Nineveh said:
But the ignorance of history on this point has lead us to that exact place, hasn't it.
Just because some people whine and complain because there is the word "Christ" in Christmas doesn't mean that all of us non-Christians are so foolhardy. And it is not ignorance of history that has lead us to this point, it is base, human nature.
You fail to realize it wasn't other religions who set up this nation. It's wasn't their god named as the Authority. Let's compare. Please provide another constitution that is at least as old as ours that grants at least the same amount of freedom.
*laughs* So you are saying that because Christians set up this nation that it ought to cater solely to their beliefs? So much for freedom. Freedom for Christians, oppression for the rest of us that live here. I pity dogmatic people like you that are too scared or ignorant to realize that the world doesn't revolve around religion and personal beliefs. Your God was nowhere named as the authority. And the United States is a baby country- a paltry 200 years old- so trying to say "Look at another constitution that is at least as old as ours" makes me laugh.
At this point I think you have disregarded most of what I've said so far. I'll make this as simple as possible, and hopfully, if/when you reply we can move on.
Of course I'll reply, I am not merely going to let something drop. And I've not disgregarded it, I've read it, considered it, and then dismissed it as being distasteful to me. That doesn't mean I didn't read or understand it.
God's morals do not change. He has a set standard. It was upon this God the majority of the founders based thier personal faith, and upon this God's Authority they wrote the founding documents.
I never claimed that your God's morals change. I claimed that mankind's perception of them changes- try reading what I wrote before accusing me of disregarding things. And just because the founders based this country on their personal faith does not mean that they would have wanted Christianity to be so insanely imbalanced against the rest of us. And for that matter, the founders would have wanted us to have black slaves, only the upper eschelon of society voting, and the laypeople staying as lower class. So if you want to argue what our founders would have or would not have wanted, I'd look more at the times at that point, and everything else that was occuring and the historical state of things before going on about how Christianity should rule America.
The more who believe this the less freedom we have. Take some time to the Mayflower Compact, Consitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration. Reading more than just one founder would help your understanding as well.
I have read them. Multiple times. You act as though I am speaking from an uninformed and ignorant standpoint and it is there that you underestimate me. I only cited one because I didn't feel like searching the internet to find *all* of them. That one was the first I found and if you would like me to go find the others and reference their desire for seperation of church and state, I shall meet your challenge.
They never advocated the freedom of immorality. They knew immorality would put us on the fast track to a different form of government.
To them, half of what we take as commonplace and normal would be heinously immoral. Consider that we no longer live in the 19th century but the 21st and look at the sociological, economic, theological and moral changes that have occured between then and now and you will quickly realize that your argument is founded upon outdated ideals that you, yourself, likely would disagree with.
Eegads. Are you really willing to miss the point so easily? If so, tell me now and we can both save ourselves the time of going further with this convo.
I am not missing your point, I am disagreeing. Those are two entirely different matters.
That doesn't change God's standard.
I never claimed it did. But it changes what we think God's standard is, now doesn't it?
Are you pro-choice? What are your thoughs on Terri Schiavo?
I am quite happily pro-choice. Why? Not because I, myself, would *ever* have an abortion. I would never, ever, have one unless there was danger to myself of my babe that required such an action. Then why, you ask, am I pro-choice? Because I believe in freedom. Just because I do not believe in something (such as abortion) does not mean that I will enforce my moral idioms upon the rest of my fellow mankind. And insofar as Terri Schiavo goes- she was never going to wake up and living one's life hooked up to machines is... would you want to live like that? I am sure that somewhere in the back of her mind she was screaming "please kill me". I would ask anyone that if I am ever in a vegitative state that they just unplug me and let me die with what little dignity I'd have left at that point. And even if I thought they shouldn't have let her go, I again would not let my personal viewpoints interfere with the knowledge that we live in a supposedly free country. And, for that matter, I think that it was entirely wrong of Terri's case to be thrown to the media, what family would want that kind of thing to happen when they are making such a decision?
Unfortunately for you, your standard of morality is just that, yours. You weren't around back when this nation was being founded to offer your personal "high standard of morality" for the founders to base this nation on.
My standard of morality is a good deal higher than that of most any of my Christian friends or anyone else I know. What about your standard of morality? And honestly, I don't care what you think of my morals because I think about the same of yours. Morality is subjective- everyone's morals are a little different. And I don't see Wiccans out there killing in the name of their gods and subjegating races because they want to conquer the infidels. Most of the so-called pagan religions are far less bloody and haughty than the Christian religion, so you talking down to me will get you absolutely nowhere.
Most pagans have a self-righteous attitude.
And Christians don't?
No need to try to down play it. You might as well use it, because that's all ya got. Anyway, in 200 years we have gone from homoism being "the sin that will not be named" ( I always forget the exact words the judge used, but it was something to that effect) to "marriage". There are many more examples of our moral slide over the last 200 years. You tried your best to take issue my use of a metaphor when you should have endeavored to address the moral slide.
No, my belief that I am correct is not self-righteousness any more than your belief that you are correct. I am basing my thoughts and actions on personal study and experience- as every other human on this earth does. Me, you, Jesus, and anyone else you wish to cite. Insofar as homosexuality goes- I honestly don't think that it's that big a deal, if your God is as loving and forgiving as you like to say he is, how dare you turn around and shun people for doing something that infringes upon a small fraction of the religious dogma that you so staunchly spout. Hm? Jesus wouldn't have turned away homosexuals and I see nowhere in the 10 commandments that God ever says "Thou shalt not be homosexual". There are places in the Bible that say that it's questionable, but those were bits written by men supposedly under the hand of a God. But can it be proven that they were not merely insane? You can prove nothing, you only have belief. Just like everyone else.
Anyway, have a pleasant weekend, should you be expecting a reply from me, you shall have it tomorrow
I hope your Easter is a good one and that your weekend is also and I shall indeed be expecting a reply from you at some point.