American Politics & Religion
U.S.A. Founded on what?
It
is interesting for me to listen to a lot of republicans, especially the
far right like the tea party. Many of them actually argue with me that
the Constitution and this country were founded on (Judea)Christian
values, because most of the original Amendments reflect off of the 10
Commandments. So they do. For example, homicide (murder, killing,
manslaughter, etc) as well as theft (even petty) are both illegal.
Adultery and sodomy are grounds for divorce, though it is not really
defined in the U.S. Constitution.
Thing is, the Bill of Rights, or the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution, don't really have much to "do" with Biblical values. Lets check these out.
1) The government is not allowed to restrict how or what faith we practice, infringe on free speech or press, to peacefully assemble, nor to petition our government.
2) We are entitled an organized "militia" and not abridge our right to bear arms.
3) We have the right to our own homes, w/o the military barging in to take over during peace nor wartime.
4) The right to keep our private matters private, unless there is a probable cause (and a warrant) to search/seize our possessions.
5) We have the right NOT to incriminate ourselves.
6) The right to a speedy trial, with a jury of our peers, and if we cannot afford representation, one will be appointed to you.
7) Civil suits are excused from the jury.
8) We get a fair bail and sentencing, not to be overdone or overly excessive.
9) Certain rights cannot be taken away by the constitution.
10) The individual states have a certain amount of sovereignty under the constitution, so as to the fact that the U.S. can't restrict individual State rights to govern it's own people.
Let us see what we are comparing, since the Bill of Rights sets the stage for the Constitution and American Law, so then the Ten Commandments are also the basis for the faithful laws that are included in the Bible.
Here are the Ten Commandments, for which the rest of the laws and bylaws of our faith are derived and supported from:
1) The God of Egypt is the God. Put Him first!
2) No idol worship - do not put people or things above God.
3) Keep His Name Holy in your mouth.
4) Just as God rested on the 7th day, keep the Sabbath Holy.
5) Respect your parents.
6) No murdering!
7) No cheating on your spouse!
8) No stealing!
9) Do not lie about other people.
10) Don't be jealous of others, keeping up with the Jone's is not becoming.
Now, lets see here... I don't know about you, but, the two lists don't even look the same. The 1st Amendment says I get to be Lutheran, you get to be what ever faith you are, Paul Ryan gets to be Catholic, Mitt Romney gets to be Mormon. So we all get to worship (or not) the way we feel fit for ourselves. The Bible's first says put God first. You get the picture of where we are going...
Aside from the fact that Amendments 6 & 7 are the basis for our Miranda Rights, Deuteronomy 17:6 in theAmerican King James Version states "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" and there is another that reiterates that. But, this, of course is meaning that we obey the commandment not to lie about others.
So the oath to tell nothing but the truth is not saying that you are necessarily Christan nor Jewish. Yet it's amazing at how many of these people say that we are a Christian Nation, that they are very Christian and "libtards are evil", yet are against "redistribution of wealth". Yet in Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke12:33, the way to truly follow Jesus Christ is to give your possessions and money to the poor (and undiscriminating at that), so you have a place in Heaven. The Bible also says that the meek will inherit the earth.
Do we see anywhere in the constitution about the meek ruling our country? No. Only the welcoming sign of the Statue of Liberty welcomes the poor, the tired to come rest here.
Thing is, the Bill of Rights, or the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution, don't really have much to "do" with Biblical values. Lets check these out.
1) The government is not allowed to restrict how or what faith we practice, infringe on free speech or press, to peacefully assemble, nor to petition our government.
2) We are entitled an organized "militia" and not abridge our right to bear arms.
3) We have the right to our own homes, w/o the military barging in to take over during peace nor wartime.
4) The right to keep our private matters private, unless there is a probable cause (and a warrant) to search/seize our possessions.
5) We have the right NOT to incriminate ourselves.
6) The right to a speedy trial, with a jury of our peers, and if we cannot afford representation, one will be appointed to you.
7) Civil suits are excused from the jury.
8) We get a fair bail and sentencing, not to be overdone or overly excessive.
9) Certain rights cannot be taken away by the constitution.
10) The individual states have a certain amount of sovereignty under the constitution, so as to the fact that the U.S. can't restrict individual State rights to govern it's own people.
Let us see what we are comparing, since the Bill of Rights sets the stage for the Constitution and American Law, so then the Ten Commandments are also the basis for the faithful laws that are included in the Bible.
Here are the Ten Commandments, for which the rest of the laws and bylaws of our faith are derived and supported from:
1) The God of Egypt is the God. Put Him first!
