Bob Riley sweeps state newspaper endorsements

[bojack34 2]

sorry to inform you but this country and its politics was found on faith.

[otterinbham 0]

Yes it was. However, the founding fathers also had a profound suspicion of any single religious group holding sway over the public life of the country. After all, by the time the Bill of Rights was written, we had already experienced sects fleeing religious persecution in their native countries, only to enthusiastically oppress others in this country (A quick reading of Puritan history will tell you as much). Further most historians of religious faith in early America agree that only 10% of the total American population was churched.

While some have proposed that George Washington was an Episcopalian, he was in fact a Deist. Thomas Jefferson, while he admired Christ's moral philosophy, doubted the Miracle of the Resurrection. In fact, he edited The Jeffersonian Bible, where he deleted the sayings of Christ he did not deem true. John Adams was a Unitarian, and decried mainstream Protestant and Calvinist doctrine. James Madison refused to endorse any denomination of Christianity. Ben Franklin was a Deist.

Further, all you have to do is look at the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." I simply defy you to tell me how putting up the Ten Commandments in the state supreme court is not an explicit violation of this, even if there was a version of the Ten Commandments that wasn't highly denominational.

In short, the Founding Fathers were very wise to keep religion out of civic life. I'm glad they did.

[otterinbham 0]

Evidence is to the contrary. The founding fathers had a profound suspicion of any single religious group holding sway over the public life of the country. After all, by the time the Bill of Rights was written, we had already experienced sects fleeing religious persecution in their native countries, only to enthusiastically oppress others in this country (A quick reading of Puritan history will tell you as much). Further most historians of religious faith in early America agree that only 10% of the total American population was actually churched at the time the Constitution was written.

While some have proposed that George Washington was an Episcopalian, he was in fact a Deist. Thomas Jefferson, while he admired Christ's moral philosophy, doubted the Miracle of the Resurrection. In fact, he edited The Jeffersonian Bible, where he deleted the sayings of Christ that he did not deem true. John Adams was a Unitarian, and decried mainstream Protestant and Calvinist doctrine. James Madison refused to endorse any denomination of Christianity. Ben Franklin was a Deist. Now imagine any of these guys passing your litmus test while running for office.

Further, all you have to do is look at the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." I simply defy you to tell me how putting up the Ten Commandments in the state supreme court is not an explicit violation of this, even if there was a version of the Ten Commandments that wasn't highly denominational.

In short, the Founding Fathers were very wise to keep religion out of civic life. And, as a religious man, I'm glad they did.

[bojack34 2]

Evidence is to the contrary. The founding fathers had a profound suspicion of any single religious group holding sway over the public life of the country. After all, by the time the Bill of Rights was written, we had already experienced sects fleeing religious persecution in their native countries, only to enthusiastically oppress others in this country (A quick reading of Puritan history will tell you as much). Further most historians of religious faith in early America agree that only 10% of the total American population was actually churched at the time the Constitution was written.

While some have proposed that George Washington was an Episcopalian, he was in fact a Deist. Thomas Jefferson, while he admired Christ's moral philosophy, doubted the Miracle of the Resurrection. In fact, he edited The Jeffersonian Bible, where he deleted the sayings of Christ that he did not deem true. John Adams was a Unitarian, and decried mainstream Protestant and Calvinist doctrine. James Madison refused to endorse any denomination of Christianity. Ben Franklin was a Deist. Now imagine any of these guys passing your litmus test while running for office.

Further, all you have to do is look at the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." I simply defy you to tell me how putting up the Ten Commandments in the state supreme court is not an explicit violation of this, even if there was a version of the Ten Commandments that wasn't highly denominational.

In short, the Founding Fathers were very wise to keep religion out of civic life. And, as a religious man, I'm glad they did.

I am sorry was there a law made?

[otterinbham 0]

Oh, don't be disingenuous. Putting up Roy Moore's version of the Ten Commandments in the State Supreme Court signals governmental preference for one religious faith over another.

[bojack34 2]

Oh, don't be disingenuous. Putting up Roy Moore's version of the Ten Commandments in the State Supreme Court signals governmental preference for one religious faith over another.

It is in my opinion that people with your ideals is exactly what is bringing this country down. We as a country have become more liberal and secular everyday and that I believe is what angers God. We also have many Bible Colleges and seminaries that are doing the same thing to very promising warriors for God. I have seen many on fire called men and women of God go off to one of these bible colleges and come back so educated that they are dumbed down and are quenching the Holy Spirit which. You can read all the books written by so called theologians you want but unless you are reading the Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit it is all useless. Now, I have my views and you have your's and I have no doubt you are probably a great person so lets just agree to disagree. I don't know Roy Moore personally as I am sure you don't know Bob Riley personally either so we may both be wrong but I tend to rely on more sources for my info other than the Birmingham News or any of the other Big Media outlets.

[otterinbham 0]

Oh, don't be disingenuous. Putting up Roy Moore's version of the Ten Commandments in the State Supreme Court signals governmental preference for one religious faith over another.

It is in my opinion that people with your ideals is exactly what is bringing this country down. We as a country have become more liberal and secular everyday and that I believe is what angers God. We also have many Bible Colleges and seminaries that are doing the same thing to very promising warriors for God. I have seen many on fire called men and women of God go off to one of these bible colleges and come back so educated that they are dumbed down and are quenching the Holy Spirit which. You can read all the books written by so called theologians you want but unless you are reading the Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit it is all useless. Now, I have my views and you have your's and I have no doubt you are probably a great person so lets just agree to disagree. I don't know Roy Moore personally as I am sure you don't know Bob Riley personally either so we may both be wrong but I tend to rely on more sources for my info other than the Birmingham News or any of the other Big Media outlets.

Oh. I'm bringing the country down. Let's see. I stand for the Constitution, not just the parts I agree with. Yet I also attend church twice a week, go to Tuesday morning Bible study, serve on the vestry, and perform outreach for my church. Yep, God is terribly angry with me, because I am so obviously defying him. Me and all the other people whom I attend church with.

Let's see what other subversive activities I perform. Wow. An entire rat's nest of questionable activities. I support the military and tend to vote conservatively, but not exclusively Republican. Further, I vote every time there's an election, no matter how trivial it is. I pay my taxes. I'm raising my chiildren to have good manners and good grades, and spend my weekends and spare time shuttling them off to baseball, soccer, violin, Cub Scounts, dance, and theatre. I don't litter or speed. I return library books on time. I give to charity beyond my tithe to the church. I give my up my seat to the elderly. But, it's all part of my secret agenda to bring the country down. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to come clean.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Because all my other friends are, too, in my prosperous, tax-paying Republican neighborhood. Yep, because those well-tended yards simply disguise homes that house sleeper cells for Al Queda. We have lodge meetings every month, rubbing our hands with glee because nobody will suspect that we're really saboteurs, ready to destroy the foundations of the Republic. Sometimes, when we're feeling really frisky, we hold live burning coals on the palms of our hands and say the Lord's Prayer backwards. All to make the Dark Lord happy.

In short, get a clue. Mixing the church with politics weakens faith, not strengthens it. Further, by keeping demogogues such as Roy Moore out of public office makes me a better defender of the faith. And just because I don't check my head at the door doesn't mean I'm not one of the faithful. The Bible yields its secrets through careful scholarship and understanding...not just selecting one or two verses to the exclusion of all the rest. Maybe that's why all those seminary students return home not fully agreeing with your vision of God: Because their blinders have come off, and they have a fuller understanding of Him.

Furthermore, how do you know the Holy Spirit doesn't speak to me? I think you commit the sin of arrogance to think so.