Posted on 12/31/2001 8:27:51 AM PST by Matchett-PI
It is a facile lie to say that one government is a theocracy and another ain't. All governments are theocracies, no law exists without a spiritual reason for it.
Practically there can be no separation of church and state, and yet the Founders did the right thing with the First Admenment -- they kept the tent of America open on all four sides. Too often harsh theocracies create great evils and distance themselves from G-d by saying only one door is open, and no others. It is usually a too narrow door detested by G-d.
The worst, I think, are the tyrants, facists and eliists who close all doors to their goverments.
May the plague of "self-esteem" be gone from our popular vocabulary, and be replaced by service, duty, and sacrifice. And may many more saints confused by the drivel of the "gospel" according to television preachers, find the rich streams of the faith that still flows from pastors like Edwards, Spurgeon, Whitfield, Owens, Watson, Pink, and others who handled the scriptures with reverence and grace.
The separation of church and state clause merely prohibits the government from setting up one state religion, like "THE Church of England".
There isn't a person alive who isn't "religious" in one way shape or form even if his religion is atheism. Therefore, there isn't a person alive who doesn't have a "worldview" (how he views the world around him).
So what to do? What to do?
America's Framers knew exactly what to do, because they were VERY familiar with Scripture, and therefore knew that a government based upon the "The Christian Worldview" is the best form of government to protect people's liberties and rights which they believed to be "God-given" and there for inalieable (cannot be taken away by men).
Note: The Christian Worldview is theistic in the sense that it believes in the existence of one infinite, supremely powerful, and personal God who has given us his infallible Word in writing - The Holy Scriptures.
Regardless as to whether people believe in that One Supreme Triune Being or His Word, the Bible, the only mentalities who hate the form of government that God commands in that Bible, are tyrannical mentalities whose goal is to obtain power and control over others. Tyrants will NEVER admit that the rights and liberties given to human beings, are inalieable because they come from an unchanging, all powerful God, and not from "the government".
Our Constitution stands in the way of tyrants -- and if upheld and defended, it effectively prevents tyrants / dictators from ever gaining absolute power and control in America.
And its all based upon the "Christian Worldview" / Judeo-Christian ethic:
For any governments of men to be valid in God's eyes they must [1] be limited, [2] based upon "the rule of law", [3] protect and defend the God-given rights and liberties of its citizens, [4] by punishing evil-doers (the lawless) swiftly.
The Constitution of the United States is a "Godly" document, because it conforms to God's loving standards of how to look out for the interests, rights and liberties of the weak and powerless. (Ditto for our other founding documents).
What citizen would have a problem with such a Godly government, whether they believe in that "God", or not?
Certainly not the law-abiding.
Only the lawless. Only cynical opportunists who want to take advantage of (or live at the expense of) others. Only tyranical mentalities who need to get the Constitution out of the way or changed so that the door will be opened for them to obtain total power.
Tyrants hate "limited government". We can be thankful that America's Framers allowed themselves to be greatly influenced by the Holy Scriptures when they set up our government.
America is freedom's last "real" stand, BECAUSE of our Constitution. Those who believe that ALL men's rights and liberties come from an infinite, UNCHANGING, all-powerful God, and are willing to defend that belief, are the noble of the earth. And they have HUGE targets on their backs, because they stand in the way of the greedy -- and in the way of the tyrannical mentalities, preventing them from getting what they want from others. fact.
See reply #44.
Clinton only views God and religion as a tool to glorify himself in the eyes of the shallow/superficial mentalities Marx called, "useful idiots", and Barnum called, "suckers".
Thank you very much, my friend! Will do!
So many images of G-d running around, the primordial forces, left by the Creator under the sway of mankind:
"to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind ..In the spiritually awakened consciousness of the Founding times:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ..."The three enumerated Rights:
Life, we know easuily enough. It is also a respect for animal life.
Liberty .. why that is property, and the right to keep it, the right to own, the right to sell, the right to contract freely. It is also anti-sexual immorality.
But, "the pusuit of Happiness" -- what is that? That is our soul's sublime happiness in connection to G-d.
Will do! Thank you.
Aim high...it's going to be a wonderful year.
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