The Christian-nation founding story contradicts documented history

Evidence

It seems to me that, on the contrary, it is a discourse with a specific function. Its function 1s not so much to record the past or to speak of origins as to speak of right, to speak of power’s right. Basically, the story is a lesson in public right. — Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended, 132 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

And research suggests this isn’t just plain old ignorance, either. When scholars assess religious conservatives’ knowledge of many aspects of science (for example, atoms, lasers, viruses, or genes), they score well. It is only when they are asked about hotly contested culture-war topics (for example, evolution or the Big Bang) that they do poorly. This is why white Americans who more strongly affirm that America should be for “people like us” are more likely to answer questions about religion in America’s political history in a way that elevates the preeminence and alleged persecution of Christianity. Not only may they have learned erroneous religious history, but the ideology of white Christian nationalism may incline white Americans to reinterpret their history in ways that elevate their own group as heroes and victims. — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross, 116 (#instantiates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Deep stories feel truest precisely when contradicting recorded history — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 35; Ideological identity, not ignorance, drives whites’ wrong history answers — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 116; Founding myths substitute fabricated narrative for genuine history to serve ruling classes (+5 more)

Related

• Christian nationalist history is factually wrong, not merely interpretively different. (similarity 0.88)
• Christian nationalist founding claims are historically false. (similarity 0.87)
• Historical misinformation alone cannot explain Christian nationalists’ wrong answers (similarity 0.85)
• The founding fathers held diverse religious views and drew on secular sources (similarity 0.83)
• Deep stories feel truest precisely when contradicting recorded history (similarity 0.82)
• Origin myths function as political arguments about power, not historical records (similarity 0.80)
• The United States was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation (similarity 0.79)
• Christian nationalist pastors claim America’s Christian heritage is evident in founding documents (similarity 0.79)
• Ideological identity, not ignorance, drives whites’ wrong history answers (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Founding myths substitute fabricated narrative for genuine history to serve ruling classes #complicates (0.85)
• Origin myths function as political arguments about power, not historical records #corroborates (0.82) — Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended, 132