http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060913/pl_nm/muslim_dcYes, we already have people in congress who believe in magic invisible men in the sky. Some even wear magic underwear.Truthfully, I’m OK with a Muslim congressman. He will put things in perspective for the religious right. BUT, IMO he must first denounce all Jihads, including the one against Salman Rushdie. All we need now is an Atheist in congress.
Phreed:
Show me any Federal document that utters the words Sep of Church and State…
Yes, you are right that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in any federal document.
And please don’t start posting quotes taken out of context of our FF’s. Try posting ENTIRE letters or speechs if you go down that path.
ok, here are some direct quotes from nothing taken out of context that clearly states that the originator’s of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights wanted and intended for a seperation to exist:
From Thomas Jefferson:
“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” Letter to Danbury Baptists (1802)
This was, by the way, not the only time he used this phrase. It appears again in a letter he wrote to Virginia Baptists in 1808:
“Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person’s life, freedom of religion affects every individual. State churches that use government power to support themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of the church tends to make the clergy unresponsive to the people and leads to corruption within religion. Erecting the “wall of separation between church and state,” therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society. “
James Madison, the principal drafter of the Bill of Rights, often wrote of “total separation of the church from the state” (1819 letter to Walsh); “Strongly guarded . . . is the separation between religion and government in the Constitution of the United States.”, and he declared “practical distinction between Religion and Civil Government as essential to the purity of both, and as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States” (1811 letter to Baptist Churches).
Another iportant political figure:
Ulysses S. Grant also called for Americans to “Keep the church and state forever separate.”
Phreed, the country has freedom of religion but not freedom from religion. Personally I do not wish to abolish all religion if that is what makes people happy. They can and should be allowed to think what they want. My problem is when the president and other leaders make political decisions like going to war in Iraq based on their religious beliefs and when laws are enacted to force me to have to subject myself to a religious agenda….such as no abortion, or having to hear creationism in school. Even having to pay taxes to support churches and clergy members…thats what parishners are for. Thomas Jefferson clearly did not want laws to be made based off of a religious agenda.
Please answer: How would you honestly feel if by law you HAD to face Mecca 5 times a day and pray to Allah or forced to listen in class about the teachings of budda? As a Christian I doubt you would like it very much or feel it is a waste of time.
Please try to understand this and look at it from another point of view.
I don’t know what this candidate’s personal beliefs are, but he seems like he would make an ok senator.
“I am prepared to stand up to the big-mon_y interests,” he said, his voice rising and his signature New York accent growing more pronounced with every syllable. “I am prepared to talk about the growing gap between rich and poor. I’m prepared to talk about the fact that, in many ways, we are becoming an oligarchic society with a few people on top who have tremendous wealth while the middle class is shrinking, people are working very, very hard to keep their heads above water and poverty is increasing.
He added: “How many people do you know in the Senate who talk about that issue? Well, I will talk about that issue.”
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/11/sanders.senate.ap/index.html
BURLINGTON, Vermont (AP) — For three decades, Rep. Bernie Sanders has been a party of one, an avowed socialyst who rails against corporate America, Republicans, Democrats and all those he believes fail the poor and working families.
Now 65, the Brooklyn-born independent and his crusade could end up in the Senate.
(I just found out that the software here censors the word “mon-y”! And socialyst because the center letters are the name of a certain drug!)
Phreedm,
You have never won an argument on this blog. You have never answered ANY direct question critical of your beliefs. You are a giant hypocrit. You don’t even deserve the time of day. I’ll ask you an easy question, and if you answer it, i think everyone will understand you better.
Why do you post on this blog?
You make me wish I could invent a time machine so I could go back to xianity’s Birthday and prove to you that jesus never even existed.
Ryan,
You can expect an answer such as this…
“For knowledge. Not so much from what is said, but knowledge from WHAT is said…”
That was the answer Phreedm gave me when I asked in the Bradbury thread.
Well I guess it makes sense for someone completely devoid of knowledge to seek it; I would think you would be more receptive to it though. Oh well, cheers, heres to ignorance.
***TOTALLY OFF TOPIC***
Please check out this article and…long live Amerika, land of the free…
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005177251
?God forgive America?
I thought all minors had to have a parent present when being questioned. Maybe that isn’t true in federal cases.
Good to know the MIB are tracking down the real threats.
Tshirt saying-”I Voted–and all I got was this stupid President!”
Thank you, Karen, you got the point and, I don’t think the issue here is whether or not the parents were present but the fact that the paranoia and the subversion has now extended to terrorizing 14-year old girls. With all the REAL crime that is going on in this country today and this clowns are justifying their expense accounts and fat paychecks with subversive actions like this…1984 here we come!!! Present day Amerika has a thing or two to teach the Communists…
BTW, Karen, you should check out http://www.cafepress.com – some real gems there for sayings on t-shirts, bumperstickers, magnets, etc. (like the one quoted below).
Have a good one!
?I died for your sins and all I got was a lousy t-shirt?
Dave Romm and I interviewed Keith Ellison on Shockwave on July 1, 2006 (and his Republican opponent Alan Fine on July 15). If you want to hear either interview, they’re both up on the Shockwave archive (near the bottom) at:
http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/David%20Romm