| Topic: |
Sociology > Education |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
19 Sep 2007 04:07:17 AM |
| Object: |
65% think founders made Christian Nation |
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=19031
[EXCERPT]
Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the nation's founders intended
the U.S. to be a Christian nation and 55% believe that the Constitution
establishes a Christian nation, according to the “State of the First
Amendment 2007” national survey released today by the First Amendment
Center.
The survey also found that 71% of Americans would limit the amount a
corporation or union could contribute to a political campaign, with 64%
favoring such a limit on individual contributions. Sixty-two percent would
limit the amount a person could contribute to his or her own campaign.
Support for such limits increased from the 2000 survey in all three areas:
by nine percentage points in favor of limits on self-funding, by seven
points concerning limits on individual contributions to someone else; and
by three points on limits on corporations and unions.
The First Amendment Center has conducted the annual survey since 1997. This
year’s survey, being released to mark both annual Constitution Day (Sept.
17) activities and the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
also found:
* Just 56% believe that the freedom to worship as one chooses extends
to all religious groups, regardless of how extreme — down 16 points from
72% in 2000.
* 58% of Americans would prevent protests during a funeral procession,
even on public streets and sidewalks; and 74% would prevent public school
students from wearing a T-shirt with a slogan that might offend others.
* 34% (lowest since the survey first was done in 1997) think the press
“has too much freedom,” but 60% of Americans disagree with the statement
that the press tries to report the news without bias, and 62% believe the
making up of stories is a widespread problem in the news media — down only
slightly from 2006.
* 25% said “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it
guarantees,” well below the 49% recorded in the 2002 survey that followed
the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, but up from 18% in 2006.
“Americans clearly have mixed views of what First Amendment freedoms are
and to whom they should fully apply,” said Gene Policinski, vice president
and executive director of the First Amendment Center. “To me the results of
this year’s survey endorse the idea of more and better education for young
people — our nation’s future leaders — about our basic freedoms.”
The right to practice one’s own religion was deemed “essential” or
“important” by nearly all Americans (97%); as was the right to “speak
freely about whatever you want” (98%) and to “assemble, march, protest or
petition the government (94%),” Policinski said. “Still, Americans are hard
pressed to name the five freedoms included in the First Amendment,” he
said. Speech is the only one named by a majority of respondents (64%),
followed by religion (19%), press and assembly (each 16%) and petition
(3%).
Comments on the survey by other First Amendment Center experts:
# First Amendment Center Senior Scholar Charles Haynes: “While the survey
shows Americans highly value religious freedom, a significant number
support privileging the religion of the majority, especially in public
schools. Four decades after the Supreme Court declared state-sponsored
religious practices unconstitutional in public schools, 58% of respondents
support teacher-led prayers and 43% favor school holiday programs that are
entirely Christian. Moreover, 50% would allow schools to teach the Bible as
a factual text in a history class.
“The strong support for official recognition of the majority faith appears
to be grounded in a belief that the United States was founded as a
Christian nation, in spite of the fact that the Constitution nowhere
mentions God or Christianity. Of course, people define "Christian nation"
in various ways — ranging from a nation that reflects Christian values to a
nation where the government favors the Christian faith. But almost
one-third of respondents appear to believe that the religious views of the
majority should rule: 28% would deny freedom to worship to any group that
the majority considers ‘extreme or on the fringe.’”
# First Amendment Center Scholar David Hudson: “The survey results indicate
the public does not have strong support for student expression — an
unfortunate reality given that students may not appreciate our
constitutional democracy if they live in an environment that does not
respect their rights to freedom of expression. We all would do well to
remember the words of Justice Robert Jackson many years ago: ‘That boards
of education are educating the young for citizenship is reason for
scrupulous protection of Constitutional freedoms of the individual, if we
are not to strangle the free mind at its source and teach youth to discount
principles of our government as mere platitudes.’”
# Free-press and freedom of information expert Paul McMasters:
.. . .
# First Amendment Center Scholar Ronald Collins:
.. . .
The State of the First Amendment 2007 survey is available online at the
First Amendment Center’s Web site, www.firstamendmentcenter.org. (See
results.)
Methodology:
. . .
[ end excerpt]
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.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 · Historical Reality SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
***************************************************************
.. . . 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)
.. . .
****************************************************************
USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************
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| User: "Edgar A Pearlstein" |
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| Title: Re: 65% think founders made Christian Nation |
19 Sep 2007 01:08:54 PM |
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Here's a reply to that notion:
Christian Bible Foundations of our Country
Sometimes we hear that the United States is "founded on
biblical principles", as a slightly softened version of the "Christian
nation" idea. People making that claim don't give specifics on which
foundations of the U.S. and which parts of the Bible they mean.
