Beliefs – Get Rid of the Old to Allow New to Come In
Where do your beliefs about the world come from? Core beliefs: yours may have come from parents and teachers when you were a child and they may not apply to you now as an adult. Ask yourself if they are still valid or need to be discarded like the tooth fairy and Santa Claus.
You do understand that just because we allow people to come here and practice their own religious beliefs?
Trojan JackAss - February 28th, 2010 at 11:08 amdoes not mean we are not a Christian country, right?
It is in the US Constitution. You will here God mentioned many times there, yes.
Presidents are sworn in on a bible.
There is only one God.
Everyone can come here and practice freely, but as you can see, there is no seperation of church and state because this is a Christian country.
*separation.
I understand that we are not a Christian country. Do you?
yutsnark - February 28th, 2010 at 4:10 pmReferences :
Is that in the constitution or something?
AliLa - February 28th, 2010 at 4:12 pmReferences :
Right… so how do Presidents get sworn in?
Panserbjorne - February 28th, 2010 at 4:14 pmReferences :
Then what DOES it mean that "we are a Christian country"?
It can’t mean simply that the majority of people in the U.S. are Christian. The majority of people in the U.S. are female, but it doesn’t follow that this is a "female country."
It can’t mean that our laws are based on Christianity. We have lots of laws that have nothing to do with Christianity, and others are actually inconsistent with Christianity. For example, we don’t criminalize adultery, even though adultery is a criminal act, from a Christian standpoint.
The mere mention of the word "God" in certain of our founding documents does not make this country Christian. After all, every religion, practically by definition, recognizes the existence of a God of some sort.
The fact that the President has traditionally sworn an oath on a Bible does not make this a Christian country. There is no law that even mandates swearing on a Bible; it’s really the President-elect’s choice to use a Bible.
The fact is that neither the founders of this country nor any court has ever declared this country to be a "Christian country," whatever that means.
Zeke H - February 28th, 2010 at 4:16 pmReferences :
i understand that if we used the term "Jewish country" then you would be fine with that too, since we allow them to practice that as well. sounds like a good change to me.
The Return of the Loose Cannon - February 28th, 2010 at 4:18 pmReferences :
No. I understand the Constitution and its intent. You apparently don’t.
We are a nation of mostly Christians, but that does not make us a Christian nation.
Big difference.
Edit: (Sigh) You look at the attached link and find ANYWHERE in the US Constitution a reference to "God" or ‘Jesus" or "Supreme Being"
(Hint: Nothing is there.)
michelob86 - February 28th, 2010 at 4:20 pmReferences :
http://www.usconstitution.net/
I still believe this country is mostly Christian. But that is changing fast.
Sassy One - February 28th, 2010 at 4:22 pmWe are just going to have to deal with it. You cannot force Christianity down people’s throats anymore than the Muslims can try to force Islam down your throat. Times have changed, our country has changed, people change. We don’t live in the 50′s anymore.
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We are a nation under god, yes
ninga_slaya - February 28th, 2010 at 4:24 pmReferences :
have you heard of seperation of church and state?
harry manboobs - February 28th, 2010 at 4:26 pmReferences :
How do you know the Constitution refers to the Christian God, and not another God?
Does it specify?
Kevin A.R.T. ??e??s† - February 28th, 2010 at 4:28 pmReferences :
Please read Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli. Written while George Washington was still in office, ratified by John Adams (both Founding Fathers if you didn’t know).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/TreatyofTripoli.gif
It should be noted it was unanimously ratified by Congress as well and printed in newspapers around the fledgling United States… without a word of outcry.
This is not a Christian nation… it is a nation with Christians in it.
I will defend your right to practice your beliefs as an individual. I will fight you if you try to enforce those beliefs on me through legislation or a misunderstanding of our national foundations.
Skitter - February 28th, 2010 at 4:30 pmReferences :
Show me a single mention of God in the Constitution. "In God We Trust" did not even appear on currency until 1864. The Founding Fathers were very clear that mixing Church and State hurts both. They also implemented the First Amendment… THE FIRST AMENDMENT!!! That specifies a separation of church and state.
problem is you are also an immigrant and you came here and practised freely,the native americans should be asking you the same thing…..oh yah america is a secular country
chak - February 28th, 2010 at 4:32 pmReferences :
Even the declaration of independence makes it clear that the US is a Christian country in its foundation.
kpk02 - February 28th, 2010 at 4:34 pmReferences :
Not everyone in the USA is a Christian yet most believe in God as the supreme Being above all. So I do not believe this is a Christian nation but that does not mean I will stop saying Merry Christmas to anyone either.
