>>Oh, and you're seriously quoting Thomas Jefferson,
Absolutely.
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
NIV
IF that is true, then shouldn't it be self-evident to men for whom "ALMIGHTY GOD HATH CREATED THE MIND FREE" ?
Jefferson wasn't a religionist thug who tried to coerce others into parroting his faith by wearing rabbinical plumage. He encouraged others to seek and observe self-evident Truth for themselves.
Thanks to the ideals of his Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom, codified in the 1st Amendment, religionist thugs and buggs don't get to condemn others to death for refusing to buy the manure being peddled on the temple steps.
"I HAVE SWORN UPON THE ALTAR OF GOD ETERNAL HOSTILITY TO EVERY FORM OF TYRANNY OVER THE MIND OF MAN"
--Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson wasn't a religionist thug who tried to coerce others into parroting his faith by wearing rabbinical plumage. He encouraged others to seek and observe self-evident Truth for themselves.
I don't suppose you attend Westboro, do you? I've always imagined that place is something like the twilight zone. Which I believe is where this conversation is. Dr. Wayne Oates wrote some really relevant books about this kind of thing.
But, you keep mentioning ELCA, so I imagine you are either present or former ELCA.