[Vision2020] and speaking of religion in public places

[Paul Rumelhart]

I think the point that Mr. Sali is missing is that the Founding Fathers 
were escaping religious persecution themselves.  Thus, they had the 
presence of mind to think past their own situation and to construct a 
government where no religion can have undue influence upon it - even 
their own. 

Mr. Sali needs to think beyond the present.  When he says he wants 
Congress to pray to the God of the Bible, he means HIS God of the 
Bible.  What if a Christian sect that he despises takes power?  What if 
other nations declare us a Christian country and decide to declare holy 
war upon us?  What happens if someone who is not a member of that faith 
is drafted?  He or she is put in the curious position of being forced to 
fight for a God they don't believe in.  All this crosses the (in my 
opinion) very clear line that has been drawn very carefully by people 
who were very aware of what they were doing.  All so Mr. Sali can feel 
righteous while at work.  Is he incapable of praying alone without guidance?

It's my belief that the Founding Fathers would vote against such a 
measure if they were still with us.  To follow his line of thinking is 
to disrespect the ability they had to look beyond themselves when 
setting up our government.  Our greatness as a country today is a direct 
result of that wisdom. 

Paul

Mark Solomon wrote:
> Here is Bill Sali in today's Lewiston Tribune. If there's someone 
> other than G_d that he listens to, will they please tell him that many 
> religions share the same principles such as peace and compassion?
>
> "when principles outside of the Judeo-Christian tradition begin to be 
> promoted within Congress, we should all recognize that the government 
> given to us by the Founding Fathers will be at risk."
>
> m.
>
> ******
>
> Turnabout: Congress should pray to God of the Bible
>
> Bill Sali
>
> Sunday, August 26, 2007
>
> This nation was founded on the principle of freedom of religion - a 
> principle that I emphatically embrace and have taken an oath to 
> defend. But our nation's freedom of religion does not mean, as some 
> history revisionists would like us to believe, that our Founding 
> Fathers weren't religious, nor that they didn't embrace Christian 
> principles. They most certainly did. The Founders recognized that "it 
> is impossible to rightly govern the without God and the Bible." It is 
> unfortunate those words, which come directly from George Washington, 
> would be deemed narrow-minded or bigoted if they were spoken today.
>
> James Madison and John Adams would also be viewed as bigoted. Madison 
> spoke of how the Almighty had extended his hand at critical stages of 
> the American Revolution, allowing our nation to survive and thrive.
>
> Adams wrote, "The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved 
> independence ... were the general principals of Christianity. ... I 
> will avow that I believed and now believe that those general 
> principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the 
> existence and attributes of God."
>
> Was Benjamin Franklin culturally insensitive when he noted that it was 
> difficult to imagine that our country could have come into being 
> without the guidance, influence and governance of God? Franklin wrote 
> that the Founders had "daily prayers for divine protection," and that 
> their prayers were "graciously answered."
>
> "I have lived a long time," Franklin wrote, "and the longer I live, 
> the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs the 
> affairs of men! And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his 
> notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?"
>
> And when I say that continued reliance on Christian principles have 
> benefited this country in its past and will in its future, you need 
> only look to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln urged "intelligence, patriotism, 
> Christianity and a firm reliance on him" to get our country through 
> our country's darkest hour, the Civil War.
>
> He made a promise to God that once Union soldiers won the battle at 
> Antietam, he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the 
> slaves. And he did.
>
> Trib Biz Directory
> I'm sorry that my comments in support of my faith have been taken 
> grossly out of context. But I'm not sorry to defend my faith, nor 
> should I be.
>
> I believe it is important to reach out to the hand of God for guidance 
> and his protective hand and continued blessings upon our country. That 
> is something that I do each morning and each night. I believe the 
> invocation in Congress is an important matter and that we ought reach 
> out to the God of the Bible, because it is he who continues to allow 
> this country to prosper and he is responsible for the country's longevity.
>
> That is what I was trying to convey in the radio interview a couple of 
> weeks ago. It was difficult to do that in a limited amount of time. I 
> suppose I could have done a better job explaining my position, but I 
> also think it is wrong to take one small part of that interview and 
> claim that is the whole of my position.
> The Judeo-Christian principles on which our republic was founded can 
> be embraced, defended and practiced by people of any faith. Anyone 
> doing so will find an ally in me. But when principles outside of the 
> Judeo-Christian tradition begin to be promoted within Congress, we 
> should all recognize that the government given to us by the Founding 
> Fathers will be at risk. That should give every American serious pause.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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