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Historically Christians have given as much as they've gotten. The Spanish Inquisition, The Crusades, and The Salem Witch trials come to mind. The founders of our nation, many of the most influential of whom were Deists rather than Christian, were well aware of the danger that unbridled religious fervor posed to true liberty and took great pains to remove it's influence from the machinations of government.
Some Christians were of course involved in the shaping of our nation, but their influence was minor compared to the ideological contributions of the Deists who pressed for the formation of a secular nation. It is modern day fundamentalism that carries the banner of the Christian nation myth and seeks to impose it's narrow world view along with it's many prejudices on the public at large. I can't thank the founding fathers enough. Their wisdom speaks from beyond the grave.
"In every country and every age the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in allegiance with the despot, abetting his abuses for protection of his own." --Thomas Jefferson
"On the dogmas of religion, as distinguished from moral principles, all mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, have been quarreling, fighting, burning and torturing one another, for abstractions unintelligible to themselves and to all others, and absolutely beyond the comprehension of the human mind." --Thomas Jefferson
"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." - James Madison
"Experience witnesseth that ecclesiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of religion, have had a contrary operation. During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has 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." --James Madison
"And ever since the Reformation, when or where has existed a Protestant or dissenting sect who would tolerate A FREE INQUIRY? The blackest billingsgate, the most ungentlemanly insolence, the most yahooish brutality, is patiently endured, countenanced, propagated, and applauded. But touch a solemn truth in collision with a dogma of a sect, though capable of the clearest proof, and you will find you have disturbed a nest, and the hornets will swarm about your eyes and hand, and fly into your face and eyes." --John Adams
"If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution. The primitive Christians thought persecution extremely wrong in the Pagans, but practiced it on one another. The first Protestants of the Church of England blamed persecution in the Roman Church, but practiced it upon the Puritans. They found it wrong in Bishops, but fell into the practice themselves both here (England) and in New England." --Benjamin Franklin
The Christian Nation Myth
http://http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html (http://http//www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html - broken link)
"Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers." Barack Obama 2006 Keynote speech.
"Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers." Barack Obama 2006 Keynote speech.
But the point is we never were. We were and are a secular republic who's citizens are free to practice or not practice any religion they want.
I still think the founding fathers as well as people earlier in history knew that no god exists and it is all a bunch of hogwash, but to be politically correct I see them as "going along to get along." Same thing people do today, I don't believe for one second that an intelligent person believes any of that garbage that religions would have us believe. But they don't dare say that they don't cause that would be political/career/societal suicide. I know, cause I have committed that kind of hari kari a long time ago and I'm not drinkin any of their kool-aid.
Around 80% of americans claim to be christian. That pretty much makes it a christian nation.
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