I am all for separation of CHURCH and state , especially keeping islamists out of our government. islam is a theocracy sworn to kill all non muslims ( READ the qur’an. ) GOD is NOT a CHURCH. MEN make up religions and churches and run churches and religions. Separation of church and state is why our country was begun. The church of England OWNED many as slaves. Islam STILL owns slaves even now and even women and children are the legal PROPERTY of men. Islam is a religion. It is NOT God. It is run by MEN who want to run the entire lives and thoughts of other men, thus resulting in slavery in America which our second war was fought to STOP because Americans recognize slavery and ownership of humans as illegal and evil before God.
Islam is a theocracy just as the church of England once was and Americans ESCAPED the theocracy because theocracys always become evil.
I hope this explains enough. If not I will try again.
Nova - February 28th, 2010 at 4:36 pmReferences :
http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2008/03/muslim-takeover-of-west-how-it-works.html
It is all silly mumbo jumbo as far as I’m concerned.
Ol Scratch - February 28th, 2010 at 4:38 pmReferences :
There is only one Santa Clause.
Um. Does the Christian faith have some monopoly on God? This is not a Christian country and never was. The founding fathers were of many beliefs, including Freethinkers, i.e., non-religious.
Coriolanus - February 28th, 2010 at 4:40 pmReferences :
The US is NOT a christian nation.
The Bahamas where I live is a Christian nation. All schools teach religion (christian) including public, to obtain a passport you must have proof of Baptism, to enter school you must list your religion, all ceremonies, television days, and some news broadcasts begin and/or end with a christian prayer.
Yes, other religions are tolerated here, but even if you are a jew, muslim, buddhist, etc, you will have to deal with christian teachings and the rest to live here.
I do not see anything similar in the US. The US may have a large christian population, but it is not a religious nation.
Lotus Phoenix - February 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pmReferences :
Yes, it means we are not a Christian country. The Constitution specifically says that we are not a Christian country by barring a state religion. And presidents are sworn in on whatever book they consider holy. A Muslim president would be sworn in on the Koran.
Joshua H - February 28th, 2010 at 4:44 pmReferences :
1892 – The Supreme Court of the United States after citing 87 precedents decided: "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise: and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian … This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation … we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth. These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation."
Skaggmo - February 28th, 2010 at 4:46 pmReferences :
http://www.shalomjerusalem.com/heritage/heritage1.html
Yes we do allow everyone to practice the religious beliefs pretty freely, whether Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Satanic, Mormon, Polytheism or other form of religion that they choose.
God is mentioned everywhere in its most loose form to avoid offending anyone, except the few loud atheists that seem to keep trying to wipe the notion of a God off the face of the planet.
God is not meant to mean any perceived individual deity, rather it encompasses all notions of Supreme Being.
Good Guy - February 28th, 2010 at 4:48 pmReferences :
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The majority of Americans are Christian. This should be respected. I think what cannot be understood by outsiders is the fact that we have many different denominations here, but we all worship the same God. Together we are a majority.
Jade - February 28th, 2010 at 4:50 pmReferences :
Freedom of religion is NOT restricted to freedom to belong to whatever Protestant Christian denomination you choose.
Harald Hardraada - February 28th, 2010 at 4:52 pmReferences :
you are correct we are a christian country it’s in the constitution.
" in the year of our lord" only one person has been known as lord "jesus christ"
EDIT:
Holy Trinity Church v. United States, 143 U.S. 457 (1892)
The case is also famous for Justice Brewer’s statements that America is a "Christian nation". While this case was not specifically about religion, the court considered America’s Christian identity to be a strong support for its conclusion. Almost half of the text of the opinion is spent demonstrating America’s Christian identity, in order to show that congress could not have intended to prohibit foreign ministers. Referring back to this case in Public Citizen v. Department of Justice, 491 U.S. 440 (1989)[2], Justice Kennedy, joined by The Chief Justice and Justice O’Connor, wrote:
"The central support for the Court’s ultimate conclusion that Congress did not intend the law to cover Christian ministers is its lengthy review of the ‘mass of organic utterances’ establishing that ‘this is a Christian nation,’ and which were taken to prove that it could not ‘be believed that a Congress of the United States intended to make it a misdemeanor for a church of this country to contract for the services of a Christian minister residing in another nation.’" Id., at 471
sorry for the cut & paste.
look at our form of government: presbyterian.
