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Because "God" is a proper noun, denoting the Christian God, while "Nature's God" or the god of nature, refers to any God who might exist. It's a gesture toward inclusion of people whose gods might not be referred to as "God".In any case, "Nature's God" is again a much more general term than simply "God".
Why is that a more general term?
the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God
sounds like deism- a far cry from Christianity
I'm not arguing that 'Nature's God' means the Christian God, thought I don't think you can conclude it does not mean the Christian God.
America is a nation composed primarily of Christians. It is also a nation composed primarily of Caucasians. But that does not make America a "Christian nation" any more than it makes America a "Caucasian nation".
No it is not a Christian nation. It was and is a secular nation with full religious freedom for all. Right wing evangelicals help create the dip trouble we are in. Religion is private and should not be a part of any decisions made by our government.
Not only that, but our constitution provides that we DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP OUR RELIGION PRIVATE. This nation was founded by people who were SICK of having to hide their religion. Hence FREEDOM OF RELIGION and FREEDOM OF SPEECH. So we could talk about our religion without fear of professional or legal backlash.
But apparently some wonderful leftists want to go back to the old days.
Because "God" is a proper noun, denoting the Christian God, while "Nature's God" or the god of nature, refers to any God who might exist. It's a gesture toward inclusion of people whose gods might not be referred to as "God".Why is that a more general term?
I'm curious as to what evidence you have that the Founders interpreted it that way, simply because you, over two hundred years later, interpret it that way.
I'm not arguing that 'Nature's God' means the Christian God, thought I don't think you can conclude it does not mean the Christian God.
It's kind of the crux of this argument, regarding whether the founders specifically avoided endorsing the christian religion. I believe they did, so as to keep the government neutral in spiritual affairs, because in England, where religion and government were intertwined, one religion was endorsed by the government, and had the right to dictate to other religions how they must behave. Because of this, the founding fathers advocated that government should be completely neutral on matters of faith, and that one's religion was a private matter, between oneself and one's god.
They really didn't avoid endorsing Christianity, and certainly not to be inclusive to non-Christian religions, because those virtually did not exist in the US at that time. What they were trying to avoid was a federal endorsement of any SPECIFIC Christian group, primarily because they didn't want the federal government interfering in the individual STATES endorsing specific churches. You do know that there were several states which had official churches at that time, don't you? From the perspective of the people of the US in 1787, "different religions" meant Baptist, Episcopalian, and Catholic, not Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.
Yes, I know about the state endorsed churches, since more than half the states were essentially founded by different sects seeking to go off and form their own communities. And the Treaty of Tripoli would seem to suggest that the founders didn't think our nation had any problem with Muslims, or "musselmen" as they called them at the time.
America is a nation composed primarily of Christians. It is also a nation composed primarily of Caucasians. But that does not make America a "Christian nation" any more than it makes America a "Caucasian nation".
Well, actually, it does.
[Yes, the government should make decisions with absolutely no reference whatsoever to the belief system professed by 90-something percent of its constituents. It ought to base its decisions on anything BUT what its people believe. God forbid it be in any way in touch with the things on which the American people base their lives and ideas about right and wrong.
Because "God" is a proper noun, denoting the Christian God, while "Nature's God" or the god of nature, refers to any God who might exist. It's a gesture toward inclusion of people whose gods might not be referred to as "God".
I'm curious as to what evidence you have that the Founders interpreted it that way, simply because you, over two hundred years later, interpret it that way.
They really didn't avoid endorsing Christianity, and certainly not to be inclusive to non-Christian religions, because those virtually did not exist in the US at that time. What they were trying to avoid was a federal endorsement of any SPECIFIC Christian group, primarily because they didn't want the federal government interfering in the individual STATES endorsing specific churches. You do know that there were several states which had official churches at that time, don't you? From the perspective of the people of the US in 1787, "different religions" meant Baptist, Episcopalian, and Catholic, not Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.
Yes, I know about the state endorsed churches, since more than half the states were essentially founded by different sects seeking to go off and form their own communities. And the Treaty of Tripoli would seem to suggest that the founders didn't think our nation had any problem with Muslims, or "musselmen" as they called them at the time.
America is a nation composed primarily of Christians. It is also a nation composed primarily of Caucasians. But that does not make America a "Christian nation" any more than it makes America a "Caucasian nation".
