On Nov 25, 10:37*am, BeamMeUpScotty
wrote:
On 11/24/2011 11:52 PM, John Smith wrote:
On 11/24/2011 7:07 PM, Bret Cahill wrote:
On Thanksgiving Day, Americans gather with their family and
friends to
celebrate the blessings that Providence has bestowed on their
beloved
country.
A deep appreciation of these blessings involves understanding that
they were earned. *It is to understand the awesome truth of how "God
helps those who help themselves" applies to the Mayflower
Pilgrims and
their First Thanksgiving at America's birth.
This is an appreciation and understanding of which those on the Left
are incapable - for it would mean celebrating the capitalist freedom
that made that original Thanksgiving possible. *This no liberal, no
Democrat, no leftie can do. *Thus they must distort history instead.
The distortion starts in Kindergarten, with the childish
make-believe
of your kid's school play portraying the noble Squanto teaching the
helpless Pilgrims how to feed themselves. *So let's drop the curtain
on the distortion and watch the real thing. *Here it is.
http://www.ToThePointNews.com/content/view/4762/2/
Written by Dr. Jack Wheelerwww.ToThePointNews.com
Dr. Wheeler needs to know that God help those who can't help
themselves which is what he did on the cross. *Man had no hope, but
God intervened and took the penalty for all sin. *Now, all man has to
do is believe and he is forgiven of all sin.
The first Thanksgiving was all about giving thanks to God for his
many
blessings he had given the Pilgrims as they crossed the sea and
afterwards when they had established homes in the Cape Cod area. *The
first Thanksgiving was a prayfull three day celebration.
What Tracey won't talk about is that the Mayflower Compact prescribed
a socialist style of property distribution and socialist government..
Yep, our once great nation started out as a socialist colony. *Both
the early Virginians and the Plymouth settlers subscribed to
socialism.
And it worked.
Separation of church and state got started with the pilgrims.
Bret Cahill
Yet We have settled for keeping the Federal government out of
religion.....
The word *separate* is NOT used in the constitution to describe the
relationship between government and religion.
Just the more powerful term "establishment."
Bret Cahill
Oh, I think "we" have ... take marriage for example, given to Adam and
Eve by God ... the government simply has no right to redefine it ... and
Yes they do ignore the constitution that tells government to stay out of
the "business" of religion. My point was that "we" The People decided in
the constitution that "congress shall NOT establish a National religion"
*but there is NOTHING written in the constitution saying that religions
can't be present in government.
The constitution powers/laws limit government, they're NOT there to
limit religion.- Hide quoted text -
The constitution defines the govenment and endows the various branches
of government, state and federal, with certain powers. The definition
and powers division were drafted at the contitutional convention and
ratified by all the states. The Bill of Rights limits the exercise of
governmental power somewhat, but, then, so did the Magna Carta.
Religion appears twice in the constitution. Once in Article VI, "The
Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the
several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers,
both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by
Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious
Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public
Trust under the United States."
And in the first Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances."
In fact, religious practice is limited and the intention was to limit
religion and its insideous incursion in government. The Founding
Fathers were well aware of the evils wrought by a state religion
whether in England or in the United States and wanted to make certain
that no religion was licensed as "official" (that's what an
"establishment" is, an official licensed religion -- look it up), and
that the federal government would not be compelled by any state to
recognize a state religion establishment. Hence, the wording of the
amendment (which went through several drafts before being finalized).
Not only would the federal government be prohibited from establishing
a religion, it would not respect or acknowledge any establishment of
religion by any state or territory.
If you don't think there is a limit to religious practice in the
United States, hang a witch, as they were prone to do a century before
the constituition was ratified, and see what happens. The Founding
Fathers -- at least Madison, Washington, Hamilton and a few others,
were not devotees of established religions. They tended to look on all
that with a jaundiced eye, even while they may have had their own,
private beliefs. Madison wanted all references to religion expunged
from government and wanted the government to run as if religion did
not exist. Washington wasn't far tfrom that view, nor was Franklin,
although Franklin never saw it as an issue so significant it should
cause much bother. Slavery was much more inportant in his viewpoint.
Let me ask you something. Just where would you draw the line? If
Government can play with the exercise of religion, where should it
stop?