jem, I do not see any proof that we were a christian nation at the federal level. I have looked. A Masonic nation, yes, Christian in particular, no. Any links to this would be greatly appreciated.
If a state wants to vote to allow gay "marriage", that is their right. What is at issue here is out of control federal or state courts imposing gay marriage by pretending it is a constitutional right. Where are the violent fundamentalist muslim terrorists when we need them? One can certainly understand why they want to have their own communities governed by their own laws and customs.
Well first of all that would not be inconsistent with the establishment clause. The states wanted to make sure the Feds did not establish a particular religion. But, you could review the oaths of office. The opening prayers. The writing on the Sup Court building. For more background you can read this case.... âThere is no dissonance in these declarations. There is a universal language pervading them all, having one meaning. They affirm and reaffirm that this is a religious nation. These are not individual sayings, declarations of private persons. They are organic utterances. They speak the voice of the entire people. While because of a general recognition of this truth the question has seldom been presented to the courts, yet we find that in Updegraph v. Com., 11 Serg. & R. 394, 400, it was decided that, âChristianity, general Christianity, is, and always has been, a part of the common law of Pennsylvania.â â Supreme Court Decision, 1892 Church of the Holy Trinity Decision v United States
Both. There is a certain division of church and state but the government is far from secular. Mostly to keep religious leaders from usurping power within the government by religious decree. Government has a hands-off approach to religious groups even to the extent of taxation and religious groups have a hands off of government. However, religious questions are brought before government all the time. Our laws are based on Christian-Judeo values with the prime basis being the 10 commandments. Without those values, there would be no fairness in the laws of the land. We are (or were) a nation under God.
But, when these religious issues are brought under tort, are they usually upheld, or struck down? And, why do you believe this is?
If you are going to argue jurisprudence you will have to make a sharper point than that sort of vague drive by. Supreme Court cases establish precedent for the entire nation. And in making their ruling they reviewed the established laws and ties to religion found in many of the states.
I have no idea what the above means. People bring suits all the time in civil court. A few of the issues make the to the Supreme Court. On their way... "bad law" is sometimes made. hence the reason the 9th circuit is so frequently overturned.
Two things. There was a church in Brooklyn (?) complaining about 40k in fines leveid by the fire dept (dubious safety violations). So yea the gov't gets a piece. Secondly, many churches contribute a "curb tax" to some municipalities. Sort of like a property tax but based on curb frontage on road.