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[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/06/art_obama_mon_gi.jpg caption="President Obama and Turkish President Abdullah Gul hold a joint news conference Monday."]
President Obama visited Turkey Monday where he said that "one of the great strengths of the United States" is that it does not consider itself "a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
Do you agree with the President's comments?
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I'm not an Obama fan for many reasons however this is not one of them. I can't historically find any concrete evidence that our nation was founded as a christian nation. At best the majority of our founding fathers were diests and many Freemason's. They believed in a supreme being. It's easy to find and cite various Presidential quotes and those of numerous politicians that could suggest we are a christian nation. "Under God" was not added to the "Pledge of Allegiance" until 1954, there about, and "In God We Trust" wasn't added until after the Civil War to our currency. However neither suggest Christianity. Majority doesn't rule in this instance as it shouldn't with any other religion in this country. If changing our constitution from its original frame work becomes majority rules one day you may be in the minority.
I'm very thankful for our founding fathers for establing under the first amendment, Freedom of Religion! Our founding fathers didn't like how England forced one religion on them, so they wanted to make sure we had freedom of religion! They wanted to ensure that no single religion could make the claim of being the official, national religion, such as England had!
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He has stepped in it now. People think this is intolerable.
We are a country bound by ideals and a set of values......that stem from where? .... Christians who feld to America to escape persecution from royalty on a power trip. They were not running from Christianity.
We are the United States of America, where we don't force you to worship, we don't discourage you from worshiping how and when and why you choose, but we cannot deny that we were founded on christian values, we still honor God in our pledge to the flag and on our currency.
It frightens me to have a president who is trying to ignore the basis and foundation of this country. It is our history, it is who we are, and those who are going to deny history have obviously not learned from it.
Just because some may deny that the holocaust happened doesn't change the fact that millions of people died. You can deny that we are a christian nation, however I highly doubt, and truely hope, that millions of Americans are going to sit back and let a well dressed, articulate, charasmatice MAN on a power trip deny who we are and where our roots are embedded, Christianity.
Our Nation is in great danger............Please pray
Perhaps Obama needs to remember the words of Abraham Lincoln from March 30, 1863 when he proclaimed a National Fast Day.
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
I am angry that Pres Obama made such a large comment about We are not a Christian nation but a nation of Citizens. If he wants to tell the world "He is not a Christian, he can, but to broadcast to the wold that the US is not a Chrisitan Nation is wrong.
Obama is wrong about just about everything that comes out of his mouth. This nation is very much a Christian nation and that is the ideals on which is was founded. Bibles & bullets is what made this country strong. I'll keep my guns & my bible-you keep "the change"
Yes, this country has been a beacon of hope in the world, inspite of all its flaws. And that is because its ability to think and change, to take the more correct path, than any other country in the world. Inspite of the rigid mentality of some segments of population, the overall population think with freedom, and strive for fairness and justice than anywhere else. I love this country, and hope and pray that it stays the beacon of hope for mankind for ever.
I hope and pray that its industrial leaders don't sell out its industrial might.
I hope and pray its young people excel in education, and stay away from drug, and porn.
I hope and pray it stays religion-neutral .
I think the president is saying and doing things which are good for this country overall. Let's all unite behind him !!!
What people are forgetting is that we are under the impression that Muslims are against Christians, but that is not necessarily the case. In studying the Koran, you will see there is a mutual respect for Christians, at least the TRUE believers (by Muslim standards). This all stems from the belief that we all (Jews included) are brothers of the book. President Obama may think he is pacifying the Muslim world, but in truth, they are probably LOSING respect for the United States because worse than Christians, are complete "infidels" or nonbelievers.
If we acknowledge that we are a Christian nation (at least historically), it is something they can respect about us. But to say we are not, is to give them more reason to oppose our presense as "infidels."
