America was religiously plural from its beginning.

Evidence

But the biggest lie in Barton’s first stab at history is what he takes to be its biggest truth. Once upon a time, in his telling, America was united around a common religion that served as the foundation of the republic—until secularists commandeered the Supreme Court and ruined everything. The reality is that America was a pluralistic land from the beginning and the United States was founded as a secular republic. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 519

Categorization

• XREF: Directly inverts the movement’s foundation myth; builds on ch7’s proslavery-origins analysis. — connects to: America’s founders created the first secular republic. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 509; Muslim-American history predates the American republic — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 974; American founders saw the Muslim world as the republic’s opposite — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 211

Broader Connections

• America’s founders created the first secular republic. #corroborates (0.80) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 509
• Muslim-American history predates the American republic #exemplifies (0.75) — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 974
• American founders saw the Muslim world as the republic’s opposite #qualifies (0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 211