What Supreme Court decision said America is a 'Christian nation'?

Answer 1

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States,143 US 457 (1892)

This 1892 decision addressed whether Christian ministers should be classified with several other types of labor as an exception the the Contract Labor Law of 1885. The first section of the law read:

"It shall be unlawful for any person, company, partnership, or corporation, in any manner whatsoever, to prepay the transportation ,or in any way assist or encourage the importation or migration of any alien or aliens, any foreigner or foreigners, into the united states, its territories, or the District of Columbia, under contract or agreement, parole or special, express or implied, made previous to the importation or migration of such alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia."

Justice Brewer delivered the opinion of the Court, stating:

"If we pass beyond these matters to a view of American life, as expressed by its laws, its business, its customs, and its society, we find every where a clear recognition of the same truth. Among other matters, note the following: the form of oath universally prevailing, concluding with an appeal to the Almighty; the custom of opening sessions of all deliberative bodies and most conventions with prayer; the prefatory words of all wills, "In the name of God, amen;" the laws respecting the observance of the Sabbath, with the general cessation of all secular business, and the closing of courts, legislatures, and other similar public assemblies on that day; the churches and church organizations which abound in every city, town, and hamlet; the multitude of charitable organizations existing every where under Christian auspices; the gigantic missionary associations, with general support, and aiming to establish Christian missions in every quarter of the globe. These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. In the face of all these, shall it be believed that a Congress of the United States intended to make it a misdemeanor for a church of this country to contract for the services of a Christian minister residing in another nation?"

The Supreme Court reversed the lower court ruling that disallowed an exemption for an English minister who was under contract to serve a church in the United States. Congress later amended the law to officially allow clergy to enter the US under contract without being held to the restrictions imposed under the Contract Labor Law.

The pronouncement that the United States is a "Christian nation" does not carry the weight of law, and should not be taken out of context and construed to apply, generally, to the country in 2010.

In fact, Justice Brewer clarified the relationship of religion to the Constitution in his 1905 book, The United States: A Christian Nation, when he wrote:

"But in what sense can [the United States] be called a Christian nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or the people are compelled in any manner to support it. On the contrary, the Constitution specifically provides that 'congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' Neither is it Christian in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or in name Christians. On the contrary, all religions have free scope within its borders. Numbers of our people profess other religions, and many reject all."

Answer 2

Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States,143 US 457 (1892)

This 1892 decision addressed whether Christian ministers should be classified with several other types of labor as an exception the the Contract Labor Law of 1885. The first section of the law read:

"It shall be unlawful for any person, company, partnership, or corporation, in any manner whatsoever, to prepay the transportation ,or in any way assist or encourage the importation or migration of any alien or aliens, any foreigner or foreigners, into the united states, its territories, or the district of Columbia, under contract or agreement, parole or special, express or implied, made previous to the importation or migration of such alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia."

Justice Brewer delivered the opinion of the Court, stating:

"If we pass beyond these matters to a view of American life, as expressed by its laws, its business, its customs, and its society, we find every where a clear recognition of the same truth. Among other matters, note the following: the form of oath universally prevailing, concluding with an appeal to the Almighty; the custom of opening sessions of all deliberative bodies and most conventions with prayer; the prefatory words of all wills, "In the name of God, amen;" the laws respecting the observance of the Sabbath, with the general cessation of all secular business, and the closing of courts, legislatures, and other similar public assemblies on that day; the churches and church organizations which abound in every city, town, and hamlet; the multitude of charitable organizations existing every where under Christian auspices; the gigantic missionary associations, with general support, and aiming to establish Christian missions in every quarter of the globe. These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. In the face of all these, shall it be believed that a Congress of the United States intended to make it a misdemeanor for a church of this country to contract for the services of a Christian minister residing in another nation?"

The Supreme Court reversed the lower court ruling that disallowed an exemption for an English minister who was under contract to serve a church in the United States. Congress later amended the law to officially allow clergy to enter the US under contract without being held to the restrictions imposed under the Contract Labor Law.

The pronouncement that the United States is a "Christian nation" does not carry the weight of law, and should not be taken out of context and construed to apply, generally, to the country in 2010.

In fact, Justice Brewer clarified the relationship of religion to the Constitution in his 1905 book, The United States: A Christian Nation, when he wrote:

"But in what sense can [the United States] be called a Christian nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or the people are compelled in any manner to support it. On the contrary, the Constitution specifically provides that 'congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' Neither is it Christian in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or in name Christians. On the contrary, all religions have free scope within its borders. Numbers of our people profess other religions, and many reject all."