The Decline of Christianity in America:

Notes from an eight-session class — Part Four of Eight

A Cannon Valley Elder Collegium course:“Is The Decline of Christianity in America A Good Thing, Bad Thing, Neither or Both?” Led by Jan Linn.

The goal of this course is not to arrive at a definitive answer, but rather create a diversity of thought — These are my thoughts.

Part Four of Eight: Is Christianity’s Decline A Bad Thing for America?

Topic 1: Created Equal: How Christianity Shaped The West

This part features Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative writer and right-wing political commentator. The article is based on equality and liberty espoused by Thomas Jefferson, the theistic rationalist. She also mentions John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton, who are also theistic rationalists. All of whom were not considered Christian, in the day, and would not be by most Christians today, because they would not agree with the Nicene Creed.

“When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal,” he called the proposition “self-evident.” But he did not mean that it is immediately evident. It requires a certain kind of learning.”

A certain kind of thinking — Divergent Thinking.

However, Ms. D’Souza does not describe what this “certain kind of learning” is. From my professional experience it is Divergent Thinking, also known as Heterodoxy — against orthodoxy. This kind of learning is too…