I just saw a story on the news about how there is a movement to put religious monuments in front of courthouses. They talked to someone who said that "as a christian nation" and I just thought of this topic. Now I was always under the impression that the nation cannot ever have an official religion, separation of church and state etc. Some of the people interviewed even talked about the founding fathers and there comments concerning god were on the monument. Now in my opinion this is completely ridiculous. The founding fathers who wrote the Constitution believed in the separation of church and state and freedom of religion so this seems out of line to me as what these people are trying to say violates this and the Constitution. What is your view on this, and on the separation of church and state?
I do think that church and state should be separated. I don't that anyone, even if their religion disagrees with mine, should be forced to be a Christian. It ruins the whole point.
I would guess that what they meant about a christian nation is that the pilgrims who originally settled America were looking for a place to practice Christianity, and that most of the founding fathers were Christian. Look at the pledge of allegiance, ".....one nation under God...."
and that most of the founding fathers were Christian. Look at the pledge of allegiance, ".....one nation under God...."
Most of the founding fathers were deist not Christian, as exampled with Jefferson. "Under God" wasn't officially added to the pledge until 1954, so what ever point you are trying to make there is meaningless.
that "Under God" thing was to separate us more from the USSR, the dictators over there made everyone atheist so there was no one above the government in Soviet Society. The line basically means that we are a nation with faith... in any faith really...
that "Under God" thing was to separate us more from the USSR, the dictators over there made everyone atheist so there was no one above the government in Soviet Society. The line basically means that we are a nation with faith... in any faith really.
Besides what Avorne said this excludes those of no faith. Though this sentiment of exclusion has carried on.
"I don't know that Atheists should be considered as patriots, nor should they be considered as Citizens." -George H.W. Bush Sr.
They didn't make everyone Atheist... That'd be impossible to do (Sadly - in my opinion).
No - individual's choice is more important than the forced "belief" in something, even if that thing is right. People should be able to make a choice on what they believe without compulsion.
I always figured that '...Under God...' was a reference to theistic rule. In that (for example, England) the monarch or rule only answered to the supreme power, a/the god/God. In the US, where we are a democratic society, I changed this from GOd/god, to the people. Because, ultimately, politicians answer to the populus.
I thought it was more about the freedom to choose whatever God they want without government interference.
That doesn't make any sense. First being that God in this context is capitalized this indicates the Abrahamic God. If it was really meant to indicate god in general it should use the lower case form. However even here it's imprecise as it excludes polytheistic and atheist views in favor of a monotheistic one. Even if we were to have it imply that this also includes polytheistic views, it still excludes atheism. The only way to be all inclusive would to have the statement be secular.
