My Point of View: America must preserve her Christian heritage – Albert Lea Tribune

My Point of View by Brad Kramer
In my previous column, I stated that America is a Christian nation, rooted in Judeo-Christian principles. Today, I’ll clarify what those principles mean and why they matter, addressing the knee-jerk objections from those who claim religion has no place in public life. Critics often mischaracterize our position, imagining a government mandating church attendance or enforcing rigid religious codes. That’s not what we mean. Judeo-Christian principles are the bedrock of Western civilization, shaping our liberties, laws and culture in ways that are unique and worth defending.
First, consider the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that all men are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights by their Creator. This revolutionary idea, grounded in Judeo-Christian theology, fueled the eventual abolition of slavery. While slavery persisted in the early colonies, many Founders opposed it, and within a century, America fought a bloody Civil War to end it. This stands in stark contrast to other parts of the world where slavery persists. The moral conviction to eradicate it came from Christianity, a hallmark of Western progress.
Our criminal justice system reflects these principles, too. The presumption of innocence, the right to a fair defense, protections against cruel punishment, and even allowing for the death penalty for heinous crimes trace back to Biblical concepts, particularly in Deuteronomy. These ideas are distinct to Western legal traditions, balancing justice with mercy in ways foreign to many other cultures.
Our moral framework also stems from Judeo-Christian roots. Practices like incest, child marriage and honor killings — common in most societies until Christianity’s influence — were outlawed in the West. For example, cousin marriage, still practiced in some societies, correlates with higher genetic defects and lower IQs. Christianity’s morals reshaped societal norms, building healthier communities.
Western institutions, influenced and led by Christianity, have driven unparalleled advancements. Universities, rooted in Catholic traditions, were designed to cultivate critical thinking, not to contradict faith but to complement it, raising the study of science and philosophy to better understand the “how” complimentary to religion’s questions of “why.” Hospitals, like the Mayo Clinic, founded by the Mayo brothers with Catholic nuns overseeing care, prioritized the sick and poor before profit motives took over. Before the welfare state’s bureaucracy, red tape and fraud — like the billions lost under the Walz administration — Christian organizations, especially Catholic orders, led the charge in caring for the needy. Caring for the sick and the poor is the duty of all Christians. The state’s overreach, with its taxes and regulations, hamstrung these efforts, leaving us with impersonal systems that treat people like numbers. The outcome is a society where we see caring for the poor as something the welfare state bungles as we are inundated with taxes.
This is the Judeo-Christian culture we cherish. Immigration isn’t the issue — most Republicans aren’t anti-immigrant or racist. We welcome newcomers who embrace our values. But we reject cultural practices incompatible with the West, like polygamy, child brides or tolerance of rape. Countries like England face skyrocketing crime rates, including rape, due to unchecked immigration from cultures that don’t align with Western norms. In American cities like Dearborn, Michigan, where Islamists dominate, practices like broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer or implementing elements of Sharia law clash with our way of life.
I lived in Rochester, Minnesota, on 9/11, and grew up near St. Cloud, both with significant Somali populations. There were celebrations as the Twin Towers fell — an image that underscores the need for cultural alignment. Responsible immigration policies must prioritize Western values, not erode them. Democrats and so-called “Democratic Socialists” seem intent on using immigration to dilute our culture, pushing policies that contradict their proclaimed “pro-woman” stance by importing cultural norms that tolerate burqas, child brides or violence against women.
Conservatives aren’t heartless. Many immigrants are caught in the crossfire of this cultural battle, rushed into our country by Democrats for political gain. But we’re fighting for more than politics — we’re defending a civilization built on Judeo-Christian principles that has done more good than any other system. Our way of life, with its emphasis on equality, justice and compassion, is worth preserving. We won’t stand for a government that seeks to erase it.
A cohesive society demands a common culture. We can have a society with all races and ethnicities who interact peacefully, but if we do not share a culture, we cannot survive. If we have such little in common that we cannot state such simple, foundational truths embraced by Western culture, and founded in Judeo-Christian morality, that we allow judges to let rapists and murderers walk because of “equity” and “social justice,” despite the assailant being arrested dozens of times; if we cannot agree when life begins due to opposing morals; or agree that there are two sexes created by God, then we don’t have common culture, and are on the way to civil war.
Brad Kramer is a member of the Freeborn County GOP Party.

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