Mr. Pat Kennedy,
You gleefully find fault with the United States, in your bashing diatribe. The Greatest nation that ever existed is the United States of America, because of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and its Christian foundation. There is no dispute in this by anyone. Proven in that all the “weary” from other countries have for years immigrated here to find a better life, a perfect life of liberty. You point out that we "had slavery", and segregation by race and sex, and things like porn, and corruption, and on and on. Well, let's see: we dont' have slavery anymore, because this nation grew to see its faults, and became a better place. Same for females: they earned suffrage, remember? You dislike porn, yet you fail to see that is an example of"chice" – protected under the Constitution. And you moan about corruption, yet you voted for corrupt politicians no doubt, and you probably didn't appeal your Representatives at every turn to express your dislike for corrupted individuals and the crimes they were permitted to get away with. Why? because you and those like you only know how to bad-mouth; you don't have a clue how to defend a nation. Only the People can defend its own nation. This Nation was PERFECT from its inception, BY its very inception, and you just can't fathom any appreciation for it. Over its 225+ years, the US has been a beacon of hope, but you would rather bash it than spend real energy – and courage – defending it from its enemies..... One day, you will regret how you felt up until this day; let's hope you see the light...
The Greatest nation that ever existed is the United States of America, because of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and its Christian foundation. There is no dispute in this by anyone. Proven in that all the "weary" from other countries have for years immigrated here to find a better life, a perfect life of liberty. (We will not include the law-breaking illegal immigrants). Enemies from within have wanted to see the demise of this nation for decades. Any citizen who permits others, both hear and abroad, to attempt to destroy this nation, is uneducated about what it is to be a citizen of the USA, or is a conspirator in its destruction. Any President who lies to his people (numerous times – just one example: he said he was a Christian while campaigning, yet 2 days after accepting the Office he said Quote "I am Muslim"), and any President who does not uphold his sworn oath – on the Bible, mind you – to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States (by calling for fundamental changes of its most precious institutions, by enjoining us in trade agreements and organizations that diminish our right to be a Sovereign nation under rule by no other) is no different from that indifferent and uneducated citizen. There was Never a need to "change" this nation. It was PERFECT from its inception. Why everyone fell for that crap isn't even surprising; the liberal / socialist brain-washing has infected too many of us. It's time to wake up and see the light...
DB, your statements are ridiculous
Christian Nation? You mean when we had slavery? How about segregation? Mistreatment of half the population because they are female? Or when we export corporate greed and mistreatment to third world countries in handling their workforce and environment? When we abort babies (I mean fetuses that will become babies)? How about corruption, pay to play, bid rigging, tried and sentenced by media? Porn industry, consumerism, empty calorie TV? Polluting our land, water and air for a profit, when it is written, "have dominion over all the Earth and KEEP it." Keep it, meaning take care of it.
The behavior of this nation has not been Christian, see any of the four gospels and Paul's letters' to the church to verify this. However there has been some Christian influences by individual Christians, partial or cafeteria Christians and Churches claiming to be Christian, but we all have fallen short and I mean in the dirt short.
We have ideals that a few banter about and some may act on it, but as the salt of the world, it is losing it's flavor.
Who are these Christian founding fathers that you speak of? These are their beliefs in their own words:
"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors. "
-Thomas Jefferson
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-Benjamin Franklin
“The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institutions may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances, be made subservient to the vilest of purposes."
-George Washington
"But when the divine gift of reason begins to expand itself in the mind and calls man to reflection, he then reads and contemplates God and His works, and not in the books pretending to be revelation. The creation is the Bible of the true believer in God. Everything in this vast volume inspires him with sublime ideas of the Creator. The little and paltry, and often obscene, tales of the Bible sink into wretchedness when put in comparison with this mighty work. "
-Thomas Paine
"Experience witnesseth that ecclesiastical establishments, instead of maintaining the purity and efficacy of religion, have had a contrary operation. During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."
-James Madison
These founding fathers were diests, not Christians. Are you saying that this is not their nation but yours? Without them it would have never even existed. Know the difference between facts and beliefs, you believe that god has blessed this country, but where is your proof? Historians would argue that there might be other reasons, though your beliefs can, inherently, neither be proven or disproven – this is the definition of a belief, not a fact.
