The Makings of Americans

As America approaches its 250th birthday on July 4, a debate is growing about what it means to be an American.

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch waded into the conversation last month by asserting in an interview that America is “a creedal nation.” According to Gorsuch, “what unites us is not a religion, it’s not a race, it’s a belief” in the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

For some, those remarks were fighting words.

On social media, Gorsuch was quickly denounced as “a traitor” who was spouting “nonsense” and “claptrap.”

Critics of America as a creedal nation like to think of themselves as the vanguard of a popular new movement, especially among conservative Christians. But a newly released survey of 2,500 Americans conducted by Discovery Institute undercuts that claim.