There was a flurry of correspondence with the Anti-Defamation League in the wake of his statments. (reprinted below) But the upshot was this statement from the ADL:
In response, ADL welcomed Sen. McCain's clarification, but added, "Nevertheless, we are deeply disappointed that you did not expressly retract your statement that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. Last October, journalist Dan Gilgoff interviewed John McCain on BeliefNet. The interview was titled: John McCain: Constitution Established a "Christian Nation."
Q: A recent poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. Constitution establishes a Christian nation. What do you think?
We write in response to your recent interview posted on Beliefnet.com. We and others are confused and dismayed by the comments you made in the course of this interview. On the one hand, you correctly noted that our Founding Fathers unequivocally believed in the separation of church and state. Yet you then came to the conclusion that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." McCain replied:
You have misconstrued my interview with Beliefnet, in which I made repeated references to the "Judeo-Christian" values that informed our founding fathers' respect for human rights. I did not assert that members of one faith have a greater claim to American citizenship than another. In fact, I stressed the opposite, noting that "the lady who holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn't say 'I only welcome Christians.'" Read in context, the interview makes clear that I believe people of all faiths are welcome here and entitled to all the protections of our Constitution, including the unfettered right to practice their religion freely. In the interview, I observed that the values protected by the Constitution - such as respect for human life and dignity - are rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition. That is all I intended to say to the question: is America a Christian nation? Foxman rejoined:
Thank you for your quick response to my letter expressing concern over your interview with Beliefnet in which you referred to the United States as a "Christian nation." Here is the ADL press release on the flap. The blog Jed Report made a You Tube video from an interview conducted by Dan Gilgoff at Beliefnet last year. It is a compelling two and a half minute bit of vid, but Jed Report does not identify the source. The link to the original is in this post. A hat tip and a sweeping bow to Daily Kos diarist DrSteveB for originally flagging this in response to the Obama/Farrakhan episode. For a primer on Christian nationalism, see: History is Powerful: Why the Christian Right Distorts History and Why it Matters.
The Christian Nationalism of John McCain | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
The Christian Nationalism of John McCain | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
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