Where do these statistics for percentage of Christians come from? According to the World CIA factbook, under 80% of the country is Christian (76.8 or 78.5 if you include Mormans under Christian). Who knows what percentage of those people go to church or are practicing... According to most gallop polls, only about 40% of people go to church (or synagogue etc) every week... With over 30 % never going and 18% going only once a year. Furthermore what percentage makes a country be inherently a specific religion? Does this apply to other statistics – race – creed – sex – age? We could be so very specific and say that we are a nation of White Anglo Saxon Protesetant 36 year old Women... But I think that statistics are a useful tool for analyzing a population for insurance purposes, not so much for defining it in a philosophical sense.
We should all stop worrying about what has happened or has defined us in the past. It is immaterial, and it wasn't even what the president was saying. If you disagree with the President's approach to foreign affairs, say that... But the discussion and propagation of predictable arguments is ridiculous (though I admittedly partook), especially over an out of context sound bite.
It is true that one can argue that our founding fathers were Christian, however could that have been because they were never introduced to the other religions? Do you really think our founding fathers would want this nation being one religion? I think that it is possible that they foresaw the possibility of other religions coming about and made it clear that we are not of only one religion. If I wanted to live in a nation that recognized only one religion would go live there.
As for 80% of people saying that they care Christian, how many of them are practicing the religion? I can tell you from my own experiences that not many. I am a college student, and I am finding that more and more of my peers are becoming fed up with the religion due to many things. All of my peers that feel this way are " Christian " and call them selves "christen" due to the fact that it was the religion that we grow up under.
I may self am one of those kids that became un-happy with the religion. I have been this way for about four years. Recently I have decided that i am going to convert to Islam. This religion has given me everything that the Christian religion is lacking. I have always prayed to God and have always loved him; however my view of the Prophet Jesus has been one that he is a human. I find that this is one of the believes that my peers believe also. In due time they may also decide to take the same path as I have. After all, it was only four months ago I proudly stated that I would never leave the Christian.
I find my self frighten, and amazed at how misinformed the Americans are. There seams to be an air of hate to Islam. This is why I am using a fake name and. It is not because I am proud, on the century, I am very honored that God has put it in my hart to want to pray to him and bow down to him five times a day and to worship only him. I am scared of how people will react to my diction. Many may not understand it.
I am a republican; however, I think Obama is doing a great job. I study genocides especially Darfur (it was my research to understand the people of Darfur that have brought me to love this religion) and he is doing a great thing in preventing us-them thinking, de-humanizing and blaming the victim in the United States. Many of the people on this blog, and many others have been saying horrible things about Islam and the followers. They are no better then those crazy extremist that attack us on 9-11. Allow them to go the way they are and they will be doing a terrorist attracts against people in an Islamic country.
It's so good to have a president who understands the separation of Church and State, and who understands that "religious freedom" does not mean –as many would-be theocrats in our country seem to think– "Christian fundamentalists get to impose their will on everyone while simultaneously crying oppression if everyone doesn't vociferously agree with them all the time." Religious freedom applies to EVERYONE, not JUST to a narrow band of radical Christian extremist theocrats.
He's right. And Deists are not Christians. There's plenty of books and letters describing the dislike of Christianity and various other religious doctrines that the architects of this nation had. And the best one is Thomas Jefferson's The Life and Moral Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. All of the miracles are gone, and Jesus is just a normal man with great ideas in the Gandhi/Nelson Mandela/MLK Jr.-type areas. The Romans realized he could gather a following that possibly could disrupt the balance of power, so they killed him. It was all political. Not too different from all three above mentioned. Two of them were assassinated because of what they taught. Tangent...
Also, it might not state "Separation of church and state" in the Constitution, but it does say, in layman's terms, "keep your religion the hell out of my government, and we'll make sure you can keep that religion of yours by your own free will, not by our will."
