I recently returned to the Republican party.
- Thread starter Rockport Zebra
- Start date
"Christian verse" ? Would that be the Church of England, or Separatist Pilgrim version ? Or maybe the Stuart Catholicism which was only eradicated after Bloody Civil War? The Quakers, Huguenots, Calvinists...
The whole reason many colonists chose to leave England and elsewhere in Europe was to escape religious Persecution. The last thing the Founders wanted to do was set up some sort of theocracy where a "Christian majority" would engage in the same sort of religious tyranny and persecution of minorities that they themselves left the Continent to escape...
You need to check out the Royal Charter of 1663, which granted Rhode Island land to pursue religious freedom, apart from the religious persecution the Puritans sough to impose on "non-believers"...
RhodeIslandCharter
www.sos.ri.gov
And what does “state religion” mean in practice?
Clearly a state sponsored, sanctioned, or official religion would be repugnant to the 1st Amendment. That’s the easy one.
The question really is what state actions constitute an unacceptable commingling of religion & government? Because courts have been very clear that there are actions that may be taken that go a step too far in the government religion direction.
And the separation of church and state phrasing comes directly from Jefferson, so it’s not like anyone pulled it out of thin air.
Don’t avoid the question. When did you decide to stop being attracted to men?
He could say anything he wanted. A person has religion, or not. Saying a prayer over a battle is one thing, we must stone someone because they wore a garment of two different cloths is something different.What religion was FDR talking about?
“Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity,” said Roosevelt.
Front Page Featured | MRCTV
cnsnews.com
Again, if the Founders wanted us to use The Bible in our laws, how many times should they have referenced The Bible, God, or Jesus in the Constitution?
Who has told @Aloha Hoosier @twenty02 they don’t fit the Republican Party and should leave? No reason for them to leave and they can rage on Trump. I understand their opinion of Trump. I wish the republicans had nominated someone other than Trump but I’d vote for him every time over the Democrat nominees running against him.
I would argue that you don't really make a conscious choice about what to believe, either. Either it's programmed into by how you were raised, or it's something that arises naturally in your brain by the information you are exposed to throughout your life, but either way, I hardly think it's fair to call it a choice.
"I hereby solemnly swear,
To tell the truth,
The whole truth,
And noting but the truth,
So help me God".
Sworn on the Bible....
Use of the Bible in sanctifying our courts,
the bedrock of our Constitutional Republic.
I don't agree. Could you just up and choose to believe in God, right now? Go ahead, do it.
Doesn't work like that, does it?
People have their own personal Road to Damascus moments all the time, whether it comes to believing or disbelieving. It doesn’t mean you can simply choose on a whim.
He talked about preserving 'our' religion.
Who is 'our'?
What religion was he talking about?
Many people try to find God on their death beds. I often think it the last resort, the fear of death and possible consequences can lead a man/woman to "come to Jesus" pretty fast.
Sure you can. Just as easy as you can suddenly say you don’t. I’m not arguing whether or not it’s “easy”. I’m arguing whether or not it’s a choice. People can convert from Christianity to Judaism or Islam and vice versa. They can even go from atheism to one of the major religions if they do choose. I could change my mind one day and decide in my mind that there definitely is a God and start that whole lifestyle. Worshipping, attending church, prayer groups, whatever. No different than people you hear about who were raised by parents in Klan or just grew up hating minorities for some reason, they can choose to one day say “this is horseshit, why do I hate all these people anyways?”.
I have a sneaking suspicion that no matter how hard I try, I can’t suddenly make myself no longer attracted to females.
Is there a gay gene? If there is and it can be found before birth, would you support aborting the baby if the mother chose to do so because she doesn't want the baby to be gay?
A lot of people say it is, but I do not recall Jesus calling Thomas' doubt a sin. The opportunity was clearly there.
1. The Founders made Creator-endowed natural rights which cannot be restricted or destroyed (absent due process) the bedrock foundational cornerstone of the American Constitutional government. That idea was unquestionably taken from Judeo-Christian religious principles. You can argue - if you choose - about who/what/where that Creator. If it makes you more comfortable, argue they were mostly Deists, not Jesus people. But even then you have to face the reality of the state Constitutions these same fellas helped write, and even the foundational documents of universities they started - which were overtly and unquestionably Christian. Bottom line - the federal government they were creating was secondary to their states and schools, and formed intentionally different, but with dome shared religious roots.
2. You can’t think your way to heaven. Being a Christian is about a genuine spiritual change and conversion, not just an intellectual decision to act like a church guy. For some, intellectual decisions are part of it, but for others, its just the heart. But as Billy Graham preached every night, if you genuinely want to make Jesus Christ the lord of your life - genuinely - you can be sure right now. But whether you are genuine will show later. The proof will be in your pudding. The biggest evidence is how you treat others, not how you tweet them.
2. You can’t think your way to heaven. Being a Christian is about a genuine spiritual change and conversion, not just an intellectual decision to act like a church guy. For some, intellectual decisions are part of it, but for others, its just the heart. But as Billy Graham preached every night, if you genuinely want to make Jesus Christ the lord of your life - genuinely - you can be sure right now. But whether you are genuine will show later. The proof will be in your pudding. The biggest evidence is how you treat others, not how you tweet them.
Except that you don't actually have to swear on a Bible. If you choose to, you can give an affirmation of oath without religion. The whole "So help me God" is only ever seen on television and hasn't been used in practice in most states for decades.
In fact, in the cases that have gone before the supreme court where someone challenged the requirement to declare a belief as part of an oath (ie, either to be a witness in court or as part of an oath of office), the Supreme Court has always ruled that a religious test is unconstitutional (the big one being Torcaso vs. Watkins in 1961 - and it was a unanimous opinion).
As early as John Quincy Adams, presidents have taken an oath of office on something different than a Bible.
I used to think and hope I was a Thomas, capable of belief in the face of proof.
I have decided I am a Peter - a loud mouth who would deny Jesus 3 times when it matters most.
I believe; heal my unbelief.
I never thought about it that way but I tend to agree with you. We're all a product of our raising and what we've been exposed to throughout life.
If you dig into that a little bit more, it really makes all of these political discussions interesting. Also, apply that to schools and the amount of time they spend with children....and you somewhat start getting to the crux of an argument there as well.
On another level we do chose what believe but that is not done in a vacuum. We choose what to believe based on emotions, what we see, what we read, etc. And as you know two people could see and read exactly the same thing and they may choose to believe completely different things.
I think alot (for Aloha
) of people vote based on emotion more than looking at facts. Of course there are people that vote and that vote is based on one thing (for example, abortion). I wish it was that simple but there are many things you have to look at before voting (and a D or R beside the name shouldn't be one of those things).
