Monday, June 9, 2008

Non-tract: Is America a Christian Nation?

The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8). If we are a Christian nation, why doesn't our Constitution say so?
In 1797 America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." This reassurance to Islam was written under Washington's presidency, and approved by the Senate under John Adams.

The First Amendment To The U.S. Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

What about the Declaration of Independence?

We are not governed by the Declaration. Its purpose was to "dissolve the political bands," not to set up a religious nation. Its authority was based on the idea that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," which is contrary to the biblical concept of rule by divine authority. It deals with laws, taxation, representation, war, immigration, and so on, never discussing religion at all.

The references to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Divine Providence" in the Declaration do not endorse Christianity. Thomas Jefferson, its author, was a Deist, opposed to orthodox Christianity and the supernatural.


Follow the link to read the entire non-tract... it contains good stuff, indeed!

7 comments:

coreydbarbarian said...

yes sir, that was good stuff, fo sho! lots to investigate on the site, too.

that 1797 treaty w/ tripoli is always my favorite. if you wanna see some evangelical's head explode, mention the treaty in rebuttal. better than feeding alkaseltzer to seagulls, i tell ya!

csm said...

Yes, FFRF is a wonderful organization. I am a member and enjoy the Freethought Today newspaper that they send out regularly (monthly?). The regular two-page section that details all of the black collar crime (religious leaders committing crimes) is well worth the cost of entry.

coreydbarbarian said...

hey csm!
have you seen the trailer for bill maher's new flick, religulous?

from what i can tell, it comes out at the end of the month.

csm said...

I had heard of this film but hadn't seen the trailer yet... thanks for the link.

coreydbarbarian said...

sorry to keep throwing links at ya, but...

this was too crazy not to share.

csm said...

That was an incredible piece of crazy at that there link, Corey. I guess they grow 'em nutso near the Kansas/Missouri border.

coreydbarbarian said...

this might help ya get that crazy taste out of your head.

enjoy!