There’s no doubt that various Christian yearnings and Old World battles played a major role in European colonizing of north America. And it’s silly to assert that Christianity has not profoundly shaped our culture, nor that the majority of Americans today are Christian in some expression or other.

But the founders, living in a time when public religious discourse was unselfconscious, were quite circumspect in mentioning God. The Declaration of Independence speaks of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God” and “Creator,” terms that would not likely satisfy my politically activist evangelical friends. The Articles of Incorporation refer to the “Great Governor of the World.” The Constitution itself does not contain the word God.

What the Constitution, thank God, does do is guarantee the free exercise of religion by not establishing a religion. That set up a marketplace of ideas, one that is now a lively multi-faith forum.

As someone who is privileged to lead a local congregation, I welcome the challenge of that free market. Preaching and teaching among my own people, freely bringing our faith to bear on social and public matters, I expect the ideas growing out of our faith to face the same test as any other ideas. I won’t always be “right,” but God doesn’t need me for that.

Instead of thumping for “a Christian nation,” “Bible-believing” Christians should take guidance and inspiration from a pivotal moment in the early days of the Christian movement (Acts 5:38-39). A mob wanted to kill Peter and other apostles for preaching the new religion. Gamaliel, a respected rabbi, called for calm. “Keep away from these men and let them alone,” he told them, “because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them . . . ”

We don't always recognize God's will in its surprising and mysterious ways. But the God in whom I put my faith doesn’t need an official “Christian nation” for that will to be done.