This nation, indirectly, is a theocracy due to the majority of laws based on Christian doctrines and religious beliefs in general. And the most recent example is when Virginia's governor banned federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, I'm all for it, it's a state's right, but when it said in the article 'keeping with his personal and religious beliefs' I said, aloud, "Oh no you didn't." You aren't representing your personal and religious beliefs while in office, you're representing the peoples' will. And that may have been the people's will, I don't know. Though if the people were the one to will the signing of that bill, I'm all for it. But, he signed it to keep with his personal and religious beliefs. Not a fan of that at all.
I'm just tired of religion, myself.
Our country is not a Christian nation. The Treaty of Tripoly, in 1787, clearly states this. That, in accordance with our constitution, codifies that fact into law.
If you read the documents our founding fathers wrote, they made it very clear that thier intention was to create a governent that was free and clear of religious control so that people were free to worship as they saw fit. They did feel that religion was important (some were very religious) and that that we were (and still are) a very religious people. But what they saw was the excesses and abuses in the past when government and religion intertwined and wanted to avoid that so that we, as the citizens of the United States of America, would be free to worship the divine in a manner that we saw fit, not in a manner that the governemnt dictated.
No, our nation is not in trouble because of promoting open-mindedness. In trouble are those groups who have rigid "religious" ideas- because the world of tomorrow will leave them behind.
We have seen what rigid beliefs can do – the 911 !!!
The terrorists believed that eternal joy and pleasure was awaiting for them, for committing this act – they were taught hard core "religious " beliefs like that when they were little children.
The suicide bombers are killing innocent people because of rigid "religious" beliefs.
God lives within all of us – He is telling us to use our brain !! Listen !!!
Foolish sheeple!
Moderate Muslims, Muslim but with a secular society, are not threatening the security or civil rights of their people or the citiizens of other nations.
You and this president assume that this type of rhetoric repairs our nation's "image" among the people that believe us to "instruments of Satan". Utterly ridiculous.
No – I don't agree with Obama- I agree with Abraham and Jay – our nation is in trouble
I strongly agree with our president, and feel proud, and good again that we have a president like him to represent us in the world, to lead us in the world of tomorrow.
Religion is a matter of private belief, and should have nothing to do with the political structure and business of our country.
Look at the countries who are religiously hard core – they don't prosper ! Even look at the so called strongly religious states of our country compared to the so called high tech states – the people of the so called religoius states stay behind, but enjoy the fruits of science and technology developed in the hi tech states.
Brain is the best gift from God – we should stay open minded and go forward using this Gift !!!
To call someone a 'moron' because one may disagree with what that person has to say is, in my humble opinion, a 'lack of common sense'. Is it 'common sense' to deny our own heritage in exchange for a false sense of 'world peace'? There is one conflict which will never be resolved until Christ returns to this earth and as we turn our backs on Isreal and the Truth of God's Word, we are in reality becoming a religious, God-hating nation. The only Freedom we can ever have is in Jesus Christ, Who is the True Key, rather than President Obama(no disrespect intended).
To reiterate, the United States is founded on Christian principles and values, as they are expressed throughout our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution and as we deny this and shut God out of our thoughts and lives, we will eventually discover that we have been deceived and have no freedom at all. Already the most innocent of human beings–an unborn child, is in danger of being butchered and decimated just before it can emerge from it's mother's womb. What kind of 'freedom' is that? Is this what we really want? Just be still, calm down and think about that for a moment, if possible. God Bless!
We are UNITED as a REPUBLIC not a RELIGIOUS nation. We are supposed to have SEPARATION of CHURCH and STATE!
Very true! I believe our religious views are seperate and should not be in question. I am a Christian but does that make it every American's value? NO! And that is why we are a free nation to believe in what we want. Any moron who says impeach a president that states we are free just doesn't have any common sense.
As I was reading through, I was waiting for someone to being up that the seperation of church and state is only that the government cannot force a religion or stop one.
