Absurdity of the "Christian Nation" Claim
The absurdity of the popular fad—made more serious by a Supreme Court decision—that “this is a Christian nation”—is incidentally well illustrated in the following excerpt from the daily Times of this city:— “Mordacai M. Noah was formerly a noted editor and politician in New York. He established the Courier and Enquirer, and several other papers of note. Noah was a Jew, and always maintained that the American Indians are the lost tribes of Israel. When he had been elected sheriff, and in view of his official function in the execution of criminals, some one said it was ‘a shame that a Jew should be suffered to hang a Christian.’ When Noah heard of it, he said, ‘Pity that any Christians should require hanging at all.’”