美国藕断丝连的政教分离

美国政府机构里有基督教牧师。如上下两院都有自己的牧师，这些牧师都是基于基督教的。网上相关资料可以用Chaplain（牧师）加上congress或senate等关键词在百度搜索上找到。美国军队也有随军牧师。

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

这是美国政府的誓词。这个誓词中的国家、自由和正义等概念都是限定在上帝之下的。国会开会，由牧师带领祈祷宣誓。

中国把美国宪法中的一句话翻译成“人是生而平等的”。但其英文的意思是人是被上帝创造出来平等的“men are created equal”。

美国建国国父都是虔诚新教徒。不过，他们还不是原教旨，拒绝按照圣经教义建国，而是按照文艺复兴的思想立宪。但是，宗教痕迹还是留了下来。我记得第一次在华盛顿杰弗逊纪念堂里读刻在墙上的那段美国宪法，立刻感受到其语调中的宗教气息。用词带有宗教色彩，如上述的created，还有holy之类。

美国竞选总统，往往会有选民质疑候选人是否信基督的问题。美国政府也提倡基督教，只是不区别具体教派。


图为1774年9月美国大陆议会第一次预备会议在费城基督教堂开会前祈祷的情形。美国议会是在祈祷中正式启动的。上端字为“教会与大宪章”。1215年英王约翰在教会的压力下签署了大宪章。


带领国会第一次祈祷的牧师没有多久就逃到英国去了。这幅是George Duffield的肖像。George Duffield是美国国会任命的第一个国会牧师。1789年国会通过决议将国会任命牧师和国会的宗教仪式定为法律。


独立战争时期国会通过的派牧师到军队中的决议。（有点像TG派政委到军队）

美国根据圣经故事设计国会印章：Proposed Seal for the United States
On July 4, 1776, Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams "to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America." Franklin's proposal adapted the biblical story of the parting of the Red Sea (left). Jefferson first recommended the "Children of Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by Day, and a Pillar of Fire by night. . . ." He then embraced Franklin's proposal and rewrote it (right). Jefferson's revision of Franklin's proposal was presented by the committee to Congress on August 20. Although not accepted these drafts reveal the religious temper of the Revolutionary period. Franklin and Jefferson were among the most theologically liberal of the Founders, yet they used biblical imagery for this important task.

美国国家印章：“反抗暴君就是服从上帝”。


国会斋戒日宣言


国会感恩节宣言。


基督教教义的海军道德守则。


国会背书官方圣经。

国会西部拓土政策中推行基督教的决议：Settling the West
In the spring of 1785 Congress debated regulations for settling the new western lands--stretching from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi--acquired from Great Britain in the Peace Treaty of 1783. It was proposed that the central section in each newly laid out township be reserved for the support of schools and "the Section immediately adjoining the same to the northward, for the support of religion. The profits arising there from in both instances, to be applied for ever according to the will of the majority." The proposal to establish religion in the traditional sense of granting state financial support to a church to be controlled by one denomination attracted support but was ultimately voted down.

国会通过决议用基督教教化土著：Christianizing the Delawares
In this resolution, Congress makes public lands available to a group for religious purposes. Responding to a plea from Bishop John Ettwein (1721-1802), Congress voted that 10,000 acres on the Muskingum River in the present state of Ohio "be set apart and the property thereof be vested in the Moravian Brethren . . . or a society of the said Brethren for civilizing the Indians and promoting Christianity." The Delaware Indians were the intended beneficiaries of this Congressional resolution.

在http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel04.html中有更多美国国会与宗教的相关资料。