedom. However, a country meant for new beginnings that has consistently hierarchized its people may just allow it.

The U.S. had a suspenseful election in 2020 between Republican Donald J. Trump and Democrat Joseph Biden. The US is split into two major parties: Republicans and Democrats. Republicans are generally more inclined to link Christian values with their policies, it was even found, more than half of Republicans believe the country should be a strictly Christian nation, with 21% believing it should reflect ideals of Christian nationalism. Trump, himself, had a bit of a blurred history with Christianity but ironically his four years as president say otherwise. Trump has never been a devoted man of faith, but somehow Christian nationalists have been some of his strongest campaign activists and voting demographic. He created a 6 to 3 conservative majority within the Supreme Court assisting the Christian voice. He is even supporting the claim that Christians are severely persecuted and there needs to be federal intervention. Trump leveraged his Christian voters to win office and aims for a conservative reign again in 2025. Project 2025, a collection of conservative Christian proposals to reshape the government, was even designed to enact his agenda as dictator. Although Trump has been trying to distance his campaign from this project, it's not a coincidence that a vast number of contributors come from his 2016 cabinet. His running mate JD Vance also suspiciously has several ties to the conservative project but, again, denies his support. This plan details within 1000 pages of how to implement Christian values within the executive branch. To just name a few parts of the plan: they want to replace workers in the government with loyal Trump supporters rather than qualified individuals so their agenda can successfully be ratified, divert funds towards churches, and eliminate several programs created to help minoritized groups including veterans. Similar to Christian Conservatives in Texas, the Trump administration aims to ban books that contradict Christian values or support LGBTQ individuals, restrict rights for those who identify as LGBTQ, and prevent implementation of gun safety laws. Being re-elected would allow him to do all of this at the federal level affecting the entirety of America. Christians, like Trump, are advocating for America to align with traditionalist Christian values. In doing so, they infringe upon the personal freedoms of many and often engage in discrimination. A survey even found correlations between Christian nationalists and anti-Black, anti-immigrant, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and antifeminist views. The moral provisions promoting traditional gender roles, suppressing freedoms of self-expression, restricting the free press, and denying climate change cannot be tolerated. Organizations like the Heritage Foundation believe they can address societal issues by enforcing these rigid ideologies-such as advocating for 'colorblindness' as a solution to racism. This Christian nationalist framework seeks to impose a singular worldview and may become a dystopian reality for America.

Strictly adhering to Christian values blinds Conservatives from understanding alternative perspectives on issues like abortion, gender roles, and assisted suicide. Christians often believe any pregnancy is a gift from God and therefore, it is murder and wrong to get an abortion. There are many cases where victims of rape become pregnant and, understandably, do not wish to carry the pregnancy to term. While some moderate Christians support exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, proving that conception occurred due to rape can be extremely difficult in court, often delaying the process and forcing the mother to continue the pregnancy. Another common situation involves mothers who are not ready for parenthood or are financially unable to raise a child. While some Christians advocate for adoption over abortion, this argument often ignores the harsh realities faced by children who remain unadopted or suffer in the foster care system. Additionally, pregnancies can present serious health risks to the mother, and in states where abortion is banned, doctors are often powerless to intervene, leading to tragic outcomes where both the fetus and the mother may lose their lives. There are so many circumstances that justify an abortion, but conservative Christians often choose to be ignorant and invalidate the opposing view.

Republican extremists in the USA often portray themselves as die-hard loyalists for the Constitution but their inconsistencies reveal their skewed moral priorities. Despite having the highest rate of mass shootings, conservatives refuse to allow any safety restrictions on their Second Amendment rights. Yet, when it comes to the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom, some find loopholes to advocate for the teaching of the Bible in public schools, disregarding the Founding Fathers' intent to separate church and state. This selective interpretation shows a disregard for individuals who do not align with their agenda, highlighting a tendency to pick and choose when to adhere to originalism.

It is unjust for people to suffer simply because they do not share the same principles as someone else. It is not fair for a woman to be on the brink of death because abortion is deemed a sin by another’s beliefs. Neither is it right for individuals to be denied the freedom to express their love or identity simply because it doesn’t align with their values. Christianity became widely practiced in the United States after many immigrants sought freedom and religious refuge, that very fact should serve as clear evidence for the need to keep religion separate from governance. As America’s nation has developed so should its values and constitutional rights, in a way that can systematically work for everyone.