The United States, at it's founding, was a Christian-led state

I ask my opponent to completely refrain from sourcing sites like wikepedia or militant atheist propoganda utilizing revisionist ideology for a historical or theological framework or understanding. Please use and link directly primary source documentation that validates the opposing historical viewpoint. Contention 1) In the History prior to 1920 the Church Pulpits were credited with the Revolution As a body of men, the clergy were pre-eminent in their attachment to Liberty. The pulpits of the land rang with the notes of freedom. The American Quarterly Register [MAGAZINE], 1833 If Christian ministers had not preached and prayed, there might have been no revolution as yet - or had it broken out, it might have been crushed. Bibliotheca Sacra [BRITISH PERIODICAL], 1856 The ministers of the Revolution were, like their Puritan predecessors, bold and fearless in the cause of their country. No class of men contributed more to carry forward the Revolution and to achieve our independence than did the ministers. . . . [B]y their prayers, patriotic sermons, and services [they] rendered the highest assistance to the civil government, the army, and the country. B. F. Morris, HISTORIAN, 1864 The Constitutional Convention and the written Constitution were the children of the pulpit. Alice Baldwin, HISTORIAN, 1918 My opponent would have to show there was even a contrary debate or contrary evidence that it was not the commonly held belief directly after the revolution or the century following Contention 2) The generations leading up to the revolution and design of the American Form of Democracy at the founding was initiated, led and crafted with the Pulpits. There are clear examples of the same governments formed within the Christian Colonies Ex: 1 – 1620 the Pilgrims Landed, Pastor John Robinson Charged them with electing leaders from among themselves that would seek a common good but also eliminate elitist special privileges that separates the governors and the governed. “Lastly, whereas you are become a body politic, using amongst yourselves civil government, and are not furnished with any persons of special eminency above the rest, to be chosen by you into office of government; let your wisdom and godliness appear, not only in choosing such persons as do entirely love and will promote the common good, but also in yielding unto them all due honor and obedience in their lawful administrations, not beholding in them the ordinariness of their persons, but God's ordinance for your good” . http://www.pilgrimhall.org... The Pilgrims created the first “bill of rights” in America. I have linked their entire legal and government structure for your review . http://www.histarch.uiuc.edu... Ex: 2 – 1630 Puritans land in Mass. They establish Representative Government with annual elections. 1641 they establish a bill of rights called the body of liberties, the Reverend Nathaniel Ward drafted this. . http://history.hanover.edu... Ex:3 - 1636 The Rhode Island colony was established by Reverend Roger Williams and founded an elective form of Government, that increase religious denominational toleration and minimized use of governmental force for edicts against religious separatism. The Minister Dr. John Clark secured the charter presenting this form of Government just a few years later. . http://avalon.law.yale.edu.../17th_century/ri04.asp Ex 4: The 1619 Virginia House of Burgesses was the first popular elected legislature. . http://www.ushistory.org... This legislative body was held in the church and here is John Pory’s first account to the opening from a secular source…. But forasmuch as men's affaires doe litle prosper where God's service is neglected, all the Burgesses tooke their places in the Quire till a prayer was said by Mr. Bucke, the Minister, that it would please God to guide and sanctifie all our proceedings to his own glory and the good of this Plantation . .. The Speaker . .. delivered in briefe to the whole assembly the occasions of their meeting. Which done he read unto them the commission for establishing the Counsell of Estate and the general Assembly, wherein their duties were described to the life . .. And forasmuch as our intente is to establish one equall and uniforme kinde of government over all Virginia &c. – John Pory, "A Reporte of the Manner of Proceeding in the General Assembly Convented at James City" (July 30, 1619) Ex 5: In 1676 New Jersey was divided into two religious subcolonies. Puritan East Jersey and Quaker West Jersey. The Quaker Minister William Penn wrote the governing document for West Jersey. . http://oll.libertyfund.org... Ex 6: In 1681, Quaker Minister William Penn also wrote the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania. It, too, established annual elections and provided numerous guarantees for citizen rights, like a bill of rights. [IBID] William Penn’s work show clear development of an ancient constitution allowing religious tolerance, no taxation without representation etc… I could go on and on but these are just some keystone states that developed the Declaration of Ind. , the bill of rights, and the constitution. Contention 3) The signers of the Declaration of Independence were 98% all Christians. Even if my opponent can cite an out of context quote of a few of the founding fathers the VAST majority of the founding fathers were indeed Christians and even Ministers Contention 4) The biblical book of Exodus lays out a representative government structured like America, God first, then a patriarch of any sort, selected leaders of groups of men and then the men themselves. This was even taught by the founder of Conneticut Rev Thomas Hooker. 1638 sermon based on Deuteronomy 1:13 and Exodus 18:21, the Rev. Hooker explained the three Biblical principles that had guided the plan of government in Connecticut: I. [T]he choice of public magistrates belongs unto the people by God's own allowance. II. The privilege of election . . . belongs to the people . . . III. They who have power to appoint officers and magistrates [i. e. , the people], it is in their power also to set the bounds and limitations of the power and place - Also, Famed Historian and Professor Clinton Rossiter of Cornwell University cites: “[T]he Bible gave a healthy spur to the belief in a written constitution. The Mosaic Code, too, was a higher law that men could live by - and appeal to - against the decrees and whims of ordinary men. ” Clinton Rossiter, Seedtime of the Republic (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co. , 1953) Contention 5) The original state constitutions clearly speak of the Christian God prevelant in the country. . http://avalon.law.yale.e...du/subject_menus/18th.asp Rebuttal A few out of context quotes from some of the founding fathers does not make a case. .. . that is absurd. .. .. did you even read the documents and context where those quotes came from? See comments on the links and actual context of quotes - out of Characters. Conclusion: I have posted an outstanding amount of data: - I have shown that charters for the Christian Colonies read as exactly that of the original versions of Constitution, bill of rights and declaration of independence. - I have shown that 1800’s marked the pulpit as responsible for the revolution - I have shown that State Constitutions look to God as the originator of their ability to govern themselves. - I have shown that even the elected governance is a biblical concept and was defended by Pastors during sermons very early on in American Colonial History. - I have pointed to the fact that the VAST majority of signers of the Declaration of Ind. etc. . Were indeed Christian.