Independence Day
July 5, 2012 at 10:39 am
(This post was last modified: July 5, 2012 at 10:43 am by Atheistfreethinker.)
On this American Independence Day, 236 years after it’s institution. I would like to remind people that America was NOT founded as a Christian nation. Many of it’s founders were Christians and certainly the majority of it’s inhabitants are, but that does not make America a Christian nation.
Too many people forget that America is a democratic republic and not a democracy. The majority doesn’t rule here. The first amendment protects the freedom of religion but it also gives the laws freedom from religion. The drafters of the constitution were all too aware of the dangers of having a state sponsored religion. After all, that is exactly what they were fighting to be free from.
England had, and still has a state sponsored religion based on the family values of Henry VIII. In the colonial times before the constitution, religion was a part of the law.This gave rise to some of the darkest times in American history such as the Salem witch trials.
Religion has no place in the making of laws or the education of our children. On the other hand, Morality does have a place. Before anyone says “ Then where do your morals come from? ” Morality is not derived from religion it precedes it.
The Constitution of the United States has stood for over 200 years, the longest of any constitution in the world, ever! So leave it alone, enjoy your freedoms and quit trying to push your religious “ freedom ” on to other people.
It seems to me that putting religion and freedom in the same sentence is an oxymoron anyway; if not an oxymoron at the very least a contradiction of terms. Because to be religious, means you must subjugate yourself to an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent deity that watches you every minute of every day and even knows what you are thinking before you think it and can convict you of thought crime even while you are asleep. Who but a serf would want this?
It sickens me to hear people call America the land of the free and then try to say it is a Christian nation. America IS the land of the free, and you have the right to believe whatever you want, but keep in mind that others have the right to believe or not believe as they choose.
Steven Weinberg said once “ When left to themselves, good people will do good things and evil people will do evil things, but to get a good person to do an evil thing that takes religion."
Too many people forget that America is a democratic republic and not a democracy. The majority doesn’t rule here. The first amendment protects the freedom of religion but it also gives the laws freedom from religion. The drafters of the constitution were all too aware of the dangers of having a state sponsored religion. After all, that is exactly what they were fighting to be free from.
England had, and still has a state sponsored religion based on the family values of Henry VIII. In the colonial times before the constitution, religion was a part of the law.This gave rise to some of the darkest times in American history such as the Salem witch trials.
Religion has no place in the making of laws or the education of our children. On the other hand, Morality does have a place. Before anyone says “ Then where do your morals come from? ” Morality is not derived from religion it precedes it.
The Constitution of the United States has stood for over 200 years, the longest of any constitution in the world, ever! So leave it alone, enjoy your freedoms and quit trying to push your religious “ freedom ” on to other people.
It seems to me that putting religion and freedom in the same sentence is an oxymoron anyway; if not an oxymoron at the very least a contradiction of terms. Because to be religious, means you must subjugate yourself to an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent deity that watches you every minute of every day and even knows what you are thinking before you think it and can convict you of thought crime even while you are asleep. Who but a serf would want this?
It sickens me to hear people call America the land of the free and then try to say it is a Christian nation. America IS the land of the free, and you have the right to believe whatever you want, but keep in mind that others have the right to believe or not believe as they choose.
Steven Weinberg said once “ When left to themselves, good people will do good things and evil people will do evil things, but to get a good person to do an evil thing that takes religion."
