In a disturbing display of hatred, a Christian woman donned a hijab to infiltrate a Muslim event and hurl insults at Islam and its followers. This individual, now running for Congress in Texas, repeated debunked lies about Muslims while declaring that America is a Christian nation and that Islam has no place here. But what happens when we hold these claims up against actual American history? The facts tell a very different story — one of interfaith respect, religious freedom, and a founding vision that was never exclusively Christian.
Was America Really Founded as a Christian Nation?
The historical record overwhelmingly says no. According to scholars like Dr. Gerald Dirks, only about 15% of white Americans during the founding era were even church members. Among the intellectual elite, deism — belief in one God without the Trinity or the divinity of Jesus — was the dominant faith. None of the first seven presidents belonged to a church upon taking office. George Washington, a deist, would walk out of church during communion. John Adams, a Unitarian who denied the Trinity, once wished that Muslims in Turkey would send free translations of the Quran to America. Thomas Jefferson called the Trinity “hocus pocus fantasm” and “mere abracadabra.” Benjamin Franklin openly rejected the divinity of Jesus. John Quincy Adams even refused to take his oath of office on a Bible, insisting on a book of US law instead. These founding fathers held beliefs far closer to Islam’s pure monotheism than to orthodox Christianity.
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion, as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility of Muslims. — Treaty of Tripoli, Article 11, signed by President John Adams and unanimously approved by the Senate in 1797
Islam’s Deep Roots in American History
- In 1777, Morocco became the first country to recognize US independence, and in 1786 the US and Morocco signed a treaty of friendship — the longest unbroken treaty in American history
- George Washington personally thanked the Sultan of Morocco for his support and said America must welcome the oppressed and persecuted of all religions
- John Adams called Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, a “soldier of truth”
- Thomas Jefferson owned a Quran, studied Islamic law 11 years before writing the Declaration of Independence, and in 1805 hosted the first White House iftar to accommodate a Muslim ambassador during Ramadan
- Historians estimate that 20-40% of enslaved Africans brought to America through the transatlantic slave trade were Muslims
- The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution contain no mention of Jesus, the Trinity, the crucifixion, or Christianity
- Many early state constitutions actually banned Christian ministers from holding political office
Let there be no compulsion in religion. — The Holy Quran, Chapter 2
The Truth About Islam and Interfaith Understanding
People who spread hatred against Islam and Muslims are attempting to rewrite history and feed a toxic cycle of ignorance. They never attack the core of Islam — its pure monotheism, its five pillars, its articles of faith — because these teachings are beautiful and universal. Instead, they quote things out of context, hoping one lie will stick. The truth is that Islam calls humanity to surrender to the Creator of the heavens and the earth, to live a morally upright life, and to walk in the footsteps of every prophet from Abraham to Moses to Jesus to Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Muslims cannot even be Muslims without loving Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. The next time someone claims Islam does not belong in America, share these facts with them: Muslims helped build America, Islam was respected by the founding fathers, and religious freedom for all faiths is legally protected. This is not just Muslim history — it is American history.
