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America's 200-year War with Islamic Terrorism
The Strange Case of the Treaty of Tripoli
“. . . The United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion . . .”
How many times have you heard this little line attributed to the Founding Fathers in an attempt to disprove America’s Christian heritage?
A famous People for the American Way advertisement featuring Charlie Sheen’s father Martin even states that George Washington, the father of our country, wrote it!
For years, this one little line has tripped up many a defender of America’s Christian heritage.
Found in an obscure 1797 treaty with the Barbary Pirates when Washington wasn’t even in office, the line was written in language the Muslims would understand to persuade the pirates that the United States was not governed by a state religion like an Islamic nation, and would thus not impose Christianity on the people of the Barbary Coast.
A studied examination of the history and context of the Treaty of Tripoli in light of the magnitude of evidence for the Christian history of the United States, Gary DeMar’s America’s 200-Year War With Islamic The Strange Case of the Treaty of Tripoli clears the air of the misconceptions and deceptions surrounding the treaty, and puts secular critics in their place.
“. . . The United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion . . .”
How many times have you heard this little line attributed to the Founding Fathers in an attempt to disprove America’s Christian heritage?
A famous People for the American Way advertisement featuring Charlie Sheen’s father Martin even states that George Washington, the father of our country, wrote it!
For years, this one little line has tripped up many a defender of America’s Christian heritage.
Found in an obscure 1797 treaty with the Barbary Pirates when Washington wasn’t even in office, the line was written in language the Muslims would understand to persuade the pirates that the United States was not governed by a state religion like an Islamic nation, and would thus not impose Christianity on the people of the Barbary Coast.
A studied examination of the history and context of the Treaty of Tripoli in light of the magnitude of evidence for the Christian history of the United States, Gary DeMar’s America’s 200-Year War With Islamic The Strange Case of the Treaty of Tripoli clears the air of the misconceptions and deceptions surrounding the treaty, and puts secular critics in their place.
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2011
12 people want to read
About the author
Gary DeMar
94 books77 followersGary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. In 2007, he earned his Ph.D. in Christian Intellectual History from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandson. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA).
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September 21, 2014
A very short but well worthy read on the Treaty of Tripoli. Gary DeMar gives the historical context to the treaty, including the backdrop of the famous (or infamous) statement in the treaty: “The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”
DeMar shows the purpose of this statement as thus: “The Treaty of Tripoli is nothing more than a pronouncement “that ‘the Christian religion’ as a formal institution was not a part of the American government in the same way that the religious structures of Islam are a part of Islamic governments” (pp. 14-15).
After explaining in detail all the historical information and refuting contrary claims to what the Treaty of Tripoli is, he then goes on to state that if treaties with foreign nations are what we should use to determine our nation’s founding religious views, perhaps we should also take into account the treaties that were signed in 1783, 1814, 1822, and 1848 - all being signed or ascribing glory to the Trinitarian (that is the Christian) God.
While it’s a short read, I highly recommend this book. It’s a great historical presentation of the Treaty of Tripoli, it’s historical significance, and the application we can make of it today.
DeMar shows the purpose of this statement as thus: “The Treaty of Tripoli is nothing more than a pronouncement “that ‘the Christian religion’ as a formal institution was not a part of the American government in the same way that the religious structures of Islam are a part of Islamic governments” (pp. 14-15).
After explaining in detail all the historical information and refuting contrary claims to what the Treaty of Tripoli is, he then goes on to state that if treaties with foreign nations are what we should use to determine our nation’s founding religious views, perhaps we should also take into account the treaties that were signed in 1783, 1814, 1822, and 1848 - all being signed or ascribing glory to the Trinitarian (that is the Christian) God.
While it’s a short read, I highly recommend this book. It’s a great historical presentation of the Treaty of Tripoli, it’s historical significance, and the application we can make of it today.
Displaying 1 of 1 review