What Does the Phrase "Judeo Christian Country" Mean.


President Dwight Eisenhower used the term "Judeo Christian country" in his first Presidential campaign. Later in his life he became disgusted with it and and never said it in public again. In a letter he urged his brother to not use the phrase because it alienated Muslims and other faiths. The history of the phrase has some twists and turns.

According to the link, the phrase originally it referred to democracy. I don't know why the word democracy was not used instead but the link said that's what it meant. Then later the meaning morphed into to anti secularism. 

Beginning in the 1970's the term was weaponized by the religious right. Today it's clear the phrase "Christian nation" means anti atheism/secularism and anti Islam. It was the beginning of what today we call "cultural wars." The implied assumption is that Protestants, Catholic and Jews are better citizens than atheists and, more recently, Muslims. While there now a very few atheists in Congress for almost the entire life of this country there have been none.

Mixed in with the concept of Judeo Christianity was American exceptionalism. The Secretary of State under Eisenhower was John Foster Dulles. He was convinced our country of "Judeo Christian values" led directly to American exceptionalism. That it gave rise to segregation and lack of opportunity to women was not in play back then.

Whatever was meant by Judeo Christian values it is clear the values did not come from those religions. The values came from cultural history and religions acquired them. The country was founded by people who did not want a state religion nor royalty.  To set aside as a superior class those of certain religions was the opposite of what the founding fathers had it mind. 

 

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