American Christianity? Hey you haters, Glenn Beck’s in good company. Get over it!

If you have forgotten, here’s a few reminders of the ‘religious’ influence on America’s founding that the skeptics cannot deny…1st off some original supreme court justice comments….and then some from our founding fathers

“There never has been a period of history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation.”

“It yet remains a problem to be solved in human affairs, whether any free government can be permanent, where the public worship of God, and the support of religion constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state in any assignable shape.”

“The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects [denominations] and to prevent any national ecclesiastical patronage of the national government.”

“There is not a truth to be gathered from history more certain, or more momentous, than this: that civil liberty cannot long be separated from religious liberty without danger, and ultimately without destruction to both. Wherever religious liberty exists, it will, first or last, bring in and establish political liberty.”

= = = = = = =

Others said…

John Quincy Adams, the 6th President, said, “I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.”

Christopher Columbus wrote of his trip, “There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures, a strong and clear testimony from the 44 books of the Old Testament, from the four Gospels, and from the 23 Epistles of the blessed Apostles, encouraging me continually to press forward, and without ceasing for a moment they now encourage me to make haste.”

Remember the Constitution of the State of Delaware 1776 stated: “Article XXII Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust…shall…make and subscribe to the following declaration, to wit: ‘I , do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore, I do acknowledge the holy scripture of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.’”

Or…Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the U.S. who said: “I believe the Holy Scriptures, and whoso lives by them will be benefited thereby. Men may differ as to the interpretation, which is human, but the Scriptures are man’s best guide…”

Or…Warren Gamaliel Harding, 29th President of the U.S. who said, “I have always believed in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, whereby they have become the expression to man of the Word and Will of God.”

Or…Rutherford Birchard Hayes, the 19th President of the U.S., who declared, “I am a firm believer in the Divine teachings, perfect example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I believe also in the Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God to the world for its enlightenment and salvation.”

Or… Andrew Jackson on the 7th President of the U.S., who said, “The book, Sir, is the Rock upon which our republic rests.” A few days before his death, Andrew Jackson, said, “Sir, I am in the hands of a merciful God. I have full confidence in His goodness and mercy…The Bible is true. I have tried to conform to its spirit as near as possible. Upon that sacred volume I rest my hope for eternal salvation, through the merits and blood of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Or…John Jay was the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and was concurrently president of the American Bible Society.

Or…Daniel Webster, a U.S. Congressman, a US Senator, and Secretary of State who stated, “If there is anything in my thoughts or style commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

Or…Noah Webster, the author of the first edition of his American Dictionary of the English Language in November, 1828: “Education is useless without the Bible.” “The Bible was America’s basic text book in all fields.” “God’s word, contained in the bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct.”

Or…Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U.S., who said, “There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as a President, but I expect to find the solution to those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God.”

Or…Samuel Adams, known as the “Father of the American Revolution” and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who declared, “I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler…that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the prince of Peace.”

Or… Alexander Hamilton, was a signer of the Constitution, and his dying words were:
“I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to him for mercy; pray for me.”

Or…Patrick Henry who boldly declared, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Or…Richard Henry Lee was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and was both a Congressman and a Senator and on November 1, 1777 recommended a resolution setting apart: “Thursday, the 18th of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise, that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere acknowledgments and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favor, and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance.”

Or….Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the U.S., who admonished, “The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.”

Or…Charles Cotesworth Pinckney who was a signer of the Constitution and said,
“Blasphemy against the Almighty is denying His being or providence, or uttering contemptuous reproaches on our Savior Christ. It is punished, at common law by fine and imprisonment, for Christianity is part of the laws of the land.”

Or…Benjamin Rush who was a physician, signer of the Declaration of Independence, “father of public schools” and a principle promoter of the American Sunday School Union. This Benjamin Rush humorously described himself: “I have alternately been called an Aristocrat and a Democrat. I am neither. I am a Chistocrat.”

