ABC is one of the many outlets reporting on Barack Obama's egocentric, self-aggrandizing statement:
"I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions," Obama said, a witness told the Post.
Excuse me, but Bill Clinton's socialist leanings and Jimmy Carter's all-around economic and international incompetence do not constitute "traditions."
The "best traditions" of America are the ones upon which she was founded, and the ones which brought us to greatness.
They include freedom, limited government, self reliance, objective moral values, a Christian worldview, capitalism, federalism, and peace through strength.
They do NOT include Marxism, socialism, secularism, moral relativism, appeasement, big government, and dependence upon government.
Obama must be starting to believe all the messianic hype the "mainstream" media has been heaping on him.
Don't these liberals just crack you up, sometimes?
6 comments:
The whole quote is, "It has become increasingly clear in my travel, the campaign, that the crowds, the enthusiasm, 200,000 people in Berlin, is not about me at all. It’s about America. I have just become a symbol. I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."
Don't degrade yourself to the point of the Washington Post by editing comments to prove a point.
p.s. yes the U.S. was founded on secularism. I refer you to the Treaty of Tripoli, written in 1797, by those we would consider to be some of the founding fathers.
"Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen (Muslims); and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
This reminds me of the "CENEX GUY" from those annoying commercials. He "represents stuff" too, and no doubt has a record of similar depth.
Braden, you are either very deluded or are deliberately misrepresenting history.
America was NOT in any way, shape, form or fashion founded on secularism.
The language in the Treaty of Tripoli was meant to communicate that we do not have an official state religion, and are not in that sense a "Christian" nation.
If, however, you had studied American history, you would know that America was founded on Christian principles by men who were almost entirely Christian, and intended for America to retain its Christian worldview--in fact, they realized our future depended on it.
Our Declaration of Independence recognized God's role in the founding of our nation: "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..." And closes with a statement of reliance upon the protection of God.
Gouverneur Morris said, “Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man towards God.”
Samuel Adams said, “Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, united their endeavours to renovate the age, by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, of inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity…in short of leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system.”
Noah Webster said, “In my view, the Christian Religion is the most import and and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed…no truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian Religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”
Even the Northwest Ordinance, one of the nation’s first important statutes, says in Article III: “Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” – July 13, 1787.
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.” - President George Washington
“Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.” - John Adams
"[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams
"...the only foundation for...a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." - Benjamin Rush
"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." - Charles Carroll
"The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone that renders us invincible." - Patrick Henry
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." - Benjamin Franklin
Did you know that Ben Franklin, one of the least religious of the Founders, is responsible for starting the tradition of prayer in Congress? “…how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly appealing to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible to danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered… And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?...I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel...We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages…I therefore beg leave to move—that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business…”
"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and laws.… All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." - Noah Webster
Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is divine .... Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other. - James Wilson
Our Constitution even recognizes Sunday as a holy sabbath day.
Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville recognized the Christian flavor which permeated American society when he visited the U.S. just a few decades later:
"Upon my arrival in the United States, the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there the more did I perceive the great political consequences resulting from this state of things, to which I was unaccustomed. In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursuing courses diametrically opposed to each other; but in America I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country. "
and
"The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other."
These are but a few of the evidences of America's Christian heritage.
The person who claims America was not founded by Christians on Christian principles and a Christian worldview is either (a) a liar, or (b) profoundly ignorant of American history.
braden: Thanks for thw whole quote. Amazing how he can flip flop in the same paragraph.
First Amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
This is what I meant by secular. The US has no state religion. It may not establish a religion, or prefer one religion over another. However, at the same time, it may not prohibit the free exercise of religion by any of its citizens.
I was not denying that many of the founding fathers were Christians, nor am I denying that Christianity is by far the dominant religion in America today. I am also not denying that the US government is strongly influenced by Christianity. How could it not be? It's government is made by the people, and most are Christian.
That being said, the US government is not founded in Christianity. There is no religious test to run for office. The government is officially neautral when it comes to religion, which means it is secular. Secular, like all Western democracies. As in opposite to theocratic, like Iran or Vatican City.
Thanks for the quotes, though.
p.s. that is very interesting about Ben Franklin. I honestly did not know that. It's suprising to me, since he was a Deist. At least most people thought he was a deist.
It might be fair to call Franklin a deist, though not as we typically think of a deist today.
Whether Franklin was a born-again dedicated Christian...I doubt it. But he was pretty familiar with the tenets of the Christian faith (more so than about 90% of Americans today), and probably lived closer to those Christian ideals than most people today.
No, the U.S. government is not officially founded in Christianity, but it was deeply and profoundly influenced by Christian philosophy (also known as worldview). Maybe this is what you don't understand. Most people today don't understand that something can be profoundly influenced by something without being officially bound by it.
If you're really interested in understanding this, I would suggest reading Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy In America." Its the book I quoted from. There are a couple of large sections in the book that will shed more light on how America is (or at least was) a Christian nation without "officially" being a Christian nation.
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