Friday, July 20, 2007

Lessons of Bush and the past unheeded as increasing numbers want Separation of Church and state Erased!

Lessons of Bush and the past unheeded as increasing numbers want Separation of Church and state Erased saying it never existed nor was it intended too. I would like your thoughts on this. It is very convoluted!
It is unbelievable to me too hear that the nightmare Bush has created with his purposeful infusion of his perverted Religion into our Government is not noticed by and even wanted an ever increasing number of Americans and they do not see the tremendous damage Bush and past Presidents that did this have done to the Constitution and to America. Increasing numbers are calling for the removal of Separation of Church and State and hoping to see a return to good sense I am amazed to see this happening as I expected and want just the opposite.
We cannot let this happen. It will complete the downfall of "our America" and seal the nightmare Bush is creating in his new America. Remember this and then the following cries for the removal of Separation of church and State will be put in context and be more disturbing. We cannot let this happen.
We all know of Bush's abuse and misuse of Religion in his misadministration. The president's infusion of Christian fundamentalism is destroying America as we know it. Unbridled religiosity is the most dangerous weapon in the world, whether it's Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. It does not matter.
The president likes to talk about the Islamists hijacking their religion and Islam. He has done the same thing to Christianity and America! They are playing the same game! My only concern is for truth, honesty, justice, and the American way and we do not get any of it from this administration. It has struck me why as I read a story about Richard Nixon's abuse of Religion for his political gain as Bush is fond of doing. I can't believe people can want more of either of those terrible examples.
With Bush we have unbridled, perverted, abused, misused, Religiosity being pushed by Bush and his warped sense of Christian fundamentalism and corrupt democracy just for his own political gain. The worse part is that Bush has hijacked Christianity and America and is in control of the (for now), most powerful country on the planet.
I thought this was very unique to George W. and very distasteful indeed! In light of the fact that Ford set a powerful example with his own Presidency insisting on keeping his Religion to himself and believing in separation of Church and State I did not understand Bush's perversion of Christianity only for political gain. We can never know the real story about a President's faith. We only know what he does—or refuses to do—in God's name.
Voters were unwilling to forgive Gerald Ford for his great act of forgiveness the unconditional pardon of Richard Nixon and I was one of them, thinking it was purely political. But there was another side to the pardon, the presidency and the 1976 campaign that received much less attention, in part because Ford wanted it that way. The contest between Ford and Jimmy Carter was a battle between two born-again Christians—but only one was willing to run as one. I never really realized that about Ford and that is as it should be. A truly strong man keeps his Religious beliefs to himself.
One of his first acts as President was some spiritual housecleaning. Among the more ingeniously cynical inventions of the Nixon Administration was the much publicized White House Church Service, which in addition to providing genuine fellowship for those so inclined, was a prime tool for image building, fund raising, arm twisting and deal making for the President's men. http://www.time.com/...
It appalls me that Bush had such a fine example of how to conduct himself and separation of church and State in President Ford and he opted instead to follow the example of Nixon's failed misadministration did only for their political gain. Knowing that Cheney was in that mess too and that many of us believe Cheney is behind this misadministration I find it telling that once again Religion has been perverted and misused for political gain. Is Cheney the common nut behind the wheel?
Anyway I find it very disturbing that knowing the problems of blurring or erasing the line of separation between Church and State, there is a growing number calling for Christianity not influencing as is fine but running America and want it removed altogether saying it is wrong and never existed.
On Anderson Cooper last night they said that In the beginning, there was a wall, a mighty barrier built by the founding fathers to separate church and state, block one from meddling in the affairs of the other. In school, we are taught that's what makes our country special. But what if that wall never existed? What if it's a myth conjured up in our lifetime to mask a greater truth, that America was conceived as a Christian nation?
It was! When I was researching for a book I ran into the statement Ronald Reagan used once in referencing America as the shining City on a hill. I found it when researching the morality influencing America at the time of our founding. It was a reference to our Christian roots and that America was designed so when God had his return he would feel right at home in the United States.
I understand we swear on a Bible in court, etc., and that In God we trust is not only on our money as I feel it should be but that thought heavily influences us but that should not mean that our country should be run by Christian beliefs or that it ever was. If I remember correctly it was the Calvinist's and born again Christians that did indeed influence our founding but I never thought Christian beliefs blatantly and overtly ran our country. Any Religion's positive influence is fine but not its open advocating to solely govern America. We must keep Religion separate for what seems to me to be very obvious reasons not just her but look at Iraq and middle east countries.
The arguments I kept reading over and over got more confusing every time I looked at them. There are some powerful arguments on both sides of this issue. Myself I believe Thomas Jefferson's interpretation of Separation of Church and State. I do though recommend you too give a quick look at the growing effort to say it never existed and to return "God" to running America. I would like to hear what you think once you read the strong argument made on Anderson Cooper.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/...

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com

5 comments:

Larry said...

Jim:

Go to Lydia Cornell's blog and read the latest article.

jmsjoin said...

Larry
That's funny, I was going there after I checked things out here. See you there.

Larry said...

I think Reagan hooked up with the Falwell's and the Robertson's to gain his throne, who in turn used Reagan and the neocons to gain political and financial favor.

Bush has taken this to en entire new level.

I doubt the God I know, would tell a madman to incite wars, mass deaths, lies, corruption and deprive the poor of homes and food.

This has given the term Church and State a bad name.

jmsjoin said...

Larry
Of corse you are entirely right about Reagan, Falwell, and sadly the still unfolding nightmare to the world, Bush.
One site I Blogged on for quite a while was rife with rabid Right Wingers. Some are very ignorant and foul mouthed.
One in particular thisk the idiot Bush is a God to be revered. She routinely said bush was bringing about the end of days and she was ready was I? Bull I am!
I believe you pointed it out yesterday but she always stressed we can not be Christians or believe in God because we are Democrats. So I always pointed out the lying corrupt Born agains in this misAdministration and that all those perverted priests must be Republicans.

enigma4ever said...

Nixon I think used religion to get to power, catering to certain masses, but more concerning is that Bush is "governing by listening the Voice of God"..now persoally I think he just has Voices in his head that he hears....but also the piety and the righteousness feeds his arrogant power hunger....it is truly horrendous wher religion enters the Political arena the way it has in the past 10 years.....the founding fathers were not Christians and believed in seperation of Church and State....okay I will stop rambling....

great post...thank you for remembering history...keep blogging it...