Quote Originally Posted by ggiese
As long as Dr. Barry is around, I don't think we have to worry about our country becoming a christian theocracy!!!

No doubt the far right is loaded up with bible thumping conservatives. But to say the ultimate goal of the Republican party is to become a Christian Theocracy is a tad over the edge. I see a vague connection, but the dots are not all there. It's kinda like saying that the Masonic organization is attempting to move to a totally christian based group.

There's too much diversity in the country for that to ever happen. As a matter of fact, I'd submit to you it appears (disturbingly) to be moving the other direction. Not because I'm a bible-thumping conservative, but because I see the principles of what our country was founded on slowly being stripped from every form of our society. You can't say prayers in the school anymore. Any references to religion is stripped from local communities (as what has happened to several small communities in Illinois), no public displays of "Christmas", the Boy Scouts had to remove the requirement that members be connected to a religious organization, etc.

Sorry - but some mega-churche's symbol in front of their church was meant for exactly what's happening here - spirited debate and attention to their organization. That's why they typically place HUGE crosses out front. Some are going to embrace it, others are going to despise it. And while the majority of that organization may vote largely republican - as disturbing as it may sound - there are some democrats in their midst...
Man, you ain't kiddin'! I am certainly not a bible thumper either, in fact I have a sign on my front door that says "No Soliciting -especially bible thumpers!"

BUT, does anyone remember what the first amendment actually says? For those of you who don't here it is...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. "

So there it is. Read it and decide for yourself what it says. Don't take some politician's or radio talk show host's word for what it says. Read it and study the other documents that this country was founded on and decide for yourself. In my opinion, the key phrase here is "shall make no law." It says nothing about having the power to make any law. In fact, the way that I remember the lectures about "separation of church and state" a long, long, long time ago (by the way, that overused phrase is nowhere to be found in any of the founding documents) is that the Government has no power to meddle in religious affairs whatsoever. If you read the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers or any other document referring to the formation and responsibility of our Government, you will find the overriding theme is that the Government has limited powers, not sweeping or absolute powers. Our founding fathers wanted the gov't to keep their noses out of our business. Period.

So, any time I hear that something is "unconstitutional," I wonder where in the constitution the government is given the power to make that decision. The constitution deliberately attempts to limit the power of the Federal Government. It actually doesn't give any power whatsoever, except for the protection of the people.

Yet, 200+ years later the government has its fingers in everything in a supposed effort to protect us from ourselves. They take about 1/2 of my earnings in a multitude of various taxes and spend it on who knows what, tell me what I can and can't say, and generally are a pain in my pink puckered posterior. It is the biggest reason I can't align myself with the dems. I believe that our gov't needs to have its power limited, not expanded. Sure, the Republican party is filled with a bunch of idiots, just like the dems, but I try to align myself with a platform and a philosophy, not a person. And I do vote democratic if I believe in the person, but most democrats seem to be for increasing taxes, telling me what I should and shouldn't "feel," telling me what is right or wrong and what I should love and hate in the name of good (religion?), and limiting my freedoms in one way or another. Just goes to show the power of the "law." Society doesn't change the laws, law changes society. That is exactly why our government was founded on limited law. But we are no longer a country of justice, we are a country of laws. The principles that our government and society were based on are constantly under attack by professional politicians. And in my opinion, the founding fathers are spinning in their graves.

Too bad.