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I'm an atheist so Christianity never meant anything to me and I used to debate it on a religious forum before I found CD. That said, I now appreciate the idea that we are a "christian nation" in light of an alternative being an "islamic nation" because I had never considered the possibility of a religious war before. So yes, I may not be religious but that's because I have the choice not to be Christian.
Why does the nation HAVE to endorse a religion, where the choice is either a Christian nation or an Islamic nation?
Why not just follow the founding fathers' principles and have NO default religion, leaving it to people to privately follow whatever religion they choose?
To me, publicizing religion is akin to publicizing one's sex fantasies. One's personal beliefs on what happens to their soul after they die seems to me like it should be a very personal matter.
And what exactly is that place? Why should Christianity have a more prominent place in government than any other religion?
State run public schools did not exist then. Pray in church if you want we don't need it in our public schools. What good would school prayer do anyway?
Is Santa a religious figure? I must have missed him in the Bible.
A place where people are persecuted for practicing their religion. Who said Christianity should have a role in government, prominent or not? But, neither should it be excluded. Why can anything else be said in schools except prayer?
Given the state of many public schools, prayer might be good for them.
Senator Feinstein believes Catholics should not be allowed on the Federal judiciary and said so publicly. Banished because of their faith. Religion has become a qualification for public office.
Xmas is actually the biggest example of cultural appropriation in history. A festival of European pagans to mark the Winter solstice, the period of hunger, and the hoped for approach of renewal in Spring was made into a festival commemorating the birth of the Christian God.
A place where people are persecuted for practicing their religion. Who said Christianity should have a role in government, prominent or not? But, neither should it be excluded. Why can anything else be said in schools except prayer?
Nobody can stop a student from praying in school. I think you can likely answer your own question as to why a teacher shouldn't lead it.
(And which I am, also, although I will often describe myself as agnostic, as most people, I have discovered, do not know what a Deist believes -- and doesn't believe!)
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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Because the founding fathers, even centuries ago, were more intelligent than some of the current conservatives, who feel that America is a "christian nation."
While the majority of religious Americans may identify as christian, this being the land of the free where any and everyone is able to practice whatever religion they so choose, America is NOT a "Christian Nation." I think that's beautiful.
Christian nationalists can cherry-pick quotes from the Founding Fathers to promote their agenda of turning our government into a theocracy and likewise those who want a secular state have plenty of material to pull from. I personally believe that it's impossible to say "the founding fathers believed this" because there was a greater diversity in belief on religion's role in government in the late 18th century than people on both sides of the argument today want to admit.
However, what does matter is what our founding documents actually say. In 1776 there was no reason to be politically correct so if the founders wanted a Christian society, they could have easily put it in our Constitution. However, here is what we have.
Declaration of Independence: Reference to "nature's God" and a generic "Creator" but no reference to Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, the Church, or anything related specifically to Christianity.
Constitution: It bans religious tests to hold public office. It also guarantees freedom of religion and prevents laws pertaining to establishment of religion. Once again, no mention of Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, etc, etc. The Constitution doesn't even use the word "God."
Articles of Confederation: Also doesn't mention God, the Bible, Jesus, Christianity, etc, etc. It makes one reference to religion, in article III where it says "The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever."
This is not to say that the culture of our country hasn't been heavily influenced by Christianity because it has. However, our nation's laws are not bound to Christianity or its rules and if that is what the founders intended, it would say so in our founding documents.
"One nation under God, indivisible". "In God we trust".
Christian nationalists can cherry-pick quotes from the Founding Fathers to promote their agenda of turning our government into a theocracy and likewise those who want a secular state have plenty of material to pull from. I personally believe that it's impossible to say "the founding fathers believed this" because there was a greater diversity in belief on religion's role in government in the late 18th century than people on both sides of the argument today want to admit.
However, what does matter is what our founding documents actually say. In 1776 there was no reason to be politically correct so if the founders wanted a Christian society, they could have easily put it in our Constitution. However, here is what we have.
Declaration of Independence: Reference to "nature's God" and a generic "Creator" but no reference to Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, the Church, or anything related specifically to Christianity.
Constitution: It bans religious tests to hold public office. It also guarantees freedom of religion and prevents laws pertaining to establishment of religion. Once again, no mention of Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, etc, etc. The Constitution doesn't even use the word "God."
Articles of Confederation: Also doesn't mention God, the Bible, Jesus, Christianity, etc, etc. It makes one reference to religion, in article III where it says "The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever."
This is not to say that the culture of our country hasn't been heavily influenced by Christianity because it has. However, our nation's laws are not bound to Christianity or its rules and if that is what the founders intended, it would say so in our founding documents.
Because USA is a Masonic Nation, not a Christian Nation.
And Masonry is antichrist's club of fans.
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