Or…Roger Sherman, who was the only one of the Founding Fathers to sign all four of the major founding documents (The Articles of Association, The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution) wrote the following: “I believe that God having elected some of mankind to eternal life, did send his own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners and thus to lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind, so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the gospel offer…”

Remember….The Continental Congress issued the First national Proclamation of Thanksgiving on November 1, 1777 that included the following paragraph: “That it may please Him, to prosper the trade and manufactures of the people, and the labor of the husbandman, that our land may yet yield its increase; to take school and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty, virtue and piety, under His nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth ‘in righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.’”

Or…General Robert E. Lee who said, “There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible Word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”

Or…Abraham Lincoln who said, on March 30, 1863: “Whereas, the Senate of the U.S. devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God in all affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation: And whereas, it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord: And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisement in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?”
Please stop trying to deny our history!!!! Thoughts?

Also I don't agree with everything he (or any one else for that matter) says, but he is right in principle...

Additionally please remember there is other evidence including:

# Emblazoned over the Speaker of the House in the US Capitol are the words "In God We Trust."
# The Supreme Court building built in the 1930's has carvings of Moses and the Ten Commandments.
# God is mentioned in stone all over Washington D.C., on its monuments and buildings.
# As a nation, we have celebrated Christmas to commemorate the Savior's birth for centuries.
# Oaths in courtrooms have invoked God from the beginning.
# The founding fathers often quoted the Bible in their writings.
# Every president that has given an inaugural address has mentioned God in that speech.
# Prayers have been said at the swearing in of each president.
# Each president was sworn in on the Bible, saying the words, "So help me God."
# Our national anthem mentions God.
# The liberty bell has a Bible verse engraved on it.
# The original constitution of all 50 states mentions God.
# Chaplains have been in the public payroll from the very beginning.
# Our nations birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence, mentions God four times.
# The Bible was used as a textbook in the schools.



[edit on 30-8-2010 by OldThinker]

Yes, it is generally understood that early civilization, pre-science era was generally a religious lot, from the burning of the witches and all...great, wonderful

also, they were slave owners...does that mean since they owned slaves, slave owning is a great thing?

Also, they made sure women knew their place, being barefoot and pregnant..make me a pie!

Why is this even a issue? the founding fathers and other early americans were not Gods...they were some angry rebel politicians..their conspiracy paid off and they somehow managed to break from the crown...

If I were to run for president today, I would also goto a church, and talk now and then about God (a christian god of course)...because the average joe has a basic faith also in a deity...most familys innundate their children with deity worship all their life, so you gotta win their votes...the age of spiritual reason is not here, so you gotta humor the superstitious majority.

Keep religion out of politics...muslims are breeding like rabbits..100 years from now, the majority religion may be muslims (if the age of reason doesn't kick in soon) and then america will be islam because of the earlier apes pushing for state sponsored religion...we dont want a theocracy!!!

Hmm. I thought it was pretty clear for a long time that the founding fathers were religious, or at least theists. Of course, most of your quotes did not come from founding fathers.

I think it is irellevant. The constitution is pretty straightforward in saying there shall be NO state religion nor any law prohibiting the free excersize of any religion. Unless we are all supposed to suddenly turn our back on the concept of a free thinking melting pot of peoples and suddenly support a government for the people, of the people, by the church in the name of the lord, I find this whole argument to be moot.

Regardless of the personal beliefs of dead men, or countries laws are based on the words of a document and the influence of MODERN culture.

God may have been an influential force in guiding our nation in it's infancy, however, in my opinion, it should NOT be used to abuse the other rights that we have as Americans.

Unbridled religious fanaticism is one of the contributing factors in the demise of this great nation. GOD HELP US ALL.

reply to post by SaturnFX



SaturnFX,

Good thoughts, thank you.

Please explain "pre-science"

OT

[color=414141]^stars for ET, please?^^^
reply to post by OldThinker


i'm watching Glenn Beck right now on FOX.
[color=414141]sex
i can't stand the guy, so i'm sitting.

"It took me about a year to start hating the victims of 9-11"
- Glenn Beck

not your average ovis aries,
et
[color=414141]^stars please?

[edit on 30-8-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

reply to post by rogerstigers



Thank you rogerstigers...

