Large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation. The belief is especially strong among Republicans and their white evangelical base.

The idea of a Christian America means different things to different people. Pollsters have found a wide circle of Americans who hold general God-and-country sentiments.

But within that is a smaller, hardcore group who also check other boxes in surveys — such as that the U.S. Constitution was inspired by God and that the federal government should declare the U.S. a Christian nation, advocate Christian values or stop enforcing the separation of church and state.

For those embracing that package of beliefs, it’s more likely they’ll have unfavorable views toward immigrants, dismiss or downplay the impact of anti-Black discrimination and believe Trump was a good or great president, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey.

  • @EdibleFriend
    8•9 months ago

    Hmmm. Maybe talk her into becoming a teacher or a librarian? That might up the body count.

    • Flying Squid
      9•9 months ago

      I think her librarian mother would love that, but at this stage, I think she’ll be an artist because that’s where her talents lie (at 13 anyway).

      The thing that has made me sad and I’ve tried to steer her away from is that she has said a couple of times that she thinks she should go to a business school so she can make a lot of money. Her mother and I both decided that being happy was far more important than making money. We were pretty poor for a while because of it, but we were not very stressed because we were happy in the thing we spent all day doing. And now we’re doing fine. I’ve had jobs that paid better, but out of my wheelhouse that were so stressful that I started doing things like developing bad dandruff.

      I absolutely believe that doing what makes you happy is far more important than doing what makes you wealthy and I really want to pass that value on to her. Especially if she thinks that working for some soul-crushing corporation is the path she should take in life.

      • @PainInTheAES
        6•9 months ago

        Hey, I was a full time potter for a few years but now will soon be entering IT after going back to school. I think you should kind of reconsider. I agree that soul crushing corporations and grinding for pay are a bummer and I think she should go into something she’s engaged and interested in but you should reconsider this opinion.

        Being an independent artist is essentially running a small business with a heavy focus on branding and marketing. Many arts programs poorly cover business topics. If she is already skilled in art it may be better for her to attend college for business administration or marketing. The only potters I knew that thrived ran a good business plan.

        If she decides to go an alternate route like graphic design or teaching. That’s fine although it can be just a soulless and crushing as a business career.

        So yeah, while I agree and admire that your were able to pursue your happiness at the behest of some degree of money. I would worry that you might push her away from a path that is not a bad as it seems and I hope I didn’t overstep.

        I will be returning to pottery when everything stabilizes for me as a hobby or side business and my business IT program has given me some new ideas. My career should help stabilize my life so I can pursue my art, layoffs willing.

      • @EdibleFriend
        4•9 months ago

        Yeah I couldn’t agree more. I’m with you. I hope she sticks with the art.