The very first Supreme Court justice, John Jay, said: "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
How then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 230 years in this country is now suddnly wrong and unconstitutional?
2007-03-31 05:13:42 · 9 answers · asked by Wayne S 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It would seem so - but that is not right - IN GOD WE TRUST - should always be our motto!@~
2007-03-31 06:08:30 · answer #1 · answered by nswblue 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, if you'd prefer to live in a country without freedom of religion, you're more than welcome to move. We Americans won't miss you at all.
Notice that Jay's comment falls short of the American ideal in a second way: our politicians are not our "rulers". They represent the will of the people: they are our representatives to the machinery of law-making, not the source of law or of the authority behind law. Contrary to the Christian right's anti-American claims, the foundation of law in the United States is in the consent of the governed, not in the authority of rulers or gods. This is absolutely basic and central to American democracy. If we substitute "God's Will" for "the consent of the governed", we're no longer talking about the United States of America, and efforts to make that substitution are nothing less than treason.
Either way, the proposition that America should be ruled by Christians in preference to others IS "wrong and unconstitutional". The U.S. Constitution mentions religion in only two places: the First Amendment, and in Article VI, where we read "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States". Case closed.
2007-03-31 12:20:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps the key to his statement is CHOICE. Americans should be free to worship (or not) as they prefer---without government support or interdiction. Also to elect leaders they prefer, regardless of denomination. For Fundamentalists to cite Justice John Jay seems a little strange, given the concerted attack they are currently waging to undercut the balancing powers of the judiciary.
2007-03-31 12:19:45 · answer #3 · answered by rubehick 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
~~~ Wayne ,,,, George Washington, Ben Franklin, among others, formed a Lobby to have the words "Jesus" and "God" included in our most famous documents, and were summarily dismissed. This is why they all compromised on the term "Creator". Agreed, many of the founding fathers were geniuses of the first order, and some were even christian,,, but they ALL had their Human Shortcomings of Subjective Bias. Your question however, has no basis in fact,,,
2007-03-31 12:37:21 · answer #4 · answered by Sensei TeAloha 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like John Jay was an idiot.
love and blessings Don
2007-03-31 12:16:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
John Jay has a right to his opinion. I wonder, did he ever meet a fundie. I'll bet NOT!
2007-03-31 12:17:43 · answer #6 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
True
The Constitution says that the Gov't shall make no laws restricting the practice of religion. Congress interprets that as meaning they need to make a bunch of laws limiting religion and call it seperation of church and state.
2007-03-31 12:17:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A judge is not the American people. They're not even elected.
2007-03-31 12:18:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
An where was his opinion made law? It was not.
2007-03-31 12:24:30 · answer #9 · answered by American Spirit 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