JAS DEBATE MAY 9
The John Adams Society
Roger L. Belfay, Chairman
John J. Pope, Secretary
Larry Colson, Chief Whip
Marianne Stebbins, Chancellor
May 2007
"… bad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be a comfortable consideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age in that country, without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an atheist or an infidel." – Benjamin Franklin, September 1782
RELIGION WAS THE BEDROCK OF OUR FREEDOM. As a nation affording freedom of worship, the door was open to freedoms in general. Free commerce was thereby an offshoot and with it the Puritan regimen of colonial America led to a general prosperity and the ability to enjoy more freedom. Not that the founders had much choice about religion in the new country. A great number of remote little despotisms had long evolved in the colonies with rigid religious orthodoxies of their own by 1776. Several colonies were explicitly Christian. These would never join together as a nation under any authority other than that of themselves. Thus, just the common thread of deism would be expressed by the founders in the US Constitution.
Now that individual reasoning has fallen aback the liberal agenda as implemented by many of our public institutions and much of the media, our First Amendment freedoms are stretched and distorted. Only in a non-religious/un-free nation would the high court of one of its states rule that a private charity must cover birth control in its health care plan despite the charity’s moral opposition. But, does anyone notice or think about it? While the vast majority of Americans consider themselves Christian, what seems to crowd most minds nowadays is not godliness, but mesmerization by one electronic medium or another.
ON THE OTHER HAND, we were never a religious nation to begin with. Article VI of The US Constitution states: "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States." And The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” People came to America for religious freedom, often fleeing religious persecution elsewhere. Naturally, Christianity flourished because the Christian’s notions of salvation by free will are congruent with America’s freedom. It is a paradox that, unlike in most of Europe where religion was imposed and secularization prevailed, America’s religious liberty led to a resistance to secularization. Only with a secular government are a variety of religions free to coexist and only through freedom do individuals experience the glory of God to become in their hearts religious.
The Chairman, much appreciating the old time religion via HDTV, calls for a debate:
RESOLVED: WE WERE A RELIGIOUS NATION
The Debate will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at the University Club, 420 Summit Avenue, in Saint Paul. The debate will begin at half past seven p.m., following a lecture at six o'clock by Chuck Shreffler. While there is no dress code for attendance, gentlemen who wish to speak must wear a tie; ladies should adhere to a similar sartorial standard. For those gentlemen who arrive tieless yet wish to speak, fret not: the Purveyor of Ties will keep on hand at least one of his quite remarkable ties for just such an eventuality. Questions about debate caucus procedures or about the John Adams Society itself may be directed to the Chairman at 651-222-2782 or the Secretary at 952-486-8059.
www.johnadamssociety.org
Roger L. Belfay, Chairman
John J. Pope, Secretary
Larry Colson, Chief Whip
Marianne Stebbins, Chancellor
May 2007
"… bad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be a comfortable consideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age in that country, without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an atheist or an infidel." – Benjