Religion in Government

Fortunately, democracies have laws in place to protect minorities from unjust rules by the majority. Democratic laws and institutions protect the freedoms and rights of all individual citizens.

The argument that the United States was established in the name of Christianity is complete hogwash.

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The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.

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-- John AdamsAdams also signed the Treaty of Tripoli under which article 11 states "The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."The following from No webpage found at provided URL: http://www.nobeliefs.com/jefferson.htm

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Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious pinions, more than on our opinions in physics and geometry....The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

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Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.

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-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom

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{Edited to add URL}This message has been edited by DBlevins, 05-29-2004 05:50 PM