GOD I'm so tired of right-wing jingoistic bullshit trying to tie our Founding Fathers and Religion!

[codjh9]

(And yes, I did say 'GOD' in the pun-intended fashion :^).

My brain-dead aunt & uncle just forwarded some sappy bullshit video with a song by the country - not really - more poppy - band 'Diamond Rio' called 'President's Day', and within the first 10-15 seconds they 'establish' that God is on our money, in the Pledge of Allegiance, etc etc etc, so 'there's no doubt where we stand'.... Puke!

And how many times to they take words out of context by Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, and many others, in the same fashion?

Sorry, just easily 'set off' these days, as I think many/most of you can relate to with the market in the toilet, the election looming (although we're lookin' good), etc.

[sarge43]

1. Send back a copy of the Constitution

with Article 6(3) highlighted. That sometimes shuts it down. Whatever the Founding Fathers' personal beliefs were, they absolutely dead set against involving government and religion with one another - for the protection of both.

[Imagine My Surprise]

2. Remind them that Thomas Jefferson...

literally took scissors and cut out EVERY reference to Jesus's so-called divinity and ALL references to miracles -- and had it published as his OWN version of the New Testament. It is still available today. Certainly didn't sound like a bible-banger to me. }(

[Imagine My Surprise]

3. and Einstein said he would pick Buddhism if he had to pick n/t

[codjh9]

4. My dumb-ass uncle claims to be directly descended from Jefferson. If he indeed is,

Jefferson is spinning in his grave, because my uncle is the anti-Jefferson in just about every facet.

[zbdent]

5. the founding fathers would have been lynched by the "right" ... the conservatives ...

those who want to keep things as they are ... the status quo ... they had plenty to lose if the colonies broke off ... land, wealth, titles ...

[CrispyQ]

6. Buy them a pocket Constitution & send them these links:

History of 'In God We Trust'
http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml

snip...

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861.

===
The Pledge of Allegiance A Short History
http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm

snip...

In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.

===
Our Founding Fathers Were not Christians
http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

snip...

None of the Founding Fathers were atheists. Most of the Founders were Deists, which is to say they thought the universe had a creator, but that he does not concern himself with the daily lives of humans, and does not directly communicate with humans, either by revelation or by sacred books. They spoke often of God, (Nature's God or the God of Nature), but this was not the God of the bible. They did not deny that there was a person called Jesus, and praised him for his benevolent teachings, but they flatly denied his divinity.

===

It won't change what they think, though. I have a friend who believes the same thing. ;)

[Historic NY]

7. I remind people that that hot bed of liberals & Massachusetts & Virginia

are responsible for founding this country. What a liberal idea overthrowing the King, who would have thought. The conservatives were content to kiss the Kings ass for the power and prestige.