God and the Constitution

[triadboy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20070918/cm_usatoday/godandtheconstitution;_ylt=Ake_wY.ZHCWXAixYn6btfV. s0NUE

On Sept. 17, 1787, after a long summer of argument and compromise, the Founders completed and signed what would become the U.S. Constitution. And despite popular misconception, it didn't include a word about the USA being a "Christian nation."

...

Yet, 220 years later, an astonishing 55% of respondents to a poll released last week said they believe the Constitution "establishes a Christian nation."

Xianity makes reading comprehension go down. Weird.

[Nosaj]

triadboy,

Apparently, it also makes for some very selective reading. For example, everyone who advocates the idea that the United States of America was founded as a "Christian nation" conveniently forgets about The Treaty of Tripoli (http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/treaty_tripoli.html). The treaty, which was authored by Joel Barlow in 1796 and signed by President John Adams in 1797, 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; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, 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."

Jason

[triadboy]

Jason,

I listen to the Uncensored Comedy Channel on XM radio to and from work. Tonight I heard (for the first time) a "Christian Comic", ranting about our forefathers being 99% Christian. I almost ran off the road trying to strangle the radio.

[joobz]

Jason,

I listen to the Uncensored Comedy Channel on XM radio to and from work. Tonight I heard (for the first time) a "Christian Comic", ranting about our forefathers being 99% Christian. I almost ran off the road trying to strangle the radio.
It's the view of history the way people wish it was.
Somehow, people forget that the United states was born out of the idea that a monarchies were bad. And most monarchies were married to a religion to establish some sort of divine providence to rule. It wasn't an accident that our nation kept religion out of government. IT wasn't something they forgot to do. It was fully intentional and fully deliberate.

[Achán hiNidráne]

It's the view of history the way people wish it was.
Somehow, people forget that the United states was born out of the idea that a monarchies were bad. And most monarchies were married to a religion to establish some sort of divine providence to rule. It wasn't an accident that our nation kept religion out of government. IT wasn't something they forgot to do. It was fully intentional and fully deliberate.

We've sadly come full circle. We've gone from the "Divine Right Of Kings" to "One National Under God." If there is any difference, I certainly don't see it.

[articulett]

We've sadly come full circle. We've gone from the "Divine Right Of Kings" to "One National Under God." If there is any difference, I certainly don't see it.

Kings exist even if divine rights don't.

[triadboy]

We've sadly come full circle. We've gone from the "Divine Right Of Kings" to "One National Under God." If there is any difference, I certainly don't see it.


The difference is - there's not a lot of concubines in "One Nation Under God".

[Cello Man]

We've sadly come full circle. We've gone from the "Divine Right Of Kings" to "One National Under God." If there is any difference, I certainly don't see it.

I always thought "One Nation Under Zeus" would look cool on a bumper sticker. And hey, it's not like it makes any less sense.

[Tanstaafl]

Jason,

I listen to the Uncensored Comedy Channel on XM radio to and from work. Tonight I heard (for the first time) a "Christian Comic", ranting about our forefathers being 99% Christian. I almost ran off the road trying to strangle the radio.


I suspect it's not a lack of reading comprehension, I suspect that certain (very vocal) Christians don't read at all:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/09/founding-father.html#more

The Founding Fathers were almost exclusively Christian. Because of their faith, they intimately wove Christianity into the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It is only the liberal left that is in error concerning the intent of the Founding Fathers.

[ksbluesfan]

I thought many of them were deists, not necessarily of any one faith. The way I understand it, the USA is designed to be a secular nation.

[Tanstaafl]

Quite true. I probably should insert more smilies (:D in this case) for those who are not already familiar with my position on the subject.

No, wait this one :notm is better for that post.

[Pope130]

The only mention of religion in the body of the Constitution can be found in Article VI, paragraph three:
"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 the Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

The next mention is the "establishment" clause of the First Amendment. It doesn't sound like the establishing document of a theocracy.

Robert Klaus

[Tanstaafl]

See, you're making the mistake of actually reading the document and thinking.

No wonder you're not a fundamentalist! :D