Shadow Wraith

<a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=55&t=000415&p=" target="_blank">Here is the post containting my original LttE.</a> It was replied to finally, the comments being in today's paper. Here is what the author wrote:

I'm planning on just suggesting she read the Ken Harding Library's article on this.

Since these letters were about seperation issues, I though I would add something I just thought of. Since xians interpret the 1st Amendment their own way, they can allow for something scary. They say that the establishment clause says that the gov't cannot establish a state church--that's all. This allows for any of a number of laws placing "xian values" into American society. Laws that could oppress nonbelievers, gays, humanists, feminists, or any other group on the "Pat Robertson list," as I like to call it. They could, in effect, make this country a theocracy without actually establishing an official state religion. To them, that's perfectly acceptable, i.e. compatible with the 1st Amendment. This is why absolute seperation of church and state is necessary.

Of course, a literal interpretation of the 1st Amendment prohibits not only an establishment of a state church, but of any religion in any aspect of public life. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." is what is says exactly. It does not say "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of a state religion." (italics added for emphasis) Therefore, a literal interpretation of the establishment clause says that not only the gov't can't establish a state religion, it cannot establish any kind of religion anywhere. (note: I may add this to my next LttE)

Now that I'm through with that, I'd like to invite y'all to the next juicy morsel of xian insanity. It's a little bonus to this post. It's a LttE that was also in today's paper, and the author is the son of Rev. Tim Fellows, another local.

Insane, isn't it? I guess he forgot that current medical technology of the Dark Ages couldn't keep 90% of Europe from dying of the plague, or how science consisted of Ptolemy's geocentric model, which people were burned at the stake or otherwise persecuted for criticizing.

Darwin's Finch

I liked your letter, Shadow Wraith. As for the responses...

&lt;makes note to cancel South Carolina vacation plans&gt;

hezekiah jones

MTV expertise?

Stephen Maturin

Snyder appears to be nothing but another fundy quote miner, and not a very good one at that. First of all, John Quincy Adams a "founding father"?! rofl He was all of nine years old when the American Revolution started! More important, the statement Snyder attributes to him is actually some author's interpretation of Adams believed; it's not a quote from Adams himself.

The Henry quote is bogus too. Even David Barton, a renowned liar for Jesus, was compelled to admit that the quote is of questionable veracity. Either Snyder's seriously misinformed or she's lying her Bible-thumping ass off.

Arrowman

Ah, quote mining. The fundies might win the argument when they can produce a verified quote from a Founding Father (or three) which says something like:

"I believe this nation is founded on Christian principles and that the Christian religion should be favoured over all others in all government insitutions and practices. I dissociate myself from the Constitution, the Establishment Clause and the Treaty of Tripoli as these do not conform with my beliefs on the status of religion in this nation."

Until then, each and every FF quote produced by the fundies says nothing more than

"I happen to be a Christian (/Deist/Agnostic) but that's personal stuff and has no place in government."

Yeah, I know.... <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

lpetrich

The wording is a tipoff -- consider its distinction between "religionists" and "Christians" -- it reminds me of the contention of certain Fundies that their beliefs are not really a "religion".

ashibaka

Wow. Can we really get any less sane? Sounds like she's ready to come over to your house and perform an exorcism.

mibby529

JQA's administration was part of the first attempts to establish neo-Zionist "manifest destiny" ideology.

The Japanese live an average of 93 years. Guess what religions they generally practice?

Ben Franklin recorded Senecas living 60-100 years.

And yet the black plague. And malaria in South America, which is 98% Xian. Not to mention AIDS in Rwanda. (Yes, most Rwandans are Xian, especially the elite.)

He sounds like Hitler when he says that.