TGJ, personal property ownership and even the right to inherit property was protected by Article 10. Are you against that, too? The union of Soviet Republics was voluntary, as well. Are you against that? Let me guess: those idealistic notions of freedom don't bother you. But the most important contribution of our Founding Fathers to freedom of religion does. Those communists, the Founding Fathers! You would have sent them to Siberia, if our revolution had occurred in Russia, and you had been their contemporary.
Please speak only for yourself.
What do you think religious freedom is, TGJ? It has nothing to do with your own religious views. If it did, the whole concept would break down if you disagreed with me.
Religious freedom begins with an absolute and total protection for every citizen against official religious establishment. The state is prevented from inferring that any given religion is superior to any other. If it could do that, it would leave some citizens less well represented by government than others. The USSR did not uphold this value because it discriminated against Christians and Jews on the basis of their religious beliefs. It also enforced atheism in the classroom and in the public arena.
That is precisely what your camp tries to do with every effort, every ounce of its energy. But since you call it Christianity, you believe you are right. I don't recognize any real Christian values in that position. I do recognize the Christian analog to Shari'a in your comments, though.
I stand with other Americans for true religious freedom in this country, not the faux version your camp espouses for its financial and political gain. You're going to have to work overtime to persuade the rest of the country to agree with your camp's position. It doesn't look like it's working. Furthermore, President Bush himself believes in the separation of Church and State.
So for now, religious freedom in this country is protected. We're safe -- for the time being, from the threat your camp poses to our freedom.
This is exactly what you "Americans United for Separation of Church and State" do to America. I believe in the Founders interpretation of Separation, not the bolshevik interpretation your faction has used to forcibly ban prayer and remove religious symbols from public property, something the Founders would have been horrified by and fought to the death to prevent.
I do recognize the Christian analog to Shari'a in your comments, though.
Christian Right = Taliban. Are you Julian Bond? Honestly you guys make it so easy.
And yet our governments have, frankly, discriminated against faith-based programs. It's the truth. How does it happen that way? Well, oftentimes a faith-based program that applies for federal government says, I want to help; and they say, fine, you can help, but take the cross down from the wall, take off the Star of David, take down the crescent. And my answer to that is, how can you be a faith-based program if you can't practice your faith? It seems to be a contradiction in terms.The problem is, faith-based programs only conform to one set of rules, and it's bigger than government rules. (Applause.)
See, the debate in Washington oftentimes is, well, the church will become the state, or the state will become the church. To me, that's never going to happen, and we won't let it happen.
We want to fund programs that save Americans, one soul at a time. (Applause.)
In other words, we're changing a culture. And it takes a lot of work.
And it's just the beginning of a lot of change.
Our government must understand America is a hopeful and optimistic place, particularly when we apply the great strength of our country, which is the love of our citizens, to changing America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.