Mark Weldon Whitten

Mark Weldon Whitten is a college philosophy and religion instructor. In the following viewpoint, he refutes the argument that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. Whitten examines historical evidence, including the text of the Constitution, and concludes that the nation’s founders intended to establish a national government based on the principle that church and state should be wholly separate.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What arguments does Whitten make to explain the absence of the words “separation of church and state” in the Constitution?
2. What are the seven main points of evidence that the author uses to support his argument that church-state separation was fundamental constitutional principle?
3. What does separation of church and state mean, according to Whitten"

It has often been charged that America...