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The Puritans were such a small group they are insignificant.

They may have been "insignificant" in Mrs. Pastejar's history class, but to the rest of the world, they were the original Settlers.

The vast majority who came to escape religious persecution were Deists and Jews.

Oh, so Mrs. Pastejar's History class had a Creative Fiction core? Pure bunk.

The Mayflower Compact was about business, not religion.

From the Mayflower Compact:

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

The word "God" occurs four times in the Compact (if you include the Latin Domini. The word "business" does not occur at all.

Yep, the Mayflower Compact was about business. And paste is made for eating.

How many did they murder in Salem?

Twenty. One died in prison while awaiting execution.

What a fun religion...

Thanks! It can't compete with naked orgies in the woods but it has its moments.

You get to murder people who have a different belief than yours!

Oh yeah! Look at Samson. Slew 10,000 Philistines. Wit yo mama's jawbone. And that was in the early days of the Old Testament.

Looks like the Muslims are just following your example.

Yeah, Christians were the first people to ever kill folks who disagreed with them. The Romans never did. The Greeks, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Huns, the Goths, the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Mongols, the Celts, the Vikings, the Normans, the Saxons, the Arabs, the Persians, the Spartans, the Bulgars ... none of them ever did that. The whole idea of killing strangers originated with those gnarly Christians.

An offense to God? Whose God?

The Christian God, I suppose. I don't know. I wasn't there. But I think it's explained in the context.

They aren't an offense to my God.

What, you mean the Baghwan Shree Rajneesh?

You must be calling that Satan guy God.

No, we call him the Devil. Old Scratch. Lucifer. Prince of Darkness. His name is legion.

What makes you think that God would care more about you than a Pagan?

I didn't say God cares more about me than a pagan. I said that God is offended by certain behaviors, and that He allows -- and in some cases requires -- that those behaviors be punished, the offender's professed religion notwithstanding.

Common sense is just reason and I see very little of that in the Evangelical community.

With your head so obviously stuck where it is, I'm surprised you can see to get out of bed in the morning.

Without God's gift of reason, we are just naked apes. God wrote the Universe and gave us reason. Man wrote the Bible and gave us Hatred.

Sounds like you've been reading your Watchtower again. I guess it's better than eating paste.

I'll take God over your hatred, thank you!

I don't expect you'll recognize Him when you see Him. But I'm fairly sure He'll recognize you. .

They may have been "insignificant" in Mrs. Pastejar's history class, but to the rest of the world, they were the original Settlers

ROFL!
By the time the Mayflower pilgrims arrived in 1620, Spanish, Dutch and French business ventures had established settlements throughout the United States in what is now the Carolinas, Virginia, Florida, Georgia and New Mexico. They also had settlements in Canada. Ever heard of the Virginia Company or Hudson's Bay?

Pure bunk

The first Jewish immigrants to the United States were Sephardic Jews that were fleeing persecution by Portuguese rulers in Brazil, in 1654. There were over two thousand of them by 1656. The first Jewish congregation was established in the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam. The Dutch had settlements in America before the Puritans arrived. They were Dutch Reformed and Deists who welcomed Jews and Atheists into their community. They provided the funds for the American Revolution and we would still be kissing the Royal Arse if not for them.

Yep, the Mayflower Compact was about business. And paste is made for eating

Some of those aboard the Mayflower were Protestant Separatists who had fled England to Holland to escape persecution from the Reformed Angelicans. The principals were men commissioned to further the business of the Virginia Company. It was a business venture with many investors. It was not part of their original intent to draft the Mayflower Compact and form a Christian colony under its terms. That happened when they were blown off course and could not land at the mouth of the Hudson. The Compact was drafted in an attempt to stop the constant bickering of the Puritans. They were whining landlubbers who were a pain in the butt to the seamen and trappers aboard the Mayflower. They were trying to get the Puritans to stop fighting with each other and form a colony that would be profitable to the investors. The Compact was a failure and the investors lost their money. The Mayflower Compact is a standard colonial loyalty oath to king and faith. Christianity was required, not optional.

we call him the Devil. Old Scratch. Lucifer. Prince of Darkness. His name is legion

Is he above or below the Easter Bunny in your pantheon of Demons and Gods?
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