2) No idol worship - do not put people or things above God.
3) Keep His Name Holy in your mouth.
4) Just as God rested on the 7th day, keep the Sabbath Holy.
5) Respect your parents.
6) No murdering!
7) No cheating on your spouse!
8) No stealing!
9) Do not lie about other people.
10) Don't be jealous of others, keeping up with the Jone's is not becoming.
Now, lets see here... I don't know about you, but, the two lists don't even look the same. The 1st Amendment says I get to be Lutheran, you get to be what ever faith you are, Paul Ryan gets to be Catholic, Mitt Romney gets to be Mormon. So we all get to worship (or not) the way we feel fit for ourselves. The Bible's first says put God first. You get the picture of where we are going...
Aside from the fact that Amendments 6 & 7 are the basis for our Miranda Rights, Deuteronomy 17:6 in theAmerican King James Version states "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" and there is another that reiterates that. But, this, of course is meaning that we obey the commandment not to lie about others.
So the oath to tell nothing but the truth is not saying that you are necessarily Christan nor Jewish. Yet it's amazing at how many of these people say that we are a Christian Nation, that they are very Christian and "libtards are evil", yet are against "redistribution of wealth". Yet in Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke12:33, the way to truly follow Jesus Christ is to give your possessions and money to the poor (and undiscriminating at that), so you have a place in Heaven. The Bible also says that the meek will inherit the earth.
Do we see anywhere in the constitution about the meek ruling our country? No. Only the welcoming sign of the Statue of Liberty welcomes the poor, the tired to come rest here.
Faith Survey: A comparison
First
off, let us not forget, that what separates the Jewish people from the
Christians, is that the Torah, or Old Testament, is the Jewish Holy Book
called the Torah. They believe in Jesus' existence, but NOT that He is
the Messiah. They are still waiting for someone like King David.
Maybe the Second Coming of Christ will be more proactive in certain
ways, and will be one and the same with the Jewish Messiah. But I
digress...
Lets first look at the Islam religion. Sure, there are many denominations of Islam, which is not so different than the different denominations of Christianity, and some are more conservative than others. Yet many conservative Americans want to say that all Muslims are extremists and what not. The Koran, the Islamic Holy Book, shares the first 4 chapters of the Bible/Torah, so in that case, since the Ten Commandments of Exodus are also in the Koran - which the Muslims believe in. On top of which, many of the other Principals of Islam also corroborate this. Look up "The Commandments of Islam: 1ststepsinislam" and you will see that one of the principals is not to be extremist. Other principals include not oppressing others; joining - not severing ties; taking care of parentless children; projecting generosity and love, forbidding hate; practicing humility & respect; not sticking their business where it doesn't belong; commanding leniency and mercy, not harshness nor cold heartedness; infecting truth, and more... Go look it up for yourself. It's there.
Yet Christians are sometimes the most judgmental people I come across, when we need to take the logs out of our own eyes before judging the speck in others'. To not judge, unless we get judged harsher. I would like to remind all conservatives who want to judge another faith just upon the 9/11 attacks, that the group whom committed that is a small fraction, and just like not all Christians go to war over faith, as it happens in the Eastern European countries, not all Muslims are terrorists either.
Hinduism, while it states it very differently, also has many of the same principles that Christianity does, also. There are 5 principles and 10 commandments.
5 Hindu Principles:
1) God is; in Trinity and in various forms.
2) Human is Divine
3) Unity of Existence in Love
4) Religious Harmony
5) Believing in the 3 G's - the Sacred River, Script, and Mantra
The 10 Hindu Commandments:
1) Truth
2) Non-Violence
3) Celibacy/non-adultery
4) No desire to possess or steal
5) Non corrupt
6) Cleanliness
7) Contentment
8) Reading of Scriptures
9) Austerity, perseverance, penance
10) Regular prayers
While more simple and serene, you can see where this would overlap.
Shall we look at Buddhism? While it's more of a way of life, not a religion, it can work well to get your own spirituality and "zen" working together as a balance. I really think it can go well with other faiths. Since it teaches tolerance of others, as well as enlightenment, it's more of a central balance that encourages to look at the bigger picture. While it's not so easy to explain, Buddhism is about peace and natural balance, as the Constitution wanted the Sovereign rights of this colonial country, but of the state and the people, also.