Q - February 28th, 2010 at 4:54 pmReferences :
google:us supreme court trinity decision
Your assertion in your additional details section is incorrect. The word ‘God’ does not appear anywhere in the United States Constitution.. If you think it does, I encourage you to find it and correct me. In fact, religion is only mentioned twice at all, in the following clauses:
Article VI: ‘…but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
1st Amendment: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…’
So the founding fathers only bring up religion twice at all, and both cases are provisions to keep religion and government independent of one another.
Again, if I have made a factual error feel free to correct me; I do come back and read follow-ups. Those who don’t like what I have to say but can’t refute it are welcome to give ‘drive-by’ thumbs down if it makes them feel better.
Edit: The US Constitution also does not require that Presidents be sworn in on a Bible. Republican President Teddy Roosevelt did not use a bible when he took the oath of office in 1901, and John Quincy Adams was sworn in on a book of law. Franklin Pierce chose to take an affirmation, not an oath. The words "so help me god" are actually not constitutionally required, but many Presidents add them as a matter of custom.
Terry A. - February 28th, 2010 at 4:56 pmReferences :
http://usconstitution.net/const.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States#Ancillary_practices
I don’t want to get into that whole does the Constitution make it a Christian country or does a majority of Christians make it a Christian country.
But on the thing about the President swearing the oath of office on the Bible. I think that is custom, not law. I think if a President chose just to raise his right hand and swear the oath that would be perfectly legal. I have no problem with the President swearing on the Bible (I’m Christian), or even if say, Mitt Romney had been elected and chose to swear on the Book of Mormon (although Mormons believe in the Bible, too) or a Muslim swore on the Koran, I’d have no problem, but many would. But I have been surprised that the ACLU or somebody has not complained about the custom more. I think in courtrooms it was once the custom for a witness to swear on the Bible, but when I was on jury duty a few years ago I do not recall witnesses swearing on the Bible.
Rubym - February 28th, 2010 at 4:58 pmReferences :
Great idea .Let’s make America a true Christian country which means that we have to practice the only true Christian religion which of course is the Greek Orthodox religion
mr danger - February 28th, 2010 at 5:00 pmNot the Johnny come-lately Protestant /Germanic tribes version of it or even the Catholic version of it But only the true Greek version of it
Since Greek is the original language of the Bible it would only make sense to teach everybody how to read Greek so that they could actually get it
Good luck on learning how to read Greek
Btw
The word "God " does not show up in the US Constitution ….ever
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Our Founding Fathers make many references to "God" in their writings, But not in the Constitution. Yes, the majority of Americans are of a Christian persuasion of one form or another, but that does not mean that our government is a Christian government.
The First Amendment clearly states that the Government is prohibited from establishing a state religion. It also clearly states that the individual is free to worship as he/she feels best without any interference from the government. The key word is "of". Nowhere in the amendment does it say "from".
Even though a President, Legislator, or a Judge, is a member of the government, they are still individuals, and as such are free to practice their religion as they see fit – as long as they do not use the government to force you to practice that same religion.
Robert C - February 28th, 2010 at 5:02 pmReferences :
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
It clearly states in the constitution the government shall establish no religion .
Mogollon Dude - February 28th, 2010 at 5:04 pmReferences :
There u go again right wing, throwing the Dem’s in a panic;.OMG do you
Right Wing Predator Hawk. - February 28th, 2010 at 5:06 pm\mean were actually going to here the word GOD. Is that OK to do, can’t
we call him father time or something that won’t offend the gays shags
liberals or atheist. Or what ever special interest group Obama is kissing
today.
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Yes, we tolerate & allow other religions – not embrace them as our own. This country was based on christian beliefs & no minority will ever change that. GOD bless America.
INDRED COLD RETURNS - February 28th, 2010 at 5:08 pmReferences :