Declaration of Independence --- Unconstitutional

Discussion in 'Bill Archer's Guestbook' started by YITBOS, Nov 24, 2004.

  1. YITBOS

    YITBOS Member+

    Jul 2, 2001
    1.3 hours from CCS
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    TSG is reporting on this as well as Reuters.

    It turns out that a school principal has denied a 5th grade teacher the ability to hand out certain documents. A selection of the documents are writings from Sam Adams, George Washington, various state's constitutions, and the Declaration of Independence. The reason --- all of the documents contain the word 'God' somewhere within.

    The teacher trying to hand out the documents is a Christain and is suing the school by stating he is being descriminated against.

    At first glance, this appears to be an outrageous affront to America. However, at second glance, I wonder if the principal does not in fact have solid ground to stand upon. First, a sizeable portion of the founding fathers were NOT Christian -- however they still believed in God. Second, some of these documents are pretty obscure for someone working on their thesis describing the American Revolution, let alone 5th graders. Finally, the mindset of a lot of Christians is to convert (stupid Paul). 5th graders will usually tell the truth when questioned by a lawyer. I wouldn't hold my breath that the teacher has presented the material in a fair and impartial manner, i.e. that God belongs to no church.
     
  2. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    1) The term "Separation of Church and State" does not appear in the Constitution.

    2) The Establishment clause of the Constitution prohibits the creation of a state religion. Claiming that it forbids mentioning the word "God" in a classroom is not just ignorant, it is a perversion.

    3) Making a point of the fact that many of the "Founding Fathers' were not members of any organized association of revealed religion is intentional propagandizing if it is not also noted that many MORE of the "Founding Ftahers" WERE in fact deeply devout men who considered the American polity an extension of their personal faith. It is simply undeniable.

    4) To attempt to erase, expunge and deny the role that men of faith, acting as they did at least in part because of their religious beliefs, played in the shaping of this nation is to rewrite the truth just as surely as Goebbels ever did. It is nothing short of lying.

    Here's a couple of right wing extremists that this undereducated jackass would censor in the name of "diversity" or whatever his idiot, pea-brained excuse for intelligence, who beyond question voted for John Kerry:


    WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

    NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

    And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

    GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

    G. Washington


    "I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."

    Abraham Lincoln
    5)
     
  3. YITBOS

    YITBOS Member+

    Jul 2, 2001
    1.3 hours from CCS
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, but this is how it has been percieved since Jefferson coined the term. The Supreme Court has understood the "wall" that Jefferson spoke of to be true and has ruled in its favor whenever questions arose.

    True. No arguments here. However, there is a vast difference between mentioning God a couple times and preaching the ultimate grace of God in history class.

    I agree again. My post was unclear in this aspect. I should have stated that the founding fathers, although not necessarily Christian, were deeply religious. The word describing such views is escaping me; however, many sentiments of the time can be explained in Thomas Paine's Age of Reason. On a slight side-note, I wonder if the agnostic left has ever realized that most scientists and other great-minds are also deeply religious and profess many of their advances to mankind as either God's Will or an attempt to understand God's Creations.

    We should all know the track record of our famous leaders on their religion by this point in the thread. However, a question that I've never seen answered is how many times the words Jesus Christ, Mary, or Joseph are mentioned in speaches by our leaders (past and present). The words would provide insight to the specific religion the leader followed, not just describing their religious views.
     

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