2007-06-27 08:25:48 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The government WAS NOT FOUNDED ON RELIGION. This isn't even a point worthy of discussion. What the founding fathers were is irrelevant; cultures and societies change all the time, so you can't expect us to be the same as they were over 200 YEARS AGO! The government was created for freedom, for everyone, for the religious and the non-religious. We have a Constitution that protects our rights (not to mention SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE), and we operate via a republic, in which the majority elects officials to make decisions for everyone. This system has been greatly corrupted, but you will find that this is due to both the religious and the non-religious. Everyone wants to be right, everyone wants to be heard, everyone wants power... but when it comes right down to it, it is the majority that wins. You can whine ALL YOU WANT, but this is not YOUR country. It is OUR country.
2007-06-27 08:36:35 · answer #1 · answered by Skye 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because they don't believe that the Founding Fathers established a secular government.
2007-06-27 08:29:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amity has the correct answer. God is a continual thread through the formation of our country. He is not spoken of directly because the founding fathers did not want a government authorized religion but most would roll over in their graves if they knew what we were doing to our country. What worries me is that God will not sit by and watch it happen. I'm afraid He will accomplish the fall of the United States just like He did Sodom and Gomorrah, first century Rome, WWII Germany, and Iraq just to name a few.
2007-06-27 09:13:42 · answer #3 · answered by starfishltd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it the injection of religion, or of moraes based upon religious beliefs? It is easy to separate the former (ie, mandatory worship days, as in the Colonial era), but difficult to separate the latter (as John Kerry attempted to do in the previous election) because the latter is an internal dialogue and intrinsic to the person. To utterly separate religious belief from government roles would effectively relegate religious persons from ever taking part in participative government, which surely is not the Founder's intent.
Maybe this isn't what you're asking, but there's a divergence in the understanding of the separation of Church of State. Taken at the intent of the framers (ie the Supreme Court decisions), the doctrine is to prevent and correct intertwining of religious and governmental institutions. What seems to have occured more lately is a desire to separate religious beliefs from legislative action.
This seems to be agains the purpose to me because religious beliefs often form a core set of morality upon which legislative decisions are made; if a legislator is not to make decisions based upon his or her morality, then by what compass should such decisions be guided?
To sum, the creation of a theocracy should and must be avoided, but the inclusion of religiously-inspired or -based moraes into public law should not be precluded provided the framework of representative government remains intact (ie, if Christians compose the majority of a district and election a Christian as representative, it should be expected that the representative would rely upon Christian morality; the same would be true in a Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, or atheist-majority district).
2007-06-27 08:33:23 · answer #4 · answered by Veritatum17 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Christian Fundamentalists, unfortunately, don't remember the past history of Christianity. That is, during the reign of Constantine over the Roman Empire, Christianity was co-opted by the emporor. He (Constantine) saw that Christianity was growing in popularity and knew he wouldn't be able to suppress it, nor would he be able to suppress the anti-government, anti-wealth, pro-humanitarian messages of Christianity, so he adopted it as the national religion of Rome. As a result, he stayed in power only to twist Christianity's message for his own purposes and gains. Separation of Church and State protects Government from Religion and Religion from Government.
2007-06-27 08:35:21 · answer #5 · answered by R H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The founding fathers never established a secular government in the first place. The government has been trying to turn secular but it is because we were founded on religion that it's such a huge part of our government.
2007-06-27 08:29:33 · answer #6 · answered by Amity 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Becasue it's their way
Why do FEMMINISTS want to inflict their ways
Why do GAYS want to inflict their ways
Why do BLACKS want to inflict their ways
Why do MEXICAN want to inflict their ways
Look at WHO has been SUCCEEDING THE MOST
BILINGUAL SCHOOLS
Look at who has the power
Illegal Mexican Aliens
Who march
Who demonstrate
Who get BILNGUAL schools
Who get things WRITTNE IN SPANISH EVERYWHERE
We are NOW like CANADA
A bilingual country
EVERYTHING right up to the PHOTO EVELOPES at a one hour photo center is in ENGLISH and SPANISH
Did that happen 50 years ago!
Now you tell me who is succeeding
And remember MOST of the ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS are CATHOLICS
12 Million of them about to be made legal
Add that to the 12 millioin Reagen made legal
Thats' 24 million SPANISH SPEAKING CATHOLICS
WHO WIELD a lot of power
Far more than the Baptists, Methodists, PResbyterians
By the year 2100 half of America will be Catholic
50 years ago it was only 20%
By 2100 I can forsee Hispanic lobbiest getting CATHOLIC things into law.
They do it by MANDATE today in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Columbia.
They have OPEN public festivals from ALL SAINTS DAY clear up to February.
They are going to take ATHEISTS ON and ATHEISTS won't have the balls nor the clout to get into RACE fight.
And they will PULL the race card out.!
More power to them! They can end up being America's savior! It'll be a Catholic savoior, but still a relgious one!
Trust me, Los Angeles and San Diego and San Antionio will have the BIGGEST FELIS NAVIDAD festivals around in about 60 years.
I can't wait to see how Atheists deal with that one without looking like racial bigots going after Mexican American citizens.
They have the potential to do it.
2007-06-27 08:35:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They created a neutral government, not a secular government. There is a HUGE difference. If one reads the Constitution, the idea of the "separation of church and state" never is stated there and one could even argue that it is even implied. One might well ask, what are you saying, that people of certain belief systems not allowed to express their opinions, while people with differing belief systems, they are allowed? Isn't it better simply to say that everyone in a democracy and a republic, everyone is allowed their opinion and everyone is allowed to attempt to influence government, and the courts and legislatures will balance out the needs and rights of all? Isn't that better?
2007-06-27 08:27:54 · answer #8 · answered by John B 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I don't know much about fundies or current politics, but from what I've read about our Founding Fathers, they were trying to build the foundation of this country based on God's laws. That is why they made mention of God so many times in our historical documents. Just look at our money...it's says IN GOD WE TRUST (I only wish it were true today).
2007-06-27 08:33:33 · answer #9 · answered by TDZ 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The power of government is seductive, to those who would otherwise quote "render unto Caesar", and also to those who normally espouse smaller government!
It sure is easier to make people do what you want by government force than having to persuade people to follow you willingly.
2007-06-27 08:58:51 · answer #10 · answered by coryfucius 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