Main topic of outline and essay: Was America founded as a Christian nation and should it pursue a unique identity of a Christian nation?
1. Main idea: The Text of the Constitution Does Not Say the United States Is a Christian Nation.
a. Supporting sentence: The text of the Constitution contains no references to God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. That document does not state that our country is an officially Christian nation.
b. Supporting sentence: The First Amendment bars all laws “respecting an establishment of religion” and protects “the free exercise thereof.” Nothing here indicates that the latter provision applies only to Christian faiths.
2. Main Idea: Shortly After the Constitution Was Ratified, Conservative Ministers Attacked