| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
30 Aug 2005 06:23:13 PM |
| Object: |
Church state opposing views |
http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=EA43077B-5A3F-4683-8F9D-FD1F8918C9\2E
Founders Knew How Important God Is
Letters To The Editor:
I am writing in response to a letter titled "Strive for separation of
church, state," published Aug. 24. I do agree that no society can
exist without rules. However, I do not believe that the Ten
Commandments are simple rules, for, if they are, then wouldn't we as a
society be able to follow them? If they are simple, then why are laws
being made to compromise them? Maybe this is why God gave us the Ten
Commandments, to make us realize as individuals and a society that we
could not follow them and we need guidance and someone to be
accountable to, other than ourselves. If a person swears on the Bible,
then he or she is accountable to God, and God knows our hearts.
The founders of our country had no problem recognizing that it is God
who blesses a nation. They understood, with humble and grateful
hearts, that it was God who gave this nation its blessings and
freedom. When God fades from a nations' conscience, that nation will
not receive the blessings that God has for it.
Shouldn't we teach our children, refugees, immigrants and others of
the influence and role which God had on our previous generations, and
how he blessed America during those times? Then they could make the
choice to remove God or not from their lives.
I see and read "God bless America" and "God bless our troops" all
around, but I believe deep in my heart that God will not fully bless
any nation unless it acknowledges him in its society, in its
government, in the courts and, most important, in its citizens' hearts.
I believe in separation of church and state, but not in separation of
church from state.
Brian A. Rathbun
North Stonington
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http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=96B35DB9-F24E-4636-BA20-690C77A82E\50
Strive For Separation Of Church, State
Published on 8/24/2005
Letters To The Editor:
It is very simple to choose an outcome to the debate over the Ten
Commandments. The story is told that Moses received the Ten Commandments
from God after the Hebrews left in mass from Egypt.
Egypt was a very organized society. No society can exist without rules for
social behavior. So a large portion of the commandments must have been
part
of the social structure of most of the organized societies existing in the
world then.
Moses presented a list to his people to live by and said God dictated them
— that makes the Judeo-Christian world look at them as sacred, but
they are
simple rules that any society would believe before or after Moses. Tell me
a social group in the world that doesn't follow the majority of the
commandments.
Displaying the Ten Command ments in courthouses injects a religious aspect
to the civil venue. We must respect separation of church and state
throughout this country. I object also to the display of "In God We Trust"
exhibited behind judges in a courtroom. You don't see this in a doctor's
office or anywhere but at a courthouse and on money.
Why is it necessary to use a Bible in the swearing in? If you don't tell
the truth, you may be charged with perjury, so why do you need a Bible?
Many now refuse to take the oath with a Bible. It is then called an
affirmation. Does this make sense?
Religious beliefs should not be considered as a witness during a trial. It
is time to make legal proceedings free of old religious trappings and
properly secular so that all people from so many cultures will be
comfortable in our courtrooms.
Leonard Lowy
North Stonington
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members]
***************************************************************
.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************
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| User: "Joseki" |
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| Title: Re: Church state opposing views |
30 Aug 2005 08:01:52 PM |
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Mr. Rathburn claimed:
The founders of our country had no problem recognizing that it is God
who blesses a nation. They understood, with humble and grateful
hearts, that it was God who gave this nation its blessings and
freedom. When God fades from a nations' conscience, that nation will
not receive the blessings that God has for it.
Then they changed their minds very quickly. From the Treaty of
Tripoli, Article 11:
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense
founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of
enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as
the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility
against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no
pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an
interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
Signed and sealed at Tripoli of Barbary the 3d day of Jumad in the year
of the Higera 1211-corresponding with the 4th day of Novr 1796,
subsequently approved by the US Senate and Signed by the US President.
A common mistake, but the US is not a Christian nation. But actionof
the US Senate. If anyone is aware of congressional action to overwrite
this I would be curious to hear about it.
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