"The United States is a Christian-founded nation"

[Bad Writer]

Jefferson wasn't an atheist. When did you ever hear someone trying to tell you that, Drich?

[KUSA]

@Drippy
I quote the bible all the time but it doesn't mean I believe that godsdamned stupid shit.

[Mister Agenda]

Wham bam, thank you Madame

haven't you guys learned not to count your chicken before the hatch?

Irony, much? I dare you to find a weaker support for your contention. The only thing Congress endorsed for that Bible was that it was an accurate copy of the Bible. That prayer wasn't Jefferson's, but if it were, it wouldn't make the USA any more founded on Christianity.

We LOVE documents like those.

[Lemonvariable72]

haven't you guys learned not to count your chicken before the hatch?

Irony, much? I dare you to find a weaker support for your contention. The only thing Congress endorsed for that Bible was that it was an accurate copy of the Bible. That prayer wasn't Jefferson's, but if it were, it wouldn't make the USA any more founded on Christianity.

We LOVE documents like those.

And even if it was founded by christians (most of the founding father were)It doesn't matter as they all endorsed and up held seperation of church and state, a value found no where in the bible.

[Minimalist]

The only thing Congress endorsed for that Bible was that it was an accurate copy of the Bible.

Which...when you think of it...means exactly shit. I can copy my phone bill, too. So what?

Meanwhile....let's not let our resident asshole off the hook with Lincoln, either.

My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them.
-- Abraham Lincoln, to Judge J S Wakefield,

[Ryantology]

Drich, upon which Judeo-Christian values, in your estimation, were the United States founded?

[Darkstar]

You do know there wasn't a 'law' in the consitution that seperated Church and state right?
That did not happen till the bill of rights in 1891

The Bill of Rights is part of the constitution. It's rather telling that church and state separation was enshrined in law at about the same time people were given rights. I would say that's pretty substantial.
First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Our first president prayed like the rest of the founding Father's therefore our values are based on their collective religion.

Since when do deists pray?

So?
I do not agree with the doctrine of orginal sin (as it is not biblical) nor am I in agreement with the traditional doctrines of predestination as they make many non biblical leaps.

None of this makes Jefferson an atheist. Do you consider me an atheist?
And yet I do not consider myself in agreement with 18th century theology muck like jefferson did not completely jive with that theology.

I never argued that Jefferson was an atheist. However, he did not believe in the divinity of Jesus, so it would be rather strange for him to try to found a nation based off of that.

You can debate all you like but I left you with 2 pages of bible quotes the man used in his various speaches.. And not just passing references but alot of these quotes were the keystones to his speaches.

This is not something an unbeliever would do. Heck this is not some most believer presidents would do. Look at all the ones who came before him..

Are you sure you want to play this game?

---

---

What does this have to do with separation of church and state again?

Begs the question I was not addressing the current understanding of that term. I was answering the OP that said our founding Fathers were anti religion.

I don't think he ever said that, just that they weren't particularly Christian. They did make laws ensuring the freedom to practice religion, after all.

And before you say that "Christian value X is supported by the founding fathers", keep in mind that Christianity doesn't have a monopoly on morality, nor is it the origin of it.

[Mystical]

Wham bam, thank you Madame

haven't you guys learned not to count your chicken before the hatch?

At least my chicken eggs exist

[Anomalocaris]

The United States is a Christian-founded nation....

Even if true, so what? Humans grow and advance. Homo Sapiens are a cannibal-founded species, we grew out of it.

[A Theist]

Many of the founding fathers like Jefferson and Franklin were certainly deists but we were culturally Christian long before the Founding Fathers were born and long before America became a nation, and we continue to be, for the present. In fact, though Franklin considered himself a deist, he also believed that if our nation was to survive the people had to be virtuous and that organized religion was necessary to keep men good to their fellow men...though he rarely attended church himself.

Wikipedia

Like the other advocates of republicanism, Franklin emphasized that the new republic could survive only if the people were virtuous. All his life he explored the role of civic and personal virtue, as expressed in Poor Richard's aphorisms. Franklin felt that organized religion was necessary to keep men good to their fellow men, but rarely attended religious services himself

The 19th century English commentator on American culture, Lord Brice wrote,

Christianity [in its evangelical Protestant form] is in fact understood to be, though not the legally established religion, yet the national religion.

...In short, America had acquired, as any culture must, a civil religion..."Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform" - the late William G. McLoughlin, professor of History at Brown University.

That fact that our national heritage is culturally Christian was reflected in many of our States Constitutions which contained religious clauses. Those constitutions required that a candidate seeking political office had to profess faith in God and be of the Protestant Christian religion...though some of those constitutions stated that an active clergyman or a pastor who was fulfilling his duties to the church could not hold public office

in example of many States Constitutions...
http://www.constitution.org/primarysources/state.html

Delaware; Article 22 (1776) "Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust...shall...also make and subscribe the following declaration, to whit:

'I,_____, do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration'"

Our nation is culturally Christian.

Richard Dawkins, Scientist and leading Atheist also recognizes and embraces the Christian culture in Great Britain, obviously he doesn't feel that embracing the Christian culture conflicts with his scientific and atheist views...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_politics/7136682.stm

Prof Dawkins, who has frequently spoken out against creationism and religious fundamentalism, replied: "I'm not one of those who wants to stop Christian traditions.

"This is historically a Christian country. I'm a cultural Christian in the same way many of my friends call themselves cultural Jews or cultural Muslims.

"So, yes, I like singing carols along with everybody else. I'm not one of those who wants to purge our society of our Christian history.

Question: Do those of you who profess no belief in God feel as Richard Dawkins does, that being a "Cultural Christain" does not conflict with atheism? After all, being a cultural Christian in the way that Dawkins believes is not requiring a belief in God.