What's your opinion ? . Merry Christmas !!
2007-12-20 00:49:46 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Not entirely true. America was founded on the basis of religious TOLERANCE. The Puritans did happen to be Protestant Christians, but they were fleeing religious persecution in England. A cornerstone of American culture is that here you are free to practice whatever religion you choose. The first ammendment reads in relevant part, as follows:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; "
And Merry Christmas to you, too!
2007-12-20 01:05:45 · answer #1 · answered by Jenny B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of us were taught christianity in bible school or Sunday school. That is a good way to introduce beliefs and traditions, but we were taught the parables and easy to understand christianity and no history. We are not taught as much out of the Old Testament where the heart and soul of chrisianity began. The old testament plainly tells us of the very strong relationship of jews and christians> This is wonderful history, full of drama, love, passion, dedication loss and victory for each and every person, no matter who or what your belief, bloodline, color or denomination. The history of our basic beliefs and common decency are outlined in this epistle and given to us so we will not lose touch with our forbears and not lose faith in mankind, no matter how obtuse we all can be at times. You are absolutely correct in your statement, though some persons will deny it...Hang in there.
2007-12-20 09:08:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is not a single mention of God, Jesus, or Christianity anywhere in the US Constitution The issue was discussed and the Founding Fathers voted God out, intentionally. The democratic republic they created was the first 100% secular government in human history. The following was unanimously passed by the 1797 US Congress and signed into law by President John Adams:
•“As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, …”
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/barbary/bar1796t.htm
Article VI states that representatives take an oath to the (secular) Constitution, not the Bible or any god’s law:
• “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
Even having a Congressional Chaplain is a violation of the ‘establishment’ language of the Constitution – but then, that is only the opinion of the men who wrote and signed the document.
James Madison (Father of the US Constitution) addressed the issue of Congressional Chaplains.
•“Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative."
•"The Constitution of the U. S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion. The law appointing Chaplains establishes a religious worship for the national representatives”
•“The establishment of the chaplainship to Congs is a palpable violation of equal rights, as well as of Constitutional principles.”
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"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors."
"Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies."
"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man."
–Thomas Jefferson
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"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."
-Benjamin Franklin
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"What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate liberty, does not need the clergy."
- James Madison
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"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."
- Abraham Lincoln
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Episcopalian minister Bird Wilson (son of Founding Father James Wilson) in an 1831 sermon:
“the founders of our nation were nearly all Infidels, and that of the presidents who had thus far been elected [George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson] _not a one had professed a belief in Christianity_”
2007-12-20 09:05:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It remains a country where there are a majority of people in these faith systems. It was never, per the first amendment, a Judeo-Christian nation in terms of an established religion. Its a nation of freedom of belief and nonbelief.
2007-12-20 08:56:16 · answer #4 · answered by Zen Pirate 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Your ignorance of our nations creation is unfortunate. Our founding fathers did not raise any single religion above any other of the myriad of religions that existed at the time. They created the seperation between church and state for a reason, so that those who did not wish to be religious or who had a different set of religious beliefs could practice them without the interference of the government. In fact several of the founding fathers were atheists/agnostics.
2007-12-20 08:58:37 · answer #5 · answered by Kronos 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I disagree. about 1/3 of the founding fathers were Unitarians, which according to most Christians, aren't. 1/3 of them were Deists, who believe God pushed things in motion, but is completely hands off now... a not-Christian idea. So, that leaves about 1/3 of the founding fathers who followed one "Christian" faith or another. (In Maryland, Catholics, in Massachusetts Puritans, in Pennsylvania Liberal Quakers, Various Protestant Sects in Maine and New Hampshire after they were kicked out of Massachusetts, etc)
Of those "Christians" likely more than half were Free Masons. How many Christians consider those who practice Masonry and it's occultism Christian?
You can make America a Theocracy, but our founding fathers fought against that. You can claim it's a Christian Nation, and that's only a half-truth... it's also a Secular nation. Our country's seal says that. Novo Ordo Seculum.
2007-12-20 08:58:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
As far as general values it was founded on? Partially correct--though many of the founding fathers were deists, and based the laws more on the generic God-given equality of man rather than specific religious ideas.
However, the US used to have a vast majority of actual CITIZENS who were part of Judeo-Christian religions, and this is no longer the case. They are becoming a smaller and smaller minority, and in accordance with democratic principles, they will only have the amount of influence that they deserve, if everyone votes.
2007-12-20 08:55:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
It is not a Judeo-Christian nation. It is a nation whose population is majority Christian. However, the nation is not based on any religion.
For example, the Treaty of Tripoli in 1797 stated, ""As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion..." This was read aloud and Congress and signed by President Adams.
Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was no Christian. Even most Christians do not consider Jefferson a Christian. In many of his letters, he denounced the superstitions of Christianity. He did not believe in spiritual souls, angels or godly miracles. Although Jefferson did admire the morality of Jesus, Jefferson did not think him divine, nor did he believe in the Trinity or the miracles of Jesus. In a letter to Peter Carr, 10 August 1787, he wrote, "Question with boldness even the existence of a god." Jefferson believed in materialism, reason, and science. He never admitted to any religion but his own. In a letter to Ezra Stiles Ely, 25 June 1819, he wrote, "You say you are a Calvinist. I am not. I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know."
The most convincing evidence that our government did not ground itself upon Christianity comes from the very document that defines it-- the United States Constitution. If indeed our Framers had aimed to found a Christian republic, it would seem highly unlikely that they would have forgotten to leave out their Christian intentions in the Supreme law of the land. In fact, nowhere in the Constitution do we have a single mention of Christianity, God, Jesus, or any Supreme Being. There occurs only two references to religion and they both use exclusionary wording. The 1st Amendment's says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . ." and in Article VI, Section 3, ". . . no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
What about James Madison? Called the father of the Constitution, Madison had no conventional sense of Christianity. In 1785, Madison wrote in his Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments: "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution. What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not."
What about John Adams? Adams, a Unitarian, flatly denied the doctrine of eternal damnation. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he wrote: "I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved -- the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"
2007-12-20 09:00:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
America was built upon an objective standard of morality, ie. the Individual, not God as the standard. If God was the standard, then we would only have one God, not 800 plus different forms. A god based system of morality is a subjective one, which god?
And people die over subjectivity. The founding fathers were Deists. Might as well have been Atheist. When you believe God created everything and left us alone. What really is the difference?
2007-12-20 08:55:00 · answer #9 · answered by Real Friend 6 · 8⤊ 1⤋
I seem to recall this thing about separation of church and state being one of the founding fathers main ideas. Thus, I disagree with your assertion that America is a Judeo-Christian club. - I hope you enjoy your holidays regardless of your faith or which holiday you choose to observe.
2007-12-20 08:54:42 · answer #10 · answered by Uncle Tim 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