I believe America is one of the most succesful countrys and one of the most powerful because our founding fathers based the constition and the Decralation of Independence on the bible.
I believe America is one of the most succesful countrys and one of the most powerful because our founding fathers based the constition and the Decralation of Independence on the bible. What do you think?
Hahahaha, I think that is laughable and absurd.
1) The Declaration of Independence has no legal influence; thus, even if based on the Bible, which it wasn't, it would not have served to keep America powerful.
2) The Declaration of Independence was written almost exclusively by Thomas Jefferson who was opposed to organized religion, and did not believe it right to impose religious ideals upon others. The exception was the change from "life, liberty and property" to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," by Ben Franklin. Go here. Go to page 742. There you can find a number of Jefferson's remarks on religion such as this one, "I have considered religion as a matter between every man and his Maker, in which no other, and far less the public had a right to intermeddle." Which show that he wouldn't have expressed a religious preference in the DoI. Also, the "creator" mentioned does no point to the Christian god, only the concept that all men have an equal starting point and should therefore all be treated equally (kind of like the original position of Rawls).
3) The concepts of the Constitution were not based on the Bible, but on ideas of the enlightenment era. Much of the system of checks and balances comes from Montesquieu who wanted competitive structures to prevent tyranny. Other parts came from Locke, who mainly influenced the DoI and the Bill of Rights. Ideas of due process and common law stem from the British Magna Carta. Other aspects of operation are evolutions of existing state laws and British laws to fit the needs of the new republican government.
The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions: for men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent, and infinitely wise maker; all the servants of one sovereign master, sent into the world by his order, and about his business; they are his property, whose workmanship they are, made to last during his, not one another's pleasure: and being furnished with like faculties, sharing all in one community of nature, there cannot be supposed any such subordination amongus, that may authorize us to destroy one another, as if we were made for one another's uses, as the inferior ranks of creatures are for our's. Every one, as he is bound to preserve himself, and not to quit his station wilfully, so by the like reason, when his own preservation comes not in competition, ought he, as much as he can, to preserve the rest of mankind, and may not, unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods of another.
My view is that America was founded with a government distinct from religion and primarily for causes other than religion, but to claim that America was founded with no influence by Christianity, socially or politically, is flat-out ignoring American history.
...but to claim that America was founded with no influence by Christianity, socially or politically, is flat-out ignoring American history.
I agree with this. However, I do not think that people should try to convince others that the Founding Fathers made our country because they wanted Christians to rule, or that they wanted Christian law in place. If so, why is America not a theocracy?
Because of the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
hmm...I'm not really sure about this both sides seem to have a good point I was taught in school that some of america's key principles are based on religion but who knows 0.o
i think that the US is starting to go away from the bible if you look at a new quarter and a old one you will see that the words in God we trust has become a lot smaller and it mite go away completely and that i think would suck and yes our country is based on the bible but so is england and russia is based on the bible and those 3 countryes are the top countrys in the world right know (mostly US and Russia).
One of the main parts of the US ocnstitution is freedom of religion. Surely a constitution purely based on the bible wouldnt allow this? America being a secular state was a very important aspect in the making of the constitution and subsequently crucifixes and other religious imagery was banned from government buildings. Undeniably America is a very religious country and has a very large population of practising christians but the different parts of the constitution do not seem to support the bible. Reagrdless of later government legislation that may have been based on religion the constitution itself isnt based on this at all.
Well, originally, The freedom of religon was made to keep certain denominations of the church from fighting each other. Like Roman Catholics from Protestants (remember the Spanish Inquisition?). The Bible was certainly one of the main reasons why America was founded. The pilgrimes that arrived here were fleeing from the Roman Catholics of the time. The original reason why they even had the separation of church and state, I believe, is to keep America from falling into a theocratical government like the Holy Roman Empire.
The Bible was certainly one of the main reasons why America was founded.
You say that, but you have no evidence.
The pilgrimes that arrived here were fleeing from the Roman Catholics of the time.
Last time I checked, it was from the Church of England. The Pilgrims were Puritans and Evangelicals who saw corruption in any form of religion that didn't take the Bible word for word.
The pilgrimes that arrived here were fleeing from the Roman Catholics of the time
As Zoot suit said it was the church of england they fled from. Then they went to the netherlands. The pilgrims left the Netherlands becuase of a bad influnce the Netherland kids were having on the pilgrims children.
