Key Question: Is America, a Christian Nation?!?!?
“In God We Trust” on our money was coined during the Civil War in 1863. “…under God…” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance during the Cold War in 1954, not to mention some legislative and military chaplains and ceremonial days of thanksgiving. Nevertheless, American “Enlightenment free thinker” mentality precedents on diplomacy and constitutional thought has far reaching ramifications that can adversely affect America permanently. Consider the following perceptions, in the context of The Constitution of the United States of America, and religion. Religion, at the time referred to Christianity and nothing else. Islam and other modern religions were not part of consideration of the Founders of America.
The Constitution of the United States of America:
The First Amendment sates: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ... ”
Article VI states that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust in the United States.”
Perplexing Perceptions
The word Perplexity, as used in the Bible, in reference to finding an answer to a prevailing predicament or calamity, means, “No Way Out; Without Solutions; Without Means; Without Resolution“. If you have no reason to be concerned about the direction America as a nation is going, here is one reason: One man in position of authority can fail to think through what was democratically defined and uses personal reasons and partisan politics to harm America, unnecessarily unknowingly, be it Patriotic Conservative, Leftist Liberal Progressive, or simply Maverick [stupid] ought to be a matter of concern to anyone who knows true liberty!!!
The Second President John Adams and the Treaty of Tripoli: This most striking Treaty was entered in by U.S. diplomat Joel Barlow, an Enlightenment freethinker, and ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1797. Article 11. It states: “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 [sic], of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and, as the said States never have 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.” BAD.
George Washington in a letter: The letter was to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island in 1790 wrote: “The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy — a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support … May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants — while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.” FAIR.
John Tyler, the tenth President, in an 1843 wrote a letter which stated: “The United States have adventured upon a great and noble experiment, which is believed to have been hazarded in the absence of all previous precedent — that of total separation of Church and State. No religious establishment by law exists among us. The conscience is left free from all restraint and each is permitted to worship his Maker after his own judgment. The offices of the Government are open alike to all. No tithes are levied to support an established Hierarchy, nor is the fallible judgment of man set up as the sure and infallible creed of faith. The Mohammedan, if he will to come among us would have the privilege guaranteed to him by the constitution to worship according to the Koran; and the East Indian might erect a shrine to Brahma, if it so pleased him. Such is the spirit of toleration inculcated by our political Institutions.” MISLEADING.
Mubarak Hussein M. Obama, the forty forth President, on April 6, 2009, in Turkey, explained: “One of the great strengths of the United States is … we have a very large Christian population — we do not consider ourselves 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…Somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it is because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who’ve been all too eager to exploit what divides us.” Hmmmm, I wonder about the Christian Liberal Left? I guess the President did not think about Rev. Wright of the President’s spiritual nurturing Church, the United Church of Christ! Had Obama said anywhere that because of a large number of Muslims America is a Muslim Nation but not a Christian nation with its very large Christian population? He actually said, “…one of the points I want to make is, is that if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we’d be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. And so there’s got to be a better dialogue and a better understanding between the two peoples.” He normally is an individual who burns both sides of his candle at once! WRONG.
John McCain the Politician’s preference stated thus: “But, no, I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles … personally, I prefer someone who I know has a solid grounding in my faith. But that doesn’t mean that I’m sure that someone who is a Muslim would not make a good president. I don’t say that we would rule out under any circumstances someone of a different faith. I just would — I just feel that that’s an important part of our qualifications to lead.” MAVERICK.
Perplexity! What Do You Think?