Very interesting article in USA Today. I know many will disagree and that's fine. But could everyone -- believers and non-believers alike -- please post friendly, respectable answers; it will give your responses much more value. (And it would be so refreshing from the usual bashing.)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-11-amendment_N.htm
2007-09-12 03:32:59 · 14 answers · asked by kaz716 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I view the article as compelling evidence of what the founders of our country were thinking when they created this great nation. I do feel however that we must remember that the big thing the writers of the Constitution wanted to make clear was the right for any man or woman to practice their faith whether it be Christian, Jewish, Islam and yes even the right not to believe in any of these and be able to practice Atheism. Though I do believe in Christianity and am impressed with the article. It shows that there are more believers then non believers. But I do not force my beliefs on others and abide by the "Freedom of Religion" act that is very important in today's world as it was back then. As I mentioned above it is not the right of a Christian to force his or her beliefs on another person. God Bless the founding fathers for allowing me to practice my faith in a land where I do not have to fear persecution.
2007-09-12 12:33:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the Bible that had all of Christ's moral teachings without anything spiritual. He denied Christ's deity but stilll acknowledged His moral standards. It would seem then that the founders (or Jefferson at least) wanted Christian morality, but not Christianity entirely.
Also, these folks just came out of the Anglican Church in England, which was corrupted if nothing else than by the very nature of it, so logically, they did not want the same negative influence in America that the Anglican Church had in England. All of their experiences concerning a national church were very negative, and very easily have left a bad taste in their mouths.
2007-09-13 20:05:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
While it's not a christian nation, never was intended that way, it was established on christian principles. Without the christian way, there is no freedom. No other faith provides total freedom while based on protecting laws.
The argument comes from just another camoflauge that twists the original meaning. Make a nation think the christians are trying to lord it over them and you have a fight. Tell the truth, that the nation is established using christian principles, in order that it be possible to have freedom and it takes the fight out of the equation. What's the fun in that? Right?
2007-09-12 10:44:20 · answer #3 · answered by judysbookshop 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Agree !! The founders were mostly Christians. That can be seen in all of their writings and speeches.
What the nay-sayers today believe is that the founders wanted freedom from religion which is just not true. The founders believed everyone had a religion and should be free to practice it.
Remember the founders had rebelled against England because the King dictated religion. The founders wanted to insure, not that religion stay out of our government but the our government stay out of our Churches.
2007-09-12 10:40:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
This poll only shows the ignorance of people.
Of course the founders did not want to establish a Christian USA. Yes most of the founders were theist of some sort and yes many of the concepts in the first documents of our country are parallel to the Christian Bible.
Yet the founders simply wanted to create a free country. One that is not dominated by any particular religion.
2007-09-12 10:40:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
Those perceptions are as a result of the LIES that are constantly told by the religious establishment... and the enduring and profound credulity, gullibility and ignorance of their constituency.
The USA is NOT a Christian nation... it is a secular nation with lots of christians in it. Our Founding fathers went to great lengths to assure that it was not a christian nation. The 'law of the land' was NOT based on any Christian or biblical doctrine or writings... it was rooted in the secular humanist ideals of the 'Enlightenment' and the ensuing 'Age of Reason'... when mankind began to THROW OFF the yoke of biblical theocracy, and develop a reason and consensus-based concept of the 'rights of man', based on MORAL principles... not 'biblical' principles.
The laws were based upon the Code of Hammurabi (which predates the 10 Commandments by at least 1,000 years), English Common Law, and other sources which included Greek and Roman law. The IDEA for having a 'constitution' came from the Constitution of the Iroquois Confederation.
The 'Treaty of Tripoli' (June 7, 1797) specifically states, in Article 11: "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen (Moslems); and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation (Islam), it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." This treaty, unanimously approved by the Senate and signed into law by John Adams only a few years after the ratification of the Constitution, is taken by constitutional scholars to be a clear and unambiguous declaration of the intent of the founders.
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/buckner_tripoli.html
For a HISTORICAL deconstruction of the lie that the laws of our country are based upon Mosaic Law and the 10 Commandments, see this: http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/ten_commandments.htm
For a LEGAL deconstruction of the lie that the laws of our country are based upon Mosaic Law and the 10 Commandments, see this (by a Christian): http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20030911.html
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2007-09-12 10:43:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Disagree. They had every opportunity to make the US a "Christian nation," but we got the Establishment Clause of the 1st amendment instead. Plus some of those founders weren't "Christian," but deists.
2007-09-12 10:38:00 · answer #7 · answered by Cathy 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well, they wrote that we have certain alienable rights as endowed by our CREATOR, What else could they have been talking about. There are thousands of document that were written by our founding fathers that support this view. Chweck out all of the evidence, not just what supports your world view.
2007-09-12 14:41:14 · answer #8 · answered by michael m 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Only Christians think this and try to make people think this is true but in fact the founding fathers did not want any state religion.
2007-09-12 10:44:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
despite the recent right-wing attempts to re-write history, the founding fathers saw the dangers of mixing religion and politics, but did see a place for religion in personal life. some were Deists, but even the Chriostians among them, just like most intellingent people of the Enlightenment, would be appalled at the fundementalist takeover being presented in their name.
2007-09-12 10:40:25 · answer #10 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