-=> Quoting Robert Plett to Keith Knapp <=-
 RP> It should be noted that some of those states which supported the First
 RP> Amendment also supported and established state religions, or had
 RP> already established state religions when they ratified the Constitution
 RP> and the Bill of Rights.  They wanted the First Amendment in order to
 RP> assure that the Federal government could not override their state
 RP> religious establishments.  They would be utterly dismayed to know that
 RP> the Supreme Court in this century has ignored them and totally trampled
 RP> on the Amendment that was their safeguard.  They would be even more
 RP> dismayed by the utter ignorance and plain wrong-headedness of the Keith
 RP> Knapps of today with respect to both the historical and intended role
 RP> of Christianity in this nation and its history.
 Robert, are you advocating the establishment of religion at the state
 level?
 RP> When the founders expressed concern about religious establishments by
 RP> the federal government, it was particular Christian sects, or what
 RP> today we call denominations that concerned them - they didn't want a
 RP> federally mandated Christian denomination.  To them, impartiality
 RP> between other faiths, and/or a lack of belief in God, and Christianity,
 RP> was out of the question - Christianity was the faith of the nation, and
 RP> they based our laws on that premise and that foundation, and not just
 RP> assumed, but intended that would always be so.
 Do you believe that this should still be our approach, especially
 given the wide variety of religious practice in our country?
 RP> On the First Amendment: "An attempt to level all religions, and to
 RP> make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference,
 RP> would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal
 RP> indignation."  The real object of the Amendment being, "to prevent
 RP> any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a
 RP> hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government."
 RP> -  Justice Joseph Story, "Commentaries on the Constitution
 RP> of the United States"
 The first Amendment does state that Congress shall not establish a
 religion.
 RP> "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great
 RP> nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on
 RP> religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ." - Patrick Henry
 Robert, this is an interesting line of thought here. If we were to
 return to a strict, literal interpretation of the Constitution, there
 would be no establishment restriction at the state level. While I am
 certain I would not want each state to establish a religion, it might
 almost be worth it, just to see the ACLU have a cow!
 david.hartung@mcione.com
 Ilks of Metropolitan Walls/LENS
 Proud member of White House Enemies database
... Moral of Vietnam & Somalia: Leave military decisions to the military.
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