Lighthouses are more helpful than churches."
-Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1758
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Alexander von Humboldt, 1813
2007-07-20 14:22:26 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't believe we are.
2007-07-20 14:26:57 · answer #1 · answered by RB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Although both of the slave owners you quote above were very intelligent men and are considered as fathers of our country are none the less, still only men and not perfect.
The Church is primarily a spiritual body. But she is also a moral teacher.
If people are going to make moral issues into political ones then they should not complain when the Church uses its freedoms of speech and religion.
When you look at the 1.1 billion believers worshiping in over 200,000 parishes worldwide you can see that the Catholic Church is a spiritual entity.
However the Church is also a moral teacher and has been teaching the world what it believes God thinks is right and wrong for almost 2,000 years.
The Church looks to protect human dignity and human rights and does not for look for political power. Church leaders (including priests) are barred from political office by Church law (not civil law).
Jesus said, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Catholic Church has been teaching world governments what it believes is right and wrong since the ancient Romans stopped persecuting it and long before anyone heard of the freedom of speech.
The Catholic Church protested about the blood sports in the Roman Colosseum and they were stopped.
The Catholic Church supported the Polish Solidarity movement and the Soviet Union fell apart.
I don't think the Church is going to (or should) stop teaching the world governments what is right or wrong now.
Remember the Catholic Church proposes. It does not impose.
With love in Christ.
2007-07-21 16:49:36 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Priest ridden. There's a new one. We are all shocked and appalled at the priests who molest children. If it was an every day thing, no one would pay attention. Sorry-but the United States of America is not "priest ridden" You'll have to find something else to criticize us about. Drat it all.
2007-07-20 14:28:20 · answer #3 · answered by phlada64 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
There are countries that have established an official religion. America is not one of those countries. Anybody can be of any religion one feels; most of America is either Christian or athiest with other people being of other religions. My answer would be "no"
2007-07-20 14:32:14 · answer #4 · answered by Par 4 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not Catholic but maybe Fundamentalist in some places and by "Secularist priestcraft" in more places. Just look at what goes on in many public schools now.
2007-07-22 14:33:31 · answer #5 · answered by James O 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not the wholw country, but some places are, my town for example, one church for every 400 people.
2007-07-20 14:28:36 · answer #6 · answered by sudonym x 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