There is a lot of rubbish about the USA being a Christian nation. However, I have noticed that most atheists do not realize that they have an excellent come back against those who make the claim the USA is a Christian nation. America's greatest law is the First Amendment, which allows freedom of speech. Without this law, no other freedom can exist. The mistake many people make is in failing to realize that the First Amendment does stake out a theistic position, and it is an atheistic one.
Many religions claim that blasphemy is real. Claims are made all the time that one must persecute, and even murder, those who insult one's god or prophet. For anyone holding such beliefs, compromise and tolerance is impossible. The First Amendment, rather than taking a neutral position with respect to such religious beliefs, openly proclaims that these specific beliefs are ridiculous. The First Amendment allows anyone to make any statement that they care to, no matter how insulting the statement may be, with respect to another's religion. This could only be allowed in a nation where the legal system takes the position that blasphemy does not exist. The First Amendment states that anyone who believes that people will go to eternal hell unless they persecute a blasphemer are wrong in their belief. No religious fundamentalist would have devised such a law. And this is exactly why the idea for the First Amendment originally came from an atheist, Baruch Spinoza.
I am thankful that the US was founded on atheism, not Christianity.
Many religions claim that blasphemy is real. Claims are made all the time that one must persecute, and even murder, those who insult one's god or prophet. For anyone holding such beliefs, compromise and tolerance is impossible. The First Amendment, rather than taking a neutral position with respect to such religious beliefs, openly proclaims that these specific beliefs are ridiculous. The First Amendment allows anyone to make any statement that they care to, no matter how insulting the statement may be, with respect to another's religion. This could only be allowed in a nation where the legal system takes the position that blasphemy does not exist. The First Amendment states that anyone who believes that people will go to eternal hell unless they persecute a blasphemer are wrong in their belief. No religious fundamentalist would have devised such a law. And this is exactly why the idea for the First Amendment originally came from an atheist, Baruch Spinoza.
I am thankful that the US was founded on atheism, not Christianity.
