[Dave S]

"Enlightenment" philosophy

Lets not get personal. Our founding fathers were children of the Enlightenment, especially Jefferson and Franklin. By the way the enlightenment was a reaction against the Dark Ages. I guess you preffered those days?

[Coral Snake]

The "Enlightenment" took a different direction in America because it was tempered with a strong continued belief in Biblical Religion. Therefore it could come up with the unique idea of individual rights given by GOD rather than the state here.
In France where GOD was rejected by the "Enlightenment" the end result of their revolution was the first modern gun control laws, mass gilltinings and finally mas drowings aimed at the explicit purpose of "de population" of the country the VERY SAME purpose toward which abortion and euthanasia are aimed today.
I still stand by my original post that the death culture in the world today is based on The original "Enlightment" philosophy of rejecting Biblical religion and therefore its stands on the special position of and therefore sanctity of human life. THIS is the root of Communism, Socialism, Nazism, Fascism, Corporatism, death culturism and every other threat to our Constitution and Bill of Rights other than Milatant Islam.