Next time some idiot says "Our forefathers didn't base this country on God".....

[-Cp]

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Another interesting tidbit about Washington: Originally, the oath of office for the president did not conclude with the words "...so help me God." When Washington took the oath for the first time, he adlibbed it. When he took the oath for his second term, the said it again. Adams and Jefferson both followed his lead, and it eventually became a standard part of the oath.

 

[Gunny]

I hope you aren't holding your breath waiting on a response.

 

[Gabriella84]

How would anyone know which God that Washington was making reference to? There were a lot of them around at that time.

 

[menewa]

There's no question Washington and most of the founders were devout Christians. However, there is no evidence of Christian theology influencing the US Constitution. The Federalists Papers, a lengthy defense of the Constitution written by Jay, Hamilton and Adams explains in intricate detail the basis and rationale behind our strong nation-binding document. Nowhere in the hundreds of pages of Publius is any part of the Bible mentioned. The Federal Republic they created has no basis in Biblical doctrine.

 

[Gem]

Gabby's right. She must have read that new book, "George Washington was Actually a Hindi."

 

[nakedemperor]

As odd as the word choice in the sentence next time some idiot says our forefathers "didn't base this country on God" is, I'll venture a response.

God is absent in the constituion. Were our founding fathers almost entirely Christian? Indeed. Fortunately, they didn't care what religion everyone else was, so gave us the freedom to choose any religion, or none at all.

 

[acludem]

Our founders knew that religion and government shouldn't be intertwined. Many of their ancestors had come to America to escape religious persecution (i.e. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin who descended from Puritans) by the English crown. George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation was HIS opinion and not a binding law; people were free to ignore it if they saw fit. Thanksgiving Day as we know it now was designated by President Lincoln.

Those who seek to post the Ten Commandments in courthouses, who seek to force children to pray in government funded schools, seek to use the power of law to coerce people into practicing, for the most part, Protestant Christianity. Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. would be subject to persecution in their ideal America. If they had their way, the name of the country would be changed to "The United Christian States of America"

It's scary, but it's true.

acludem

 

[Bonnie]

How would anyone know which God that Washington was making reference to? There were a lot of them around at that time.

As is the case now, so what's your point? Look deeper into the writings of our founders and you will find many mentions of an almighty creator, God, etc in which they based all their decisions upon including the documents.

 

[Bonnie]

Our founders knew that religion and government shouldn't be intertwined. Many of their ancestors had come to America to escape religious persecution (i.e. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin who descended from Puritans) by the English crown. George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation was HIS opinion and not a binding law; people were free to ignore it if they saw fit. Thanksgiving Day as we know it now was designated by President Lincoln.

Those who seek to post the Ten Commandments in courthouses, who seek to force children to pray in government funded schools, seek to use the power of law to coerce people into practicing, for the most part, Protestant Christianity. Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. would be subject to persecution in their ideal America. If they had their way, the name of the country would be changed to "The United Christian States of America"

It's scary, but it's true.

acludem

Maybe your way would be "The United Secular States of America.

Scary but, true!!

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Our founders knew that religion and government shouldn't be intertwined. Many of their ancestors had come to America to escape religious persecution (i.e. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin who descended from Puritans) by the English crown. George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation was HIS opinion and not a binding law; people were free to ignore it if they saw fit. Thanksgiving Day as we know it now was designated by President Lincoln.

Those who seek to post the Ten Commandments in courthouses, who seek to force children to pray in government funded schools, seek to use the power of law to coerce people into practicing, for the most part, Protestant Christianity. Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. would be subject to persecution in their ideal America. If they had their way, the name of the country would be changed to "The United Christian States of America"

It's scary, but it's true.

acludem

Not everyone who thinks the posting the ten commandments is ok, wants to force people to practice christianity. This is just hyped up propaganda and you know it. Get honest.


The constitutions says "Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion". A stone statue is not a law, neither is a copy of the ten commandments hanging inside for that matter.

 

[acludem]

To post of a copy of the Ten Commandments, one of which reads "I am the Lord Thy God, you shall have no other Gods before me" is a clear government establishment of Christianity as the only accepted religion in the court.

As for my prior statement, I'm referring to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others like them who have openly bashed other religions, and have made statements favoring theocracy.

I believe in an America where every person has the right to make his or her own choice about what religion to practice if any and to practice that religion so long as it does not require commission of a crime to do so (i.e. polygamy, etc) without government interference. I firmly believe that is what our founders had in mind when they crafted our Constitution and then added the first amendment to clarify this.

acludem

 

[rtwngAvngr]

To post of a copy of the Ten Commandments, one of which reads "I am the Lord Thy God, you shall have no other Gods before me" is a clear government establishment of Christianity as the only accepted religion in the court.

No it's not. This is why you lefties are losing it all. Complete irrationality. It says no such thing. You're trippin'.

As for my prior statement, I'm referring to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others like them who have openly bashed other religions, and have made statements favoring theocracy.

They have aright to those beliefs. I don't think they will succeed. Did you know there are also communists in this country who want to undo all private property, and there are also islamists who want to make america an islamis state?

I believe in an America where every person has the right to make his or her own choice about what religion to practice if any and to practice that religion so long as it does not require commission of a crime to do so (i.e. polygamy, etc) without government interference. I firmly believe that is what our founders had in mind when they crafted our Constitution and then added the first amendment to clarify this.

acludem

me too.

 

[Bonnie]

To post of a copy of the Ten Commandments, one of which reads "I am the Lord Thy God, you shall have no other Gods before me" is a clear government establishment of Christianity as the only accepted religion in the court.

As for my prior statement, I'm referring to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others like them who have openly bashed other religions, and have made statements favoring theocracy.

I believe in an America where every person has the right to make his or her own choice about what religion to practice if any and to practice that religion so long as it does not require commission of a crime to do so (i.e. polygamy, etc) without government interference. I firmly believe that is what our founders had in mind when they crafted our Constitution and then added the first amendment to clarify this.

acludem

As does most of us, however what does that have to do with the ACLU and other groups purposefully looking to stop things such as Boy Scouts using parks for no fees because they take what is interpreted as a religious oath. Isn't that splitting hairs?? To me and many others that looks exactly like a conserted effort to remove any and all representations of religion or spirituality completely from the public. Crosses removed from cemetaries.......Come on!!!!

 

[-Cp]

There's no question Washington and most of the founders were devout Christians. However, there is no evidence of Christian theology influencing the US Constitution. The Federalists Papers, a lengthy defense of the Constitution written by Jay, Hamilton and Adams explains in intricate detail the basis and rationale behind our strong nation-binding document. Nowhere in the hundreds of pages of Publius is any part of the Bible mentioned. The Federal Republic they created has no basis in Biblical doctrine.

Hmm.. so I guess we should disrgard the Bill of Rights eh? Nope, no mention of God at all there eh?

 

[Annie]

There's no question Washington and most of the founders were devout Christians. However, there is no evidence of Christian theology influencing the US Constitution. The Federalists Papers, a lengthy defense of the Constitution written by Jay, Hamilton and Adams explains in intricate detail the basis and rationale behind our strong nation-binding document. Nowhere in the hundreds of pages of Publius is any part of the Bible mentioned. The Federal Republic they created has no basis in Biblical doctrine.

any part of the Bible mentioned

​

How Clintonian of you menewa

Ah but God, heavens, praise, The Almighty's hand, and more are mentioned by 'Publius' and others.

 

[colehart]

How would anyone know which God that Washington was making reference to? There were a lot of them around at that time.

"I love to be a pretentious asshole"...Your talent seems to lie in that direction!

 

[acludem]

My problem with the Boy Scouts, and the reason they frequently have problems getting usage of public property is that they are on record as publically excluding gay people and in some areas non-Christians from participation. It is against many city ordinances and state laws to allow organizations that discriminate use of public land with or without a fee to have events. That is the problem, not whether or not they have a religious oath (which they do "...do my duty to God and my country...").

As for crosses in cemeteries, the plots are privately owned and so the owners of those plots should be allowed to put whatever symbols they choose within reason (i.e. a twenty foot neon sign probably wouldn't be appropriate).

The fact is, that those most responsible for the shape of our present government were adamant about keeping government and religion separate. Jefferson's epitaph even mentions that he was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious freedom. James Madison (a.k.a. "The Father of our Constitution) was adamant about separation of church and state as were Benjamin Franklin, the devoutly religious John Adams, and Federalist papers authors John Jay and Alexander Hamilton.

acludem

 

[Annie]

My problem with the Boy Scouts, and the reason they frequently have problems getting usage of public property is that they are on record as publically excluding gay people and in some areas non-Christians from participation. It is against many city ordinances and state laws to allow organizations that discriminate use of public land with or without a fee to have events. That is the problem, not whether or not they have a religious oath (which they do "...do my duty to God and my country...").

As for crosses in cemeteries, the plots are privately owned and so the owners of those plots should be allowed to put whatever symbols they choose within reason (i.e. a twenty foot neon sign probably wouldn't be appropriate).

The fact is, that those most responsible for the shape of our present government were adamant about keeping government and religion separate. Jefferson's epitaph even mentions that he was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious freedom. James Madison (a.k.a. "The Father of our Constitution) was adamant about separation of church and state as were Benjamin Franklin, the devoutly religious John Adams, and Federalist papers authors John Jay and Alexander Hamilton.

acludem

No direct response to the federalist stuff. Interesting. I disagree with the ACLU regarding Boy Scouts, but then again, I dropped my membership due to Skokie and Nazis.

Religious freedom ala Jefferson does NOT mean from religion, rather OF religion, which is what seperates us from Europe and has allowed so many to be religious, since they can 'shop around.'

 

[no1tovote4]

To post of a copy of the Ten Commandments, one of which reads "I am the Lord Thy God, you shall have no other Gods before me" is a clear government establishment of Christianity as the only accepted religion in the court.

As for my prior statement, I'm referring to Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and others like them who have openly bashed other religions, and have made statements favoring theocracy.

I believe in an America where every person has the right to make his or her own choice about what religion to practice if any and to practice that religion so long as it does not require commission of a crime to do so (i.e. polygamy, etc) without government interference. I firmly believe that is what our founders had in mind when they crafted our Constitution and then added the first amendment to clarify this.

acludem

Um, there is more than one religion that reveres the 10 Commandments. At least give Judaism a "mention" in your tirade. Geesh!