Of the many foundations of our country, I was able to find two
which are supported in the Bible, and several which run contrary
to the Bible.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Although the Declaration isn't
really a legal document of the U.S.(since there wasn't any US until
1787), it is important historically and philosophically. It is a
document intended to justify revolution
against an established royal government. The Bible, however, says
"the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13:1-7), and "For
kings, and for all that are in authority" (I Timothy 2:2), thus giving
rise to the idea of divine right of kings. I find no mention of
"consent of the governed" in the Bible, as the Declaration demands.
While the Declaration deplores taxation without representation, Jesus
says, regarding taxation, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21)
FREEDOM OF SPEECH. I don't find in the Bible any defense of freedom
of speech. On the contrary: "he that doubteth is damned" (Romans
14:23); "there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers...whose
mouths must be stopped.." (Titus, 1:10-11); and "These six things doth
the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: ......and he
that soweth discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6:16-19). The last
passage could be construed as being against democracy, since anyone
who runs for office against an existing administration is sowing
discord.
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE. This is embraced in both the original
Constitution (Article VI, paragraph 3) and in the First Amendment.
Yet in the Bible we have: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"
(Exodus 20:3); "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18);
"He that sacrifice unto any god save the Lord only, he shall be
utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:20); "He who is not with me is against
me" (Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23); "he that blasphemeth the name of the
LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall
certainly stone him" (Leviticus 24:16). [Such stoning was actually
carried out, in 1 Kings 21:13] Anyone proselytizing for another religion
is to be put to death, and if that person is a member of your family, you
are to strike the first blow to kill him or her (Deuteronomy 13:5-10).
The practice of "shunning" someone who disagrees with you on religious
matters is advised in 2 Thessalonians 3:14.
A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT. Our Constitution demands this
(Article IV, Section 4). But I find nothing in the Bible to support
it. On the contrary, Romans 13:1-7 tells people to obey authority
because it is instituted by God. Also, 1 Peter 2:13 can be interpreted in
the same way, as can Titus 3:1.
"CORRUPTION OF THE BLOOD" is forbidden by the Constitution (Article
III, Section 3, paragraph 2). In the Bible, though: "Prepare slaughter
for his children for the iniquity of their fathers (Isaiah 14:21).
[However, the Bible does contradict itself on this: "... neither shall
the children be put to death for the fathers" (Deut 24:16)]. Also:
"visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation" (Exodus 20:5, 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Deut. 5:9);
"His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27:25). Bastards
may not enter the temple, nor their descendants (Deut. 23:2). God
even killed a baby because of a sin by its father (2 Samuel 12:14).
Ahab escaped punishment for murder by making an elaborate apology, and
his descendants were punished instead (I Kings 21:29). The doctrine
of original sin is also against this part of the Constitution.
SLAVERY. This was an important social and economic foundation of our
country both before and after independence. It was an institution
condoned by the founders and recognized and defended by the original
Constitution (Article I, Section 2, paragraph 3; Article I, Section 9;
Article IV, Section 2, paragraph 3). Slavery is also condoned in both
the Old and New Testaments, but it is never condemned. On the contrary,
it is codified, and made an inherited condition:
Exodus 21:4ff gives rules for keeping slaves. Leviticus 25:44-46
says that heathen may be purchased as slaves, that their children
become slaves, and that they are inherited as property by the owner's
children forever. Other places that indicate that slavery is a
hereditary condition are: Genesis 9:25, Exodus 21:4, Corinthians
7:20. Deuteronomy 20:10-14 says that when you conquer a city, if it
surrenders then all people inside it become your slaves; but if it
doesn't surrender, then all males are to be killed and all women and
children "take unto thyself". Luke 12:47-8 shows that Jesus approves
of slavery, for he describes the conditions under which one should
give a severe beating to a slave. 1 Timothy 6:1-2 tells slaves to
honor their masters, as does Titus 2:9.
In the book of Philemon, Paul sends a runaway slave, Onesimus, back
to his former master. But this conflicts with the admonition in
Deuteronomy 23:15 "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant
which has escaped..." So the Bible is on both sides of the 1857 Dred
Scott case!
The Constitution, of course, eventually got corrected on the matter of
slavery. But there is no way to correct the Bible.
TREATMENT OF THE INDIAN PEOPLE. Here is another place where one of
the foundations of our country is justified by the Bible. "Then ye
shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and
destroy....And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and
dwell therein.." (Numbers 33:52-53). This biblical injunction was
obeyed many times by Americans.
A NOTE ON THE TREATY OF TRIPOLI. This treaty with the Bey of Tripoli
was negotiated by the administration of President George Washington,
and finally signed and ratified during the administration of President
John Adams, in 1797. Article 11 of the English-language version says
"the United States is in no sense based on the Christian religion".
(There is a mystery about this, since Article 11 doesn't appear in the
Arabic version! It's a fair presumption, though, that the English
version is what was signed by President Adams and duly ratified by the
U. S. Senate. See Bevans: Treaties and Other International Agreements
of the United States of America, 1776-1989, volume 11 and David Humphreys:
Miscellaneous Works (1804).)
Ed Pearlstein
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