VirusHead

Sounds good to me.

Ingersoll said it. thanks.

I just wanted to answer Robert G. Ingersoll who believes this country was not established with the insperation of God.

He should visit Washington DC and go to the Supreme Court where the evidance of our Forefathers reverence of God are evidant. Also read the Declaration of Independance where God is acknowledged and further more, research the early Congress that prayed for hours before each session.

That the 10 million or so agnostics of this country have twisted the words of our Forefathers to change the course of this once great country, is clear. But the last election made it clear that the Christians who have stayed silent for so long are fed up and are not taking it anymore.

We still have the right to see what BBC and Fox are reporting verses CBS, NBC or ABC. And the difference is eye opening.

Ingersoll is long dead. It’s a quotation.

Perhaps you are not aware that most of the signers of the Declaration were deists? Or that many came here specifically for freedom of religion – to worship (and not worship) as they saw fit, in a country which allowed the same? If you do read history, look into what happens when religion is tied to government.

In any case, it is in the Christians’ own interest for there to be separation of these things. Do you want the government to mandate your belief system? Do you want churches to pay tax? Do you want your children to be free to worship in faith?

What exactly are Christians “not taking anymore”? Christians are the majority. I don’t recall any school parties for Ramadan or Yule.

It’s interesting that you put the BBC anywhere in the same breath as Fox.

I explain to my students that the United States has always been a nation filled with Christians, but it has never been a Christian nation. Neither the Ten Commandments nor the Beatitudes form a basis for our Constitution nor the lower law of the land.

As far as the founders are concerned:

George Washington refused to take communion, walking out of the church at the commencement of that Rite. When the pastor preached a sermon on the rudeness of such an action, Washington never returned to the inside of a church again – though he did sit in his carriage outside of the church to comply with the letter of the law that he attend church.

Thomas Jefferson famously cut all mentions of the supernatural from his Bible. In a letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, he wrote: “Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.”

James Madison – the father of the Constitution – wrote: “An alliance or coalition between Government and religion cannot be too carefully guarded against.” and “Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offense against God, not against man:To God, therefore, not to man, must an account of it be rendered.”

James Monroe was so hesitant to speak about faith that absolutely no record of his beliefs exist.

John Adams, an openly devout man, wrote: “The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?” and, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, wrote: “Indeed, Mr. Jefferson, what could be invented to debase the ancient Christianism which Greeks, Romans, Hebrews and Christian factions, above all the Catholics, have not fraudulently imposed upon the public? Miracles after miracles have rolled down in torrents.”

I think Maria is somewhat right – many Christians have been awakened by the recent elections. You can hear them in the words of Jim Wallis and Tony Compolo when they challenge authority and get arrested for praying to end an unjust war in the Capitol Rotunda. You can hear it in the organizations of CrossLeft and the Christian Alliance for Progress when they answer Pat Roberson and Jerry Falwell with the prophetic voice of the Bible by pointing out the Jesus never called for a tax cut for the wealthy or for pre-emptive military strikes – but he did call for us to be generous to the poor and the weak and the needy. Those of us who cast our ballots against an immoral federal budget, against war, against hubris and abuse of power were, in fact, awakened when we heard that “values” voters supported President Bush and “Evengelicals” or “Christians” are the reason he won re-election. There is an awakening rippling through America – but, Maria, I fear you are looking at the wrong side of it.

There is, indeed, a difference between CBS, NBC, and ABC versus FOX News – the first three serve their corporate masters and FOX serves its political one. The BBC, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) and, for now at least, NPR outshine them all in actually providing news. Do yourself a favor – watch the McNeil News Hour and ask yourself if what has been foisted off on you is really news or not.

XT