America was founded as a Christian Nation

[bullypulpit]

Government is proscribed from interfering, in any manner whatever, in matters respecting religion

So, if a religious group practices the genital mutilation of pre-pubescent girls, they can do so with impunity? Or perhaps they dash the brains of babies out on the altar of their favorite deity. Is this behavior, this expression of religious faith, also protected.

Think before you post.

[Jagger]

So, if a religious group practices the genital mutilation of pre-pubescent girls, they can do so with impunity?

Nope. Religion is the duty we owe to our Creator and the methods of discharging it. Genital mutilation is not a duty owed to our Creator?

[crin63]

it was all the perverts and misfits that came here. Hardly a group roaring with angelic intentions. But if you want to keep on believing in "the puritans" by all means do so.

The Puritans had some issues but were very good on their Biblical view of Salvation, depravity of man and the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Baptists stood against the Puritans for their theocratic practices and helped shape the laws that govern the US. Baptists had their tricentennial celebration last year of the first Baptist Church in the US.

Before you are to hard on the Puritans, you beer drinkers should be thanking them. If I remember correctly it was a Puritan that created beer as an alternative to rum. They also weren't the sexual prudes that they are made out to be. I read quite some time back of a Puritan woman taking her husband before the congregation of their church because he wasn't meeting her sexual needs.

[SeeingStarz]

The Puritans had some issues but were very good on their Biblical view of Salvation, depravity of man and the workings of the Holy Spirit...

Before you are to hard on the Puritans, you beer drinkers should be thanking them. If I remember correctly it was a Puritan that created beer as an alternative to rum. They also weren't the sexual prudes that they are made out to be. I read quite some time back of a Puritan woman taking her husband before the congregation of their church because he wasn't meeting her sexual needs.

Until it was ruled that his impotence was because he was married to a witch

As for beer, I thought it was created when some dude in the early Middle Ages found that some grain that had turned rotten and liquefied tasted good. Do you mean a Puritan promoted beer over rum? Would make sense in terms of economy, temperance and access.

[Kathianne]

Until it was ruled that his impotence was because he was married to a witch

As for beer, I thought it was created when some dude in the early Middle Ages found that some grain that had turned rotten and liquefied tasted good. Do you mean a Puritan promoted beer over rum? Would make sense in terms of economy, temperance and access.

Yep, ale and mead are medieval beverages, water was really bad back then.

[namvet]

Oh, fuck you.

This country was founded by a bunch of Deists and renegade Christians who had seen first-hand what dogmatic Christian dogma can do to wreck people's lives and they definitely were against identifying this country with any one religion.

You might argue that this is a Christian nation because most people are nominally Christian, but there is no official religion.

And most of the people who are nominally Christian couldn't give a rat's ass about going to church or practicing Christianity.

having been there at that time you would know. PS FUCK YOU TO

[glockmail]

So, if a religious group practices the genital mutilation of pre-pubescent girls, they can do so with impunity? Or perhaps they dash the brains of babies out on the altar of their favorite deity. Is this behavior, this expression of religious faith, also protected.

Think before you post.

The right to practice a religion does not supersede other human rights.

[trueblue]

that the U.S. government is not to favor one religion over the other. While Christian, I don't believe Christianity as a predominant religion is an exception to the constitutional rule.

This means Christianity alone should not define our policy. Neither should an individuals atheism alter tributes to the ten commandments (which is actually a Jewish document) or other forms of law or worship that did have an influence in the establishment of our nation.

[Noir]

It seems constitutionally clearthat the U.S. government is not to favor one religion over the other. While Christian, I don't believe Christianity as a predominant religion is an exception to the constitutional rule.

This means Christianity alone should not define our policy. Neither should an individuals atheism alter tributes to the ten commandments (which is actually a Jewish document) or other forms of law or worship that did have an influence in the establishment of our nation.

It would seem so, doesn't it? But not in practice, as our good old friends $cientology get preferential treatment,
Within the following video there is audio from a Court Case, where the IRS are questioned by a judge about there no tax policy over $cientology, the answers would be funny if they we're such a sham:

<object width="400" height="267"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1837092&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1837092&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="267"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/1837092">Road To March 15th</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user754174">Church0fScientology</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[crin63]

The more I study this question the more I find that yes, America was founded as a Christian nation.

I think it was 29 out of 56 signers of The Declaration of Independence had gone to seminary.

The very first session of congress is reported to have spent 3 hours in prayer prior to commencing with any business. It is also reported that even the old Quakers were crying when they were done. After which they had a Bible study. John Adams told Abigail that she should read Psalm 35, read it to your friends and read it your father.

Congress also printed the first English language Bible in the U.S.A. 11 months after winning at Yorktown for use in our public schools.

I think there was some 14 national days of fasting and prayer followed up by national days of thanksgiving. John Adams said “millions will be upon their knees at once before their creator, imploring His forgiveness and blessings: His smiles on American councils and arms.

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall affirmed that: Our great object of the colonial charters was avowedly the propagation of the Christian Faith.

John Adams acknowledged: The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were.......the general principles of Christianity.

President Harry Truman openly avowed: In this great country of ours has been demonstrated the fundamental unity of Christianity and democracy.

Andrew Jackson
“The Bible is the rock on which our republic rests”

John Adams credited pastors for Americas independence Mayhew, Cooper, Whitefield, Chauncy

George Washington said with regards to all the battles he was winning that
“The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations”

In the treaty between the USA and Britain it was signed, “ In the Name of the Most Holy and undivided Trinity”. Sounds very Biblical to me.


In George Washington's farewell address there are a couple of quotes regarding religion worth noting.

For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest. Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of american, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the Independence and Liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts, of common dangers, sufferings, and successes.

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. (I think George Washington just said that anyone who tries to remove religion from our politics is unpatriotic. He was also obviously talking about Christianity) The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

It just goes on and on and on.

[Mr. P]

http://bmccreations.com/one_nation/nation.html

[crin63]

http://bmccreations.com/one_nation/nation.html

No matter how much you don't want it to be and no matter how much you try to spin it, you cant change what our founding fathers said, what they believed and how they planned for our country to a Christian nation. To make any other claim is just intellectual dishonesty.

[glockmail]

that the U.S. government is not to favor one religion over the other. While Christian, I don't believe Christianity as a predominant religion is an exception to the constitutional rule.

This means Christianity alone should not define our policy. Neither should an individuals atheism alter tributes to the ten commandments (which is actually a Jewish document) or other forms of law or worship that did have an influence in the establishment of our nation.

Since the Constitution is founded on Christianity then non-Christians are treated equally and with tolerance. Not so with non-Christian based governments.

[theHawk]

Since the Constitution is founded on Christianity then non-Christians are treated equally and with tolerance. Not so with non-Christian based governments.

You mean like our current government?

[theHawk]

So, if a religious group practices the genital mutilation of pre-pubescent girls, they can do so with impunity? Or perhaps they dash the brains of babies out on the altar of their favorite deity. Is this behavior, this expression of religious faith, also protected.

Think before you post.

Those are not religious acts, they are violent ones.

Violent acts can be outlawed. Saying it was done in the name of religion isn't going to be much a defense.