"Clearly, the founders of our nation intended government to maintain a
neutral posture in matters of religion. Anyone who would still insist
that the intention of the founding fathers was to establish a Christian
nation should review a document written during the administration of
George Washington. Article 11 of the Treaty with Tripoli declared in
part that "the government of the United States is not in any sense
founded on the Christian religion..." (/Treaties and Other International
Acts of the United States/, ed. Hunter Miller, Vol. 2, U. S. Government
Printing Office, 1931, p. 365). This treaty was negotiated by the
American diplomat Joel Barlow during the administration of George
Washington. Washington read it and approved it, although it was not
ratified by the senate until John Adams had become president. When Adams
signed it, he added this statement to his signature "Now, be it known,
that I, John Adams, President of the United States of America, having
seen and considered the said treaty, do, by and within the consent of
the Senate, accept, ratify and confirm the same, and every clause and
article thereof." This document and the approval that it received from
our nation's first and second presidents and the U. S. Senate as
constituted in 1797 do very little to support the popular notion that
the founding fathers established our country as a "Christian nation.""_
posted by ajr at 8:54 PM on September 19, 2004