Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Ask God -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PROLIFE who wrote (27691)	10/10/1999 11:13:00 PM
From: mark silvers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39621

Dan, Some of the Founding Fathers were Christian, Some weren't. They all decided that this country was to not have an official religion. So what does it matter what religion any of them were? This country is not a Christian country and it is not founded on Christian principles. I can show you a legal document signed by a Founding Father that says so. You can show me that some Founding Fathers believed in Christianity. I can show you others didn't, and that some who profess to have believed were at the very least willing to trash it privately. Mark

To: PROLIFE who wrote (27691)	10/11/1999 9:12:00 AM
From: Brumar89	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 39621

Dan, I have a great respect for the founding fathers. They did a great job (not perfect, but still great). Some of them were deists. Most were probably Christians at least in name. Even Jefferson, who clearly stated in personal letters that he didn't believe in the divinity of Christ, wrote that he considered himself a Christian. However, I can't see what influence Christianity had on them that guided them in their political / public lives. Christianity had ruled Europe for 1400 years and it had never created anything there remotely similar to what the founding fathers created here. The only political theory that I am aware of being promoted by Christians prior to the establishment of the United States was the divine right of kings. Christian churches have not generally been democratic institutions - though a few denominations are today. Most Christians, then as now, probably considered the total depravity of humans a basic point of faith. Why would people believing thus devise a system of government which gave the reins of power to the depraved populace, most of whom did not even belong to a church? Note I am not saying that I am opposed to the idea that the founding fathers were influenced in their political decisions by their religious beliefs. I'm saying I don't see that they were. I am open to explanations. What specific features of our system of government (respresentative democracy, separation of powers, freedom of press, speech, association, religion, etc. etc.) did they derive from their religious beliefs? Thinking about it some more as I type I suppose one could say that the history of religious wars in Europe could have convinced the founding fathers that religion should not be established here. I guess that's an influence of a sort. Bruce