The cancer that results when religion is introduced into government

FeenixRizin · Jun 27, 2009

Quote from vhehn:

The U.S. Constitution
The most convincing evidence that our government did not ground itself upon Christianity comes from the very document that defines it-- the United States Constitution.

If indeed our Framers had aimed to found a Christian republic, it would seem highly unlikely that they would have forgotten to leave out their Christian intentions in the Supreme law of the land. In fact, nowhere in the Constitution do we have a single mention of Christianity, God, Jesus, or any Supreme Being. There occurs only two references to religion and they both use exclusionary wording. The 1st Amendment's says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . ." and in Article VI, Section 3, ". . . no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."

Thomas Jefferson interpreted the 1st Amendment in his famous letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in January 1, 1802:

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."

Some Religious activists try to extricate the concept of separation between church and State by claiming that those words do not occur in the Constitution. Indeed they do not, but neither does it exactly say "freedom of religion," yet the First Amendment implies both.

As Thomas Jefferson wrote in his Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom:

"Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination."

James Madison, perhaps the greatest supporter for separation of church and State, and whom many refer to as the father of the Constitution, also held similar views which he expressed in his letter to Edward Livingston, 10 July 1822:

"And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in shewing that religion & Govt will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together."

Today, if ever our government needed proof that the separation of church and State works to ensure the freedom of religion, one only need to look at the plethora of Churches, temples, and shrines that exist in the cities and towns throughout the United States. Only a secular government, divorced from religion could possibly allow such tolerant diversity.

The Declaration of Independence
Many Christians who think of America as founded upon Christianity usually present the Declaration as "proof." The reason appears obvious: the document mentions God. However, the God in the Declaration does not describe Christianity's God. It describes "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." This nature's view of God agrees with deist philosophy but any attempt to use the Declaration as a support for Christianity will fail for this reason alone.

http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html
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so, are you suggesting there is a difference between Christian derived principles of government and Islamic derived principles of government

in all honesty, I don't give a shit about Islamic derived anything ...

stu · Jun 27, 2009

Quote from FeenixRizin:

so, are you suggesting there is a difference between Christian derived principles of government and Islamic derived principles of government

in all honesty, I don't give a shit about Islamic derived anything ...
More...

It is clear as far as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence is concerned, there is No difference between the Christian derived principles of government and Islamic derived principles of government, as neither are mentioned in it.

peilthetraveler · Jun 27, 2009

Because no religion has worked out so well for countries like Cuba, North Korea, the former Soviet Union, 1970s Cambodia, 1940s Germany, ect...

stu · Jun 27, 2009

In as far as a Christian, or a religiously grounded Constitution goes, - same as America, none of them have one.
So just what is your point exactly.

jem · Jun 28, 2009

Stu would be correct - if you choose to forget that fact we set up limited federal government and left religious concerns to state constitutions.

Which a majority contained references to God and required such things as oaths to God or Jesus to hold public office. Some even required that you state a belief in God to hold office.

I just love it when people pretend they know something about a subject and leave out the most important facts.

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The cancer that results when religion is introduced into government

FeenixRizin

stu

peilthetraveler

stu

jem