..."I looked up Sheri's blog today and all I got were these stupid links"...
I know. I know. But when tied together they really do make sense. I think. I hope.
I'm just very tired, sad, concerned and frankly filled with trepidation about things people around me say, think, pass on regarding America One Nation Under GOD and close on the heels of that, the "facts" that we, as a Christian nation, know about the religion of Islam.
I grew up Lutheran. I've never done a study on Islam. I'm as ignorant as the next Americano. But common sense tells me that if something is true for a huge number of Christians (like- they're not all the same and don't even agree on most things most of the time- hence the many many different types of Christian churches), then, mayhaps, just mayhaps it works the same way for Islam.
But first and foremost, we're sitting on American soil, breathing American air and eating American food. That part's incontestable, since we're all so damn unhealthy from the fast food we'll all be dead long before any Muslim terrorist gets us.
Here's what it says 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".
NO LAW respecting an establishment of religion OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Pretty straightforward. No Official American Religion- the founding fathers were ESCAPING religious persecution and wanted to make sure it never happened to anyone else. Got it.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA- Our Founding Fathers were good upstanding Christians- you said so right up there ^^^ all that mess about them not wanting to be persecuted."
Well, yes and no. Some were, some weren't, but they ALL agreed, nay felt passionately that Church and State were to be at all times separate.
http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Was_the_United_States_founded_on_Christianity%3F
"But wait. Right in the Pledge of Allegiance it says "God". Why is THAT written that way unless we are to worship and follow the God of the Bible?"
Well, here's the thing. It wasn't. It was changed, and if you read about the author, he'da been mighty pissed about the change in the wording. All the changes in wording that've occurred as a matter of fact- he took great care to condense it according to our founding fathers' vision for this country and one of his main concerns (as was theirs) was that some one religion or special interest group shove through stuff that shouldn't be there. Like god.
http://www.oldtimeislands.org/pledge/pledge.htm
"OK. Whatever. But right on alot of our public government buildings, right next to the (new) Pledge of Allegiance are the Ten Commandments- those are from the bible- I'm sure of it."
Yes. Yes they are, and they were carved in stone long after the founding fathers were gone. Because they didn't want them there.
http://www.au-ma.org/TenReasons.html
"Fine. USA not technically a Christian Nation. You win. BUT those Muslims- their whole holy-book thingie teaches them to Die for Islam- to wage Holy War against anyone not Muslim- it's true. I seen it on the interwebs and on the TV. OUR bible teaches love, and compassion and peace."
Ummm. No. Not really. Here's where that whole "if all Christians are not the same then it stands to reason that all Muslims are not the same." Also a big dose of "lets not take things out of context".
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/1086.htm
"But wait- They ARE training their babies to die for Islam and be terrorists- see?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTAn0UTcCU&feature=related
Nope. Can't argue with that. It's horrifying. How could any peaceloving GOOD religion encourage its babies to die for it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97NFNXk8aFc
"Hmmm....OUR Bible camp isn't like that. And anyway, those kids don't have real guns and aren't playacting terrorist acts. Surely they'll grow up and see it was meant as a metaphor".
Ah. Yes. Of course. Like these Christians-
http://www.godhatesfags.com/
"Hold up there, Missy- those are NOT Christians in MY book- they are a tiny percentage of hate-filled wackos who've perverted the Bible to their own vicious purposes- they do NOT speak for the majority of Christians".
*Exactly*
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