America was a non-Christian nation (and should remain so)

[mellowtigger]

My thanks to snousle for pointing out this quote in furrbear's thread:

"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion..."
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli

Two-thirds of America's (then, only 32) senators were present for the vote on this 1797 treaty, and it passed unanimously.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Article_11.GIF

The wonders of wikipedia are boundless.  They even have a photo of Article 11 of the treaty.  :)

This quote is new information to me.  Maybe it's time to remind the nation that mixing religious fervor with government authority is a bad idea.  It is always a bad idea, no matter which flavor of religion is trying to do it.  We really don't need to recreate (Christian) Rome.

I've listed here the necessary links for promoting this old (and therefore conservative?) idea.  Go forth, new meme.  Fly!

Comments

[snousle.livejournal.com]

I actually find it more depressing than exciting. Just another reminder that engagement with actual historical facts is worth nothing against xtian propaganda.

[mellowtigger]

I wonder though if the argument should be framed, "America was a nation of Christian citizens who founded a non-Christian government. That separation was their genius."

Now, I don't believe that Christians today use the name the same way that Christians back did then. (I think they were more theist than evangelist, so they would have been just as uncomfortable around modern Christians as some atheists are.)

[kauko.livejournal.com]

Believe me, this treaty has been quoted at conservative types trying to argue that America was founded on Christianity for years no and they just dont' care, they find some way to rationalize it.
Just recently I was in a debate with just such a person about this subject, and when I pointed out to him the Jews literally came over to the Americas with Christopher Columbus and have been here ever since, and have participated in all of American history since, his response was that 'they did not lead or drive the war efforts of the Revolutionary War...'. At which point I had to inform him the one of the largest financiers of the American Revolution was Jewish. I don't believe I ever did get a response back from him.