Here it is, straight from the Bill of Rights :
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
I tend to agree with President Obama. I am a strong, God-living Christian. That being said, I believe that this nation is mostly a secular nation. I believe strongly in the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. I think most of our citizens and residents believe in God and Jesus Christ. But there are adherents of other religions here also – Jews, Muslims, Bhudists, etc. Most of us Christians do not look down our noses at people who do not believe as we do. Most of us respect their decision to believe as they wish or not believe at all. That is the way it should be, although I find myself feeling a bit sorry for those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not know what they are missing. May God continue to bless the United States of America. Amen.
No.
I am a Christian, this is my nation. That makes it a Christian nation.
Evidently Obama does NOT adequately represent the USA, which is over 80% Christian. Obama maybe should be impeached, but more likely he needs to be PRAYED FOR. He agreed to uphold our constitution. He is deceived and he is a deceiver. This country was founded on Christian beliefs and principles, by Christians. Plain & simple. Other peoples of the world have so desperately sought to COME to the USA, because of the blessings of God on this CHRISTIAN nation. Now a select few want to destroy the reasons why this nation has been so desirable. – Why people have wanted to come here to live. Why else would people want to LEAVE their countries? This nation will FALL by not honoring GOD who has so blessed it. People who still want to hold up Obama will surely come up empty-handed. A FOOL has said in his heart there is no God. (Yes, we even have Atheists in America...) By failure to HONOR God will surely bring folly.
Separation of church & state has too long been misinterpreted. It MEANS that the government will not dictate our religion – ONLY. It does NOT mean that we have to leave GOD out of our society, as so many WANT. This would ALSO mean that I do NOT have to accept those religions for myself that are WRONG. Why do people that LEAVE their own hostile countries want to recreate their misery in our blessed-by-God USA? If you don't like what we have to offer, GO HOME. You are welcome to come, to live, to stay, but leave your junk in your own country. This is AMERICA. We are Christian in majority. We do not force you to become Christian nor "fake it so you will be accepted", but you, most definitely would be MORE blessed by BEING a Christian, and KNOWING God! We KNOW this FACT. We hold this TRUTH "to be self-evident...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".
If you WANT to realize the FULL impact of that statement; the ONLY way to experience it is to turn to JESUS. Yes, by BECOMING a Christian. The religious freedom we have in America is so you can experience for yourself WHY this nation has been blessed and you would be too – not just dabbling around the edges!
WELL SAID COMMENTERS Abraham, Lloyd, Jay, Pete, & pointofview!!
We are UNITED as a REPUBLIC not a RELIGIOUS nation. We are supposed to have SEPARATION of CHURCH and STATE.
It is time to return to the United States that was intended by our founding fathers and move away from this horror that was inflicted on us by Bush – Cheney – Rove.
The bush administration tricked us by using the correct "call" words – God, faith, Christian, and so on. Many of us followed the sound of those words. Those words SHOULD be supported with love for neighbors, kindness to strangers, a helping hand to those in need. In other words, back words with good works. The bush administration backed its words with .... well look around us now. People out of work, no health insurance, I am seeing people (especially children) not enough to eat, homeless families not just homeless individuals.
Leave religion to church not government.
we are americans, most of us are christians, some of us are jews, buddhist, muslims, hindu , atheists ...... and the list goes on and on.
God forgive us and open the eyes of these people. We are without question a Christian nation. That is the one thing that sets our country apart from the world. Our founding fathers did not even see a separation of civil and religious belief. It was interwoven in everything they did. You can see it all over the monuments in our nation's capital. Every day prayer to God was included in virtually every aspect of government. Our President should be ashamed of himself. Instead of bowing down to the King of Saudi Arabia and kissing his ring, he should be bowing down to our God, humbling himself before Him and asking for continued blessings on our land. We are seeing Obama for what he really is, and it is a tragedy for God's country.
That's all part of a greater plot...
Soon, soon they will show their real face, talking about peace but leading the world to an end.
It is all predicted, it is all said, they will try to joint all the 3 most important religions, and then he will come.
Turn your eyes to God while you have time, because the end is near...Jesus saves and it's all about denying Him, don't let it make you blind.
Jesus saves, and He wants you the way you are.
