History Lesson - The Christian Myth

Many of the religious right believe the wall seperating church and state is being distorted today from their original intent. This quote from Tom Delay typifies their stance:

"I blame Congress over the last fifty to a hundred years for not standing up and taking its responsibility given to it by the Constitution. The reason the judiciary has been able to impose a separation of church and state that’s nowhere in the Constitution is that Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had judicial review is because Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had a right to privacy is because Congress didn’t stop them." -- Tom DeLay

I'm going to ignore the "right to privacy" comment for the time being, although it is just as erroneous. What this posting will attempt to do is shed some light on the first amendment and the Founding Fathers' intent. First, let's look at what the first ammendment actually says:

Amendment I

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.

There is a growing movement in this country by the right to establish a "Christian Nation". Missouri recently passed a resolution stating that Christianity is the majority religion of the state (true) and that the US Government is founded on Christian principles (false). This is not the first. Texas has also passed similar resolutions.

The founding fathers did not found the government on Christian principles. I have never seen "In Christ We Trust" written on our money. In fact they left us with many indications that their intent was for government to be religiously neutral:

The Treaty of Tripoli was written under Washington and signed under Adams (no doubt both are considered "Founding Fathers"). Adams even went to the unusual length of personally reading it aloud to a joint session of congress, and issued a press release about it's contents. The treaty was ratified unanimously 23 - 0 by the Senate (3 Senators were not present for the vote, there is no historical indicators that this was in protest). There was absolutely no controversy surrounding this treaty. The part relevent to this discussion is article 11 which reads:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Imagine trying to pass a resolution like that in todays Republican controlled congress. It would be political suicide. In a fashion that can only be called "Orwellian", the right has been re-writing history to their liking. Many of the colonies may have been settled by Puritans, but that was not the basis for the government.

It is true that the Declaration of Independence refers to "Nature's God" and a person's "Creator". This did not mean the Christian god, but whatever god you choose to believe in, or in no god at all. The important thing about the line "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights" is that man is created with these rights. That is, they are not given by the state, and thus cannot be revoked by the state. These rights of man are just there and it is beyond the ability of any man or group of men to take them away. This can be contrasted to the Soviet Constitution where the rights are a gift to man from the state. in that case, the state can take them away.

How can I make these claims about the Founding Father's intent? They told us their views. in Benjamin Franklin's autobiography he states:

"My parents had given me betimes religions impressions, and I received from my infancy a pious education in the principles of Calvinism. But scarcely was I arrived at fifteen years of age, when, after having doubted in turn of different tenets, according as I found them combated in the different books that I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself" (Autobiography, p. 66).

Thomas Jefferson states:

Christianity...(has become) the most perverted system that ever shone on man. ...Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and importers led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus.

AND

I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth.

John Adams states:

Where do we find a precept in the Bible for Creeds, Confessions, Doctrines and Oaths, and whole carloads of other trumpery that we find religion encumbered with in these days?

AND

The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.

Thomas Paine's assessment:

I would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching His name to that book (the Bible).Among the most detestable villains in history, you could not find one worse than Moses. Here is an order, attributed to 'God' to butcher the boys, to massacre the mothers and to debauch and rape the daughters. I would not dare so dishonor my Creator's name by (attaching) it to this filthy book (the Bible).It is the duty of every true Deist to vindicate the moral justice of God against the evils of the Bible.Accustom a people to believe that priests and clergy can forgive sins...and you will have sins in abundance.The Christian church has set up a religion of pomp and revenue in pretended imitation of a person (Jesus) who lived a life of poverty.

As you can see the assertion by the religious right that the country is founded on Christian principles is a pure myth. To say otherwise is simply to lie. To do so in a government setting is actually breaking the 9th Commandment "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor".