HUH??
Here is ANOTHER website FULL of statements made by our Founding Fathers.
http://rationalrevolution.net/articles/history_of_the_separation_of_chu.htmReading what someone has ACTUALLY said or written (rather than what some Media person or email says they said) -- whether it be our current president or the Founding Fathers -- is always enlightening -- at least to me.
The Founding Fathers definitely believed that religion was a personal matter and all citizens had the right to worship -- or not -- as they chose. That included Christians, Jews, Muslims, Deists, Atheists, and/or any others.
Some of these men were Christians of one sort or another, some were Deists. Certainly they DID NOT want the government telling them who or what they could worship. One reason so many left England was to get away from exactly that.
Individual colonies DID, early on, enact legislation referencing God and/or Jesus Christ. The wording of their constitutions was superceded when the U.S. Constrtution was enacted, however, and the 14th Amendment eventually clarified the issue once and for all.
=========
Even though I am a Christian, I have a slightly different take on some things happening in our country right now than some others, including my own children! Probably I am influenced by the fact that my youngest daughter married a Muslim -- they are now divorced -- and so my grand-daughter, Leila, 21, who currently lives with me -- has a father she loves who is NOT Christian. As you can imagine, she struggles, and is sometimes hurt, by things said and done over issues not of her making or in her control.
The current climate against Muslims is strongly reminescent of that against the Communists which culminated in the McCarthy hearings.
In 1954 the Cummunists were secretly planning the overthrow of the U.S. Government.
In 2010 the Muslims are secretly planning the overthrow of the "Infidels"; i.e., U.S. government and its citizens.
Is this true? Are Muslims a modern-day "Trojan Horse in our country? I don't know.
There are two possibilities that quickly come to mind -- neither one good because it would be the end of the U.S. as we know it.
1) Either we support/practice/believe in the principals of freedom -- religious and otherwise --upon which this country was founded -- with the possibility that the _________ bad guys (fill in the blank with Muslims, Communists, Jews, Blacks, women, Irish Catholics--whatever your particular prejudice may be) get to be the majority and take over and take us down
OR
2) We deny the principals upon which this country was founded to certain of our citizens we don't like and with whom we disagree --
Either way, we're done.
There is a THIRD possibility/option -- which is, of course, that we could all learn to live together peaceably and respectfully in this great and wonderful America . . . and truly be an example to the world of justice.
**********
The hateful climate surrounding our President is frightening, to say the least. The distortions and outright lies circulating are beyond belief.Two examples -- one circulating re his press conference on April 6, 2010, in Turkey -- when his comments were taken out of context (surprise!, surprise!) and misrepresented.
What he actually said was: "One of the great strengths of the United States is … we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
He was partly referencing the Treaty of Tripoli, 1796 --
website -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli
check out what the treaty says -- it states,"As the government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian religion" . . . ) Now that WAS a surprise. But if you read the entire statement, it clarifies what is being said and what is being said is a good thing -- a bridge builder between nations.
I believe President Obama has done wonders in restoring credibility and respect for the USA because he is a consumate diplomat when meeting with people of other cultures and religions. Listen to his recent speech to the Indonesians –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kacZTEEZkNI
I wonder how many people under 60 actually know the phrase "under God" was NOT part of the Pledge of Alliegiance when first penned. It was added in 1954. I was in school and remember reciting it daily -- both ways.
Or that "In God We Trust" was not added to our coins until after the Civil War.
Praise God for ALL Our Freedoms, especially that of Religion!
How grateful I am that I have no need to justify or defend my beliefs with unfounded claims or distortions of my country's origins.
d
No comments:
Post a Comment