Please expound on the "irrelevant" point....I am having difficulty understanding, I'm old btw

OT

Originally posted by SaturnFXKeep religion out of politics...muslims are breeding like rabbits..100 years from now, the majority religion may be muslims (if the age of reason doesn't kick in soon) and then america will be islam because of the earlier apes pushing for state sponsored religion...we dont want a theocracy!!!

I don't, personally, believe it will get that far. The problem with this is that culture wars between religions never work unless the religions are peacefully converted. Everytime forceful conversaion has happened it merely hardened the insurgency. By contrast, when the Romans capture a place, they let the people keep their religions and slowly integrated them into the overall religion.

The same could be said for early Christians. They would subtely adopt the pagan holidays and celebrate them as Christian holidays. Before you knew it, everyone was de-facto Christians.

I just don't see the american people acquiescing their land and culture to Islam or to Mexico, or China, or anything else for that matter. We are too lazy a people to care enough to convert. Only the loudmouths get heard, that's why there are so many recognizable evangelicals... Squeeky wheels and all that.

Originally posted by ~Vixen~
God may have been an influential force in guiding our nation in it's infancy, however, in my opinion, it should NOT be used to abuse the other rights that we have as Americans....

To me this in an obvious point...relevancy?

OT thinks that was the plan of those rich guys who gave it all up and set a structure in place to prevent that

I dunno?

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher



911 Quote? Context?

Please don't leave us/the reader hanging....

Originally posted by OldThinker
reply to post by rogerstigers

 

Thank you rogerstigers...

Please expound on the "irrelevant" point....I am having difficulty understanding, I'm old btw

OT

No problem, OT... basically this country is by its nature a living creature that changes with the times. Our culture drives our values, not the other way around. Used to be that electric guitars were the weapons of the devil. Now they are just another musical instrument. It also used to be that a good work ethic was a virtue and was rewarded. Now it is just a way to get stuck working long hours on a salary and getting no recognition. The religious viewpoints of our founding fathers are not pertinant to modern life in the US. I think they would have wanted it that way.

Originally posted by ~Vixen~


Unbridled religious fanaticism is one of the contributing factors in the demise of this great nation. GOD HELP US ALL.

YEP!

That's the point the founding Christian guys were trying to prevent, you see that right?

OT

reply to post by rogerstigers



Granted they were humble men....


I do believe, however, there was intent...for sustainability tho...

but I do see your point, thx!

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher


Stars?



You can have a 1000 from me, if you can convince the mods

Just kiddin

911 quote?

Originally posted by OldThinker
reply to post by Esoteric Teacher

 

911 Quote? Context?

Please don't leave us/the reader hanging....

here ya go:

Glenn Beck threatens to kill Michael Moore, and talks about hiring someone to do it, on air

also:


[edit on 30-8-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher



ET, you provided that kinda quick?

ru watching him as a media/beck critic, or just a typical TV watcher/ATS poster? hmm?


Could you provide any other quick youtubes that he explains what he said?

Smells fishy to OT

[edit on 30-8-2010 by OldThinker]

Originally posted by OldThinker

ru watching him as a media/beck critic, or just a typical TV watcher/ATS poster? hmm?

Could you provide any other quick youtubes that he explains what he said?

Smells fishy to OT

I've recently been reviewing Glenn Beck video clips and researching related material for a thread for videos concerning Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor 8-28 rally. www.abovetopsecret.com...

My personal opinions regarding Glenn Beck's message and tactics is well documented here on ATS, i'm sure.

But, just because i have picked my side of the fence, does not mean i am not open minded enough to listen to what is being said from the other side of that fence.

not your typical ovis aries,
ET

[edit on 30-8-2010 by Esoteric Teacher]

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher


That's what makes American great! Nice to meet you



Thoughts on the OP quotes?

OT

Originally posted by OldThinker

Thoughts on the OP quotes?

you offer up some of my personal favorites.

yet, there are still quotes from our founding fathers that i find to be somewhat ...cryptic..

"America is not a nation of men. It is a nation of laws."
-George Washington