I didn’t buy these arguments for a Christian nation even when I was a believer and had every reason to embrace them. I don’t deny that the culture of America at the time of the Revolution was a Christian culture but to insist that the founders specifically used the bible to form the three branches of government, that America is God’s chosen nation, that capitalism is the only biblical economic system and that somehow we have special blessings from God is just plain ridiculous. From the Opinion page of today’s West Bend Daily News:
Rulings on faith stray from Constitution
I read some outrageous news in the Daily News last month that a judge had struck down the National Day of Prayer with the stroke of a mighty pen, which she since has set aside because of appeals. The ruling is another nail in the coffin of the United States of America, hastening the day of fulfillment for President Obama’s declaration to the Muslim states that America is not a Christian country.
We are a nation founded on biblical principals. We have truly been blessed by God bountifully.
All government meetings were opened with a prayer. This was the norm until anti-Christian lawyers misinterpreted the Constitution by adding separation of church and state as unconstitutional. There is no such things as separation of church and state in our Constitution.
Lately, the 9th District in California ruled to remove the cross and “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance to please two atheists. Now we get this scenario in Wisconsin.
What is wrong with people giving thanks to our God for His blessings on a National Prayer Day? Why are some judges ruling in favor of atheists, homosexuals and those for separation of church and state – a fiction which the judge must know? Why are they trying to destroy the unique liberties and freedom of a great Christian country? This is appalling, and I am justly irate, disappointed and grievously saddened by the destructive direction these judges are taking using their power with the pen – extreme judicial tyranny doing grave harm to our nation.
No other religion is persecuted as Christians are because they dare not under pain of death. Our one true faith must be defended at all costs. We must uphold our National Day of Prayer as Rep. Pat Strachota has said. This is Christian America yet.
Ronald W. Hepponstall West Bend
First of all Ronald does not understand the concept of equal rights for all. When the government favors or endorses one religion over another it is creating an environment where those who do not adhere to that religion are cast as outsiders and are not recognized as being equal with those believers. That is the concept that drove the founders vision of religious freedom. In an earlier post, that you can find here, about this topic I printed a letter from James Madison. From what he said in that letter I doubt Madison would have agreed with Ronald. Nor would Jefferson. Neither of these two founders could be considered hostile to religion. Both were firm believers themselves, although Jefferson leaned more toward deism, and both firmly believed in the freedom to believe as a person saw fit. Imagine if a politician were to speak those same words today as they did in their letters. Actually, we don’t have to imagine to hard. Judge Crabb said as much in her ruling and look what has happened to her.
The West Bend Freethinker 