Tuesday, January 03, 2006

The Right Wing myth of a Christian nation: "The Religious Right's prevailing myth that our country was founded as a Christian nation has always been just that a myth, a lie, a fable, a story in the same company as George Washington's cutting down the cherry tree. So I thought I would share some great quotes from our 'founding fathers' that ought to dispell such sillyness. There are many more like the following but these make the point well enough I think."

There are some very harsh and pointed criticisms of established Christianity by the US Founding fathers, and ringing denunciations of the inherent corruption of the mix of church and state, eg. Madison, "What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries."

But one should not regard them as anti-Christian, or allow hypocrites and the corrupt to alone give themselves the label of the holy, the godly and the followers of Christ. Thomas Jefferson, for example, editor of the Jefferson Bible, is very complimentary: "Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern, which have come under my observation, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus."

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