Yes - our Founders WERE about freedom FROM religion

[captain_kook]

This might upset those Beckistanis who think Beckistani versions of history are "better" than the truth...
 
Americans are taught that the fact that we have religious freedom in America is due to colonial resistance to British and European oppression of various sects and that that was why we wound up with the First Amendment.
 
We're also told that Americans rallied to revolt only against British oppression.
 
But the TRUTH is that the revolution was LARGELY a reaction and resistance to religious oppression IN THE COLONIES established BY THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS.
 
For example:
 
Virginia mandated membership in a STATE RELIGION and took steps like rounding up and imprisoning offenders [like the Baptists] to enforce it. Not only that - the State churches were all funded by TAXES collected from farmers by armed tax collectors.
 
Virginia was not alone:
 
Congregationalists and Anglicans who, before 1776, had received public financial support, called their state benefactors "nursing fathers" (Isaiah 49:23). After independence they urged the state governments, as "nursing fathers," to continue succoring them.
 
Knowing that in the egalitarian, post-independence era, the public would no longer permit single denominations to monopolize state support, legislators devised "general assessment schemes." Religious taxes were laid on all citizens, each of whom was given the option of designating his share to the church of his choice. Such laws took effect in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire and were passed but not implemented in Maryland and Georgia.
 
After a general assessment scheme was defeated in Virginia, an incongruous coalition of Baptists and theological liberals united to sunder state from church. However, the outcome in Virginia of the state-church debate did not, it should be remembered, represent the views of the majority of American states that wrestled with this issue in the 1780s.
 
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel05.html
 
 
Thomas Jefferson took on the Baptist's case and won passage in the Virginia legislature REPEAL of all state-support and funding for any individual sect and guaranteeed that NOBODY COULD BE FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY RELIGION.
 
THAT became the basis as well for the First Amendment to the Constitution.
 
NOT - as right-wingrrrr revisionists claim - to create a Christian nation - FAR FROM IT.
 
 
Watch the new PBS documentary "God in America" for more of the real history of religious freedom in America:
 
trailer:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1493303211/
 
 
Part 1:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1610726967/
 
Part 2:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1610731418/
 
parts 3 and 4 will be broadcast soon
 
 
 
 
 
 

[lakitss]

When I started watching Beck I was impressed by his take on government, freedoms etc, but lately he has veered off path with all this religious nonsense. I call it nonsense because religion has caused more death, and havoc upon humanity than any other handy excuse.
Maybe he'll get over it and I can watch again.

[captain_kook]

Beck won't quit now that he has the full attention of the Cult

[Byteryder]

Was there a purpose to this post?

[D2D]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

Where is the word "from"?

Despite the expressed prohibition of the free exercise of religion democrats insist on creating laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion!

[captain_kook]

Byte
 
was there a purpose to your question?

[captain_kook]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

Where is the word "from"?

Despite the expressed prohibition of the free exercise of religion democrats insist on creating laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion!
 
 
You need to read up on the reason Jefferson fought mandatory participation in Virginia's State  church
 
 
Not to mention 99% of all other history

[lluke47]

Religion hasn't caused any deaths, they were caused by ignorance like this poster who started this bullshit...Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion, any religion you want to practice, liberals hate that because religion shines a light on their perverted lives and hate for decency..
 
liberal ignorance is beyond the pale but worst of all they're nothing but pathetic liars..

[D2D]

Kook, Jefferson was against the State establishment of a specific religion not against any mention of religion on government property!
 
 

[Byteryder]

 

But the TRUTH is that the revolution was LARGELY a reaction and resistance to religious oppression IN THE COLONIES established BY THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS.

We wont mention that the "Colonial Governments" were simply extensions of King Georges power.  Loyalists who held their office at the sufferance of the English Crown.
 
 

[sweetwater5s9]

All of the founders, including Jefferson, did not want any one sect of Christianity to become our state religion as with England at that time.   The founders believed and were right that all sects of Christianity should be equal under the US government unlike what Americans fleed from in foreign nations with a state sponsered religion much like what so many Islamists fight for today globally.  The founders were correct to give all Christian faiths the right to practice their faith without government intervention and prosecution as so many had suffered in other nations.  That was the reason for the 1st Amendment.

[captain_kook]

Byte - the King didn't impose those laws on the colonial governments

religious nuts DID