I was reading a book (yeah I do that a lot) and a recent thread regarding the US being founded on the Christian religion and being a fundamentally Christian institution came to mind as I read the following quotes:

"The United states is in no sense founded upon the Christian doctrine"
George Washington

"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
Thomas Jefferson

"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish shurch, by the Roman Catholic church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church I know of. My own mind is my own church."
Thomas Paine

"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."
Thomas Jefferson

"The Bible is not my book, and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of the Christian dogma."
Abraham Lincoln


Discuss the ramifications of these statements to the argument that the US is founded on the Christian religion.

 

The united states was not built on christian tradition.


The republican party was not built on christian values.


Both have been perverted.

 

the only statement that seems to hold any sway is the first one, the rest are, rather, just opinions

 

Well there are plenty of quotes that suggest it was founded on Christian principles. Basically there is proof enough for those that think it is and proof enough (as listed in the quotes above) for those that think it is not. I do think though that the Constitution is very clear that we have the freedom of religion and not the freedom from religion and when I see things happening in Los Angeles where they are forced to remove the cross from the city seal it bothers me. Afterall Los Angeles was originally a Spanish Mission and the cross is merely a representation of that historical fact. I am still waiting for the ACLU to file a lawsuit stating that the American Red Cross can no longer use the cross as its symbol.

 

So says you...there are plenty of quotes from our founding fathers that state we were founded on Christian principles...as with the republican party. Nothing has been perveted but the acceptance of religion in todays society.

 

The republican party was formed as a result of pre-civil war turmoil regarding state's rights.

It wasn't until the very end of the 19th century that the party became conservative.

 

i like thomas jeffersons quote, might create some insight on some people today.

 

i think the perception that this country was founded on christian values comes from the fact that a great majority of the original english settlers fled england because of the persecution they endured because their christian doctrines differed from that of the church of england.

call me crazy.. :dunno::af:

edit: holy run-on sentence batman:eek3:

 

It's because of the shit we teach our kids. "The pilgrims came over because BAD MEN in England persecuted them! And then they made friends with the Indians and cooked turkeys! Let's trace our hands and make a turkey cutout!"

 

more like

"the pilgrims came over because they were puritan freaks..then they passed on diseases to the indians and eventually our white culture whiped them out leading to casinos, lets trace our hands and make a turkey cutout!"