No. Society decides what rights people have. They do not come from government. Government's job is to serve the people, not to run the country.

As Mr Jefferson writes "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"

 

His little moments like this are why he is ManBitch.

-S-

 

I have a fridge, it keeps my food cold in a warm kitchen. Thus hell can't exist.

 

Rights mean a linear line, the laws of nature. Human rights were taken away and it is written in the Constitution. Can you find it. Voters are not sovereign in the U.S.A. because it was taken away from us.

When you understand the charters of freedom and what we do not have now your jaw will drop.

 

Our rights were taken away from us. Look in the Constitution for the answer, read between the lines.

 

Wow she gets hot and I sweat.

 

If you're referring to me, I'm not a 'she'. Just fyi.

-S-

 

The government is the people. Society in the form of the electorate votes for politicians.

 

We do agree in many respects.

God-as-symbol is a double-edged sword. (Pun intended.)

Every symbol is potentially both misused by its advocates and demonized by those who perceive themselves (rightly or wrongly) as being oppressed by it. Take the American flag, which is both a herald and inspiration to some, and conversely seen by some as representative of the imposition of statism.

God as symbol is misused, certainly.

Personally I think the sign of the dollar is a fine symbol. Many these days would disagree with me.

Symbols that no longer have utility and/or are no longer germane to a culture wither and die on their own. The one dollar bill is loaded with Masonic symbology. I don't know what it means. I doubt that many do. It has no use because most everyone no longer cares, one way or another, what the pyramid, cyclops eye, etc. ever meant. So those little adornments will probably atrophy and drop off on their own. I guess I stand on the position that atheists overstep by trying to force the issue. We cannot impose the expurgation of God from our culture. It has to happen naturally, with collective social and cognitive maturity.

To put it another way (an extreme analogy, yet I think apropos), there is sizable, vocal, and politically connected constituency in Egypt that would like to destroy the Sphinx and Great Pyramids, on the grounds that they are useless symbols of a bygone pagan era. I do not want the Muslim Brotherhood, or anyone else, deciding on my behalf that the Great Pyramids are no longer of any use to me; nor do I want social re-educators of any stripe showing me symbols that are purportedly "better" or "more useful" or "more correct" than the heritage that they yearn to destroy.

 

​

 

Christian nation

This country was founded on Christianity. God is not mentioned in the Constitution, but He is mentioned in every major document leading up to the final wording of the constitution. Connecticut is still known as the constitution state because its colonial constitution was used as a model for the constitution. It's first words are "for as much as it has pleased the almighty God by the wise disposition of His Divine Providence......."o

Most of the 55 founding fathers who worked on the constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches, and many members of evangelical Christian churches. The first official act of the first Continental Congress was to open with a Christian prayer which ended in these words "the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior. Amen."

John Adams stated "the general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were... The general principles of Christianity"

Later, John Quincy Adams answered the question as to why, next to Christmas, was the Fourth of July this most joyous and venerated day in the United States. He answered: "...Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?" Sounds like the founding of a Christian nation to me. John Quincy Adams went on to say that the biggest victory won in the American Revolution was that Christian principles and civil government would be tied together In what he called an "indissoluble" bond. The Founding Fathers understood that religion was inextricably part of our nation and government. The practice of the Christian religion in our government was not only welcomed but encouraged.

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and one of the three men most responsible for the writing of the Constitution declared:

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is their duty-as well as privilege and interest- of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." Still sounds like the Founding Fathers knew this was a Christian nation.

This view, that we were a Christian nation, was hold for almost 150 years until the Everson v. Board of Education ruling in 1947. Before that momentous ruling, even the Supreme Court knew that we were a Christian nation. In 1892 the Court stated:

"No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people...This is a Christian nation." There it is again! From the Supreme Court of the United States. This court went on to cite 87 precedents (prior actions, words, and rulings) to conclude that this was a "Christian nation".


In 1854, the House Judiciary Committee said: "in this age, there is no substitute for Christianity...That was the religion of the founders of the republic, and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.'


When we read articles such as "What's God got to do with it?" (Primack, 5/4) and "The wall between state and church must not be breached" (Tager, 5/7) it just reaffirms how little, even intelligent people, understand about the founding of our great Republic. To say that this nation was not founded as a Christian nation or that the Constitution was not founded on Christian principles is totally at odds with the facts of history.

 

Only partly . . .

I too read the whole chapter . . . whole book really.

I understand WHY God thought to do evil (just quoting) . . .

I just don't know why He thought to do evil . . .

Yes, it's semantics . . . but those are The Words . . .

Besides . . . why would He consider doing something He knew (omnipotence) He would NOT do?

I'm not hating on your answer . . . I'm just looking for reason.

 

The fact that the United States Constitution did not mention God was controversial at the time it was introduced, and should not be used as a reflection of popular sentiment then, or at any time during American history.

 

God is omnipotent, however there are things he chooses not to know. In the book of Genesis God was shocked and angered that Adam and Eve disobeyed him. Their are several instances in the bible where God shows shock, or surprise. How can you be shocked if you already know? I believe their are things God chooses not to know. I have scripture to back this up. I will dig it out and post it for you.

 

Snort!!!

 

ummmmm . . . that's a lil judgmental . . .

take the beam outta your own eye . . .

just saying . . .

 

It's not that He chooses to not know, He chooses to observe, wait, or plain not acknowledge them. His shock from Adam and Eve (Which never existed in a literal sense), can be explained as the shock a parent has when a child disobeys, even though, as a parent, He already knew what they were going to do beforehand.

Why does it matter to you that people do or do not believe in God? How are they harming you or preventing your own salvation, or the salvation of your children?

 

God chooses not to know . . . gotta wrap my head around that one.

However, I TOTALLY appreciate the last paragraph. Deal with yourself first. If that's what your saying.

 

You quote mine like a champ. Now, go google me up the parts of the constitution that were pulled from the Bible. I'll wait.

-S-

 

Snort.