Shintoism is mainly wrapped up as the "divinity-way". It's very spiritual, even more than Buddhism, in my humble opinion. The deity is primarily female, and all aspects of life are in harmony. The term "kami" is kind of a generic word for "God(s)" of all sorts, though there is one of each male and female at the top, with the female being the dominant of the two. This may surprise many, since it's traditionally a Japanese faith, adapted from China. It encourages personal faith and communal way of life. This may be a reason why a socialistic democracy works in Japan so well. They all take care of each other, and you don't find the corporate head complaining that the janitor takes too much time to take care of his ailing parents - family is the key component, and when one person suffers, the greater community also suffers. I see their belief in taking care of each other as a good thing, not a bad.
Native American spirituality is a bit more complicated to explain, though I think the simplest way to describe it is similar to Lion King's "Circle of Life" - where the top of the food chain dies, and becomes the fertilizer for the plants that the other animals eat... and that we all must accept our place, and all life is related. Often, when Native Americans cut down a tree, they plant at least 2 to take it's place, so that the natural resources don't get over used. They want to leave the planet at least as good, if not better for the next generation - a good way to practice the Golden Rule.
There are many more faiths, also, and most normal people in each faith has the code of being faithful to each other and to the earth, being a good citizen, and so much more.
Lets first look at the Islam religion. Sure, there are many denominations of Islam, which is not so different than the different denominations of Christianity, and some are more conservative than others. Yet many conservative Americans want to say that all Muslims are extremists and what not. The Koran, the Islamic Holy Book, shares the first 4 chapters of the Bible/Torah, so in that case, since the Ten Commandments of Exodus are also in the Koran - which the Muslims believe in. On top of which, many of the other Principals of Islam also corroborate this. Look up "The Commandments of Islam: 1ststepsinislam" and you will see that one of the principals is not to be extremist. Other principals include not oppressing others; joining - not severing ties; taking care of parentless children; projecting generosity and love, forbidding hate; practicing humility & respect; not sticking their business where it doesn't belong; commanding leniency and mercy, not harshness nor cold heartedness; infecting truth, and more... Go look it up for yourself. It's there.
Yet Christians are sometimes the most judgmental people I come across, when we need to take the logs out of our own eyes before judging the speck in others'. To not judge, unless we get judged harsher. I would like to remind all conservatives who want to judge another faith just upon the 9/11 attacks, that the group whom committed that is a small fraction, and just like not all Christians go to war over faith, as it happens in the Eastern European countries, not all Muslims are terrorists either.
Hinduism, while it states it very differently, also has many of the same principles that Christianity does, also. There are 5 principles and 10 commandments.
5 Hindu Principles:
1) God is; in Trinity and in various forms.
2) Human is Divine
3) Unity of Existence in Love
4) Religious Harmony
5) Believing in the 3 G's - the Sacred River, Script, and Mantra
The 10 Hindu Commandments:
1) Truth
2) Non-Violence
3) Celibacy/non-adultery
4) No desire to possess or steal
5) Non corrupt
6) Cleanliness
7) Contentment
8) Reading of Scriptures
9) Austerity, perseverance, penance
10) Regular prayers
While more simple and serene, you can see where this would overlap.
Shall we look at Buddhism? While it's more of a way of life, not a religion, it can work well to get your own spirituality and "zen" working together as a balance. I really think it can go well with other faiths. Since it teaches tolerance of others, as well as enlightenment, it's more of a central balance that encourages to look at the bigger picture. While it's not so easy to explain, Buddhism is about peace and natural balance, as the Constitution wanted the Sovereign rights of this colonial country, but of the state and the people, also.
Shintoism is mainly wrapped up as the "divinity-way". It's very spiritual, even more than Buddhism, in my humble opinion. The deity is primarily female, and all aspects of life are in harmony. The term "kami" is kind of a generic word for "God(s)" of all sorts, though there is one of each male and female at the top, with the female being the dominant of the two. This may surprise many, since it's traditionally a Japanese faith, adapted from China. It encourages personal faith and communal way of life. This may be a reason why a socialistic democracy works in Japan so well. They all take care of each other, and you don't find the corporate head complaining that the janitor takes too much time to take care of his ailing parents - family is the key component, and when one person suffers, the greater community also suffers. I see their belief in taking care of each other as a good thing, not a bad.
Native American spirituality is a bit more complicated to explain, though I think the simplest way to describe it is similar to Lion King's "Circle of Life" - where the top of the food chain dies, and becomes the fertilizer for the plants that the other animals eat... and that we all must accept our place, and all life is related. Often, when Native Americans cut down a tree, they plant at least 2 to take it's place, so that the natural resources don't get over used. They want to leave the planet at least as good, if not better for the next generation - a good way to practice the Golden Rule.