God bless!
The heritage of our country has always been predominantly Christian(remember the Pilgrims?). Our Christian Faith is the only reason the USA has ever been or will continue to be a great nation. I do not advocate ANY type of State Religion, but to deny our Lord Jesus Christ is to reject all favor we can have with God and will certainly lead to an eventual downfall. At the same time, by it's very nature true Christianity can not 'force' itself on anyone! Please consider what is being said here and God grant us His Wisdom! Thanks.
My name is Gaddi Boursiquot I am 13 years old and I think that Obama is the USA's key.
Separation of Church and State is the principle which drove our foundling Fathers to defend our right to separation and autonomy from our European relatives and define our great democracy where all men are recognized as created as equal. Tolerance for difference's and acceptance of same has earned our Country the nick-name the "Melting Pot" which is an oxymoron as individuals do maintain their differences.
President Obama's message to the other nations reflects the strength in our society; we are tolerant of differences and maintain our own identity while celebrating differences. Women are entitled to Religion, schooling, marriage, employment, and the pursuit of happiness equally as men.
Yes, religious freedom is one of our nation's strengths that was deliberately and wisely woven into the Constitution–no argument there and I fundamentally get President Obama's overall message. However, I believe there are some Americans that are concerned that our nation is becoming too comfortable apologizing on the world stage for who and what we are. Predominantly Muslim or Hindu nations proudly identify themselves as Muslim or Hindu nations. But because our society–though tolerant–is so afraid to "offend" we are now afraid to call ourselves a "Christian nation" even though we all drove by 20 Baptist, Catholic, Methodist or Lutheran churches on our way home from work this evening.
Funny how separation of church and state is not remembered here. Thomas Jefferson had the right idea. We shouldn't have another Church of England or State religion. A clear separation of powers is very important to maintain freedoms for all.
The majority of people in this country are not Christians, they like to say they are because it makes them feel accepted. I am a proud US citizen and an atheist.
The 1796 treaty with Tripoli:
Article 11 read, “As the government of the United States of America is not founded in any sense on the Christian religion – as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims] – and as the said states have never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan 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.
make no mistake about it, the vast majority of the US is Christian. Everyone wants to use majority rule until it is inconvenient to do so. It is ok to win an election with 51% of the vote but is wrong to assume when 80+% of this nation is Christian that this is not a majorities worth of a mentality that deserves respect? Sorry, but changing the comments to help push an agenda is horribly wrong but not anything new from progressives.
The Founding Fathers, with great wisdom, sought to protect the Christian faith, and by extension all other faiths, by creating a secular government. They realized the only way to guarantee Christians the right to freely worship is to have a government that is not attached to any religion.
I agree with President Obama's comments completely. Though I am a Christian, I also believe that Christianity never was and never will be a religion to be imposed upon another much the same as in a dictatorship setting, but a religion founded on the principle of free will and personal choice. Whether people realize it or not, no degree of force, no matter how much holy fervour is behind it, will ever make the USA into a Christian nation. No amount of legislation and/or protest can compel others to the point where they willingly and wholly submit to any form of Christian idealism. Simply stated, you can never make a person believe in Christianity's claim through governmental action, and any attempt to do so will lead us into a time of superficial Christianity, where people submit out of guilt or remorse brought on through manipulation, rather than a genuine response to faith.
You would have to agree with what the President clams. Ask the question, are all Americans Christian, Jewish or Muslim or are we a combination of them all? So how can it be said this is a purely Christian Nation? That would be like saying America is only a white nation when there are Blacks, Latino, Indians and other people of color all with different faiths. I think what is happening is a constant thirst to find something wrong with what the President is saying on the world stage. While the President is trying to heal relationships soured by the previous administration, we are dividing our nation from within with this kind of press.
Our country was founded by people looking for religous freedom, and at the time they happened to be different forms of Christians, but now other people have come with the same hopes! I agree President Obama, thank you for stating that so clearly, everyone should be included!!! We are not a Christian nation we are a Free to worship IF we like nation!