N
NewGuy
Guest
Originally posted by acludem
This is not a Christian nation, if it was meant to be, the founders would've put it in the Constitution. Instead, they specifically and deliberately left religion out, as they intended for religion to be kept out of government.
acludem
You are completely wearing on my last nerve. How many times do you have to be proven wrong?
If people read our founding documents, they would see the truth:
The following is from the Virginia Declaration of Rights which was ratified June 12, 1776 --just DAYS before our Declaration of Independence. This document was to be the preamble of the Constitution but later became the template for the Bill of Rights.
XV That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.
XVI That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.
The following comes from the Articles of Confederation which was ratified Nov. 1777 -which was 1 1/2 years AFTER the Declaration of Independence.
Only months later was the Constitution ratified which was the final draft of THIS document.
XIII. Every State shall abide by the determination of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State.
And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union. Know Ye that we the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained: And we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions, which by the said Confederation are submitted to them. And that the Articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the States we respectively represent, and that the Union shall be perpetual.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress. Done at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania the ninth day of July in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight, and in the Third Year of the independence of America.
Agreed to by Congress 15 November 1777
In force after ratification by Maryland, 1 March 1781
This clearly illustrates that there is a seperation between CHURCH and state, but not FAITH and state as Christianity goes.
Christianity is to be the moral and ethical fiber perpetuated through legislated law but freedom of religion available to all.
In other words: The spirit of the law is Christian morals and ethics and that is the only authority above our documents. The letter of the law IN our documents is liberty.
The freedom of religion in our Constitution ALREADY makes this clear. Plain and simple.
How anyone can mess this up, I will never know.