There are many more faiths, also, and most normal people in each faith has the code of being faithful to each other and to the earth, being a good citizen, and so much more.
Founding Fathers' Faiths
Now say THAT fast 3 times in a row... Founding Fathers' Faiths...
I don't question that our Founding Fathers were very spiritual and very moral people. They were many of the highest regarded people, and looked down upon public drunkenness, lewd behavior and more. But, they weren't about being the judge and jury for their fellow man, but to have the greatest country, founded on the greatest Constitution on the planet, which is only as strong as the weakest link, supported by the strongest.
Thomas Jefferson thought Christianity and other religion as being superstition, because people have been tortured in the name of religion, for no good apparent reason. Of all the religions, he considered Christianity as the most perverted.
John Adams made it a doctrine, called the Treaty of Tripoli, in 11 states, that "our country's basis is NOT founded on Christian principles", "because the divinity of Jesus made a fine absurdity of a cover".
Thomas Paine is NOT going to dishonor his Creator by attaching Him to the Bible, nor mixing faith with politics. He understands that mixing them leads to Holy Wars that the government dictates the faith of the people, and the person(s) in power dictates the faith and government.
James Madison states that both religion and politics will stay more pure, if they stay separate, and was against religions getting a tax break.
In a nutshell, these founding fathers believed in a higher power, sure. But obviously were NOT necessarily Christian. They were deist, kind of like agnostics, not theists, as in organized religion. For more information, look up "The Faith of Our Founding Fathers" and see what you get. You can't argue direct quotes FROM them.
Still think they were based on Christian principles? Not me. In the mean time, I will follow suit of Jesus, who commands me to take care of those who are less fortunate than themselves, and they do NOT include the 1%. The Tea Party wants the poor to go to homeless shelters, the hungry to soup kitchens, and the weary to whom ever takes them in, and not make themselves anybody else's problem, and discriminates against who they think are deserving of help. And while sure, I am all for punishing those who commit crimes, but to lump the bad check writer because baby needed diapers and milk with those who commit felony fraud is just plain a travesty.
Until next time, peace out. Thanks for reading!
p.s. I am NOT a theological professional in anyway, shape or form. I love to read and learn new things, and gathered much of my info from being friends with Muslims as well as reading the Koran and research, I went to an Indian Reservation, and lived in Japan for a few years. I also went to college with an International Relations degree, and this is where I make my personal basis.
I don't question that our Founding Fathers were very spiritual and very moral people. They were many of the highest regarded people, and looked down upon public drunkenness, lewd behavior and more. But, they weren't about being the judge and jury for their fellow man, but to have the greatest country, founded on the greatest Constitution on the planet, which is only as strong as the weakest link, supported by the strongest.
Thomas Jefferson thought Christianity and other religion as being superstition, because people have been tortured in the name of religion, for no good apparent reason. Of all the religions, he considered Christianity as the most perverted.
John Adams made it a doctrine, called the Treaty of Tripoli, in 11 states, that "our country's basis is NOT founded on Christian principles", "because the divinity of Jesus made a fine absurdity of a cover".
Thomas Paine is NOT going to dishonor his Creator by attaching Him to the Bible, nor mixing faith with politics. He understands that mixing them leads to Holy Wars that the government dictates the faith of the people, and the person(s) in power dictates the faith and government.
James Madison states that both religion and politics will stay more pure, if they stay separate, and was against religions getting a tax break.
In a nutshell, these founding fathers believed in a higher power, sure. But obviously were NOT necessarily Christian. They were deist, kind of like agnostics, not theists, as in organized religion. For more information, look up "The Faith of Our Founding Fathers" and see what you get. You can't argue direct quotes FROM them.
Still think they were based on Christian principles? Not me. In the mean time, I will follow suit of Jesus, who commands me to take care of those who are less fortunate than themselves, and they do NOT include the 1%. The Tea Party wants the poor to go to homeless shelters, the hungry to soup kitchens, and the weary to whom ever takes them in, and not make themselves anybody else's problem, and discriminates against who they think are deserving of help. And while sure, I am all for punishing those who commit crimes, but to lump the bad check writer because baby needed diapers and milk with those who commit felony fraud is just plain a travesty.
Until next time, peace out. Thanks for reading!
p.s. I am NOT a theological professional in anyway, shape or form. I love to read and learn new things, and gathered much of my info from being friends with Muslims as well as reading the Koran and research, I went to an Indian Reservation, and lived in Japan for a few years. I also went to college with an International Relations degree, and this is where I make my personal basis.
No comments:
Post a Comment