Well, actually, it does.
It does? simple majority of population is all it takes to make America a "christian nation"? why is that?
I'm curious as to what evidence you have that the Founders interpreted it that way, simply because you, over two hundred years later, interpret it that way.
They really didn't avoid endorsing Christianity, and certainly not to be inclusive to non-Christian religions, because those virtually did not exist in the US at that time. What they were trying to avoid was a federal endorsement of any SPECIFIC Christian group, primarily because they didn't want the federal government interfering in the individual STATES endorsing specific churches. You do know that there were several states which had official churches at that time, don't you? From the perspective of the people of the US in 1787, "different religions" meant Baptist, Episcopalian, and Catholic, not Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.
Yes, I know about the state endorsed churches, since more than half the states were essentially founded by different sects seeking to go off and form their own communities. And the Treaty of Tripoli would seem to suggest that the founders didn't think our nation had any problem with Muslims, or "musselmen" as they called them at the time.
Well, actually, it does.
It does? simple majority of population is all it takes to make America a "christian nation"? why is that?
just as any nation or country in the world is described as a nation/country of that particular religion....
Saudi arabia is a muslim nation/country Japan is a buddhist nation/country Britain is a Christian nation/country....Israel is a jewish nation/country.... India is a buddhist and hindu nation/country.
It is commonly used as a generality in the description of nations or countries....nothing more and nothing less....imo
Care
It does? simple majority of population is all it takes to make America a "christian nation"? why is that?
just as any nation or country in the world is described as a nation/country of that particular religion....
Saudi arabia is a muslim nation/country Japan is a buddhist nation/country Britain is a Christian nation/country....Israel is a jewish nation/country.... India is a buddhist and hindu nation/country.
It is commonly used as a generality in the description of nations or countries....nothing more and nothing less....imo
Care
Not really ... Japan is an industrialist nation, many of them are christian now and many other religions have been added. Their government is more strict on separation of church and state than almost any other ... but they do have many feudal concepts in their government.
Not only that, but our constitution provides that we DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP OUR RELIGION PRIVATE. This nation was founded by people who were SICK of having to hide their religion. Hence FREEDOM OF RELIGION and FREEDOM OF SPEECH. So we could talk about our religion without fear of professional or legal backlash.
But apparently some wonderful leftists want to go back to the old days.
Please......explain again how Christian conservatives allow others to practice freely?
Ever seen an evangelical encounter a Buddhist?
I'm curious as to what evidence you have that the Founders interpreted it that way, simply because you, over two hundred years later, interpret it that way.
They really didn't avoid endorsing Christianity, and certainly not to be inclusive to non-Christian religions, because those virtually did not exist in the US at that time. What they were trying to avoid was a federal endorsement of any SPECIFIC Christian group, primarily because they didn't want the federal government interfering in the individual STATES endorsing specific churches. You do know that there were several states which had official churches at that time, don't you? From the perspective of the people of the US in 1787, "different religions" meant Baptist, Episcopalian, and Catholic, not Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.
Yes, I know about the state endorsed churches, since more than half the states were essentially founded by different sects seeking to go off and form their own communities. And the Treaty of Tripoli would seem to suggest that the founders didn't think our nation had any problem with Muslims, or "musselmen" as they called them at the time.
Well, actually, it does.
It does? simple majority of population is all it takes to make America a "christian nation"? why is that?
just as any nation or country in the world is described as a nation/country of that particular religion....
Saudi arabia is a muslim nation/country Japan is a buddhist nation/country Britain is a Christian nation/country....Israel is a jewish nation/country.... India is a buddhist and hindu nation/country.
It is commonly used as a generality in the description of nations or countries....nothing more and nothing less....imo
Care
It does? simple majority of population is all it takes to make America a "christian nation"? why is that?
just as any nation or country in the world is described as a nation/country of that particular religion....
Saudi arabia is a muslim nation/country Japan is a buddhist nation/country Britain is a Christian nation/country....Israel is a jewish nation/country.... India is a buddhist and hindu nation/country.
It is commonly used as a generality in the description of nations or countries....nothing more and nothing less....imo
Care
See, to most people Saudi Arabia is a "Muslim nation" because it's a theocracy, and to a lesser degree, the same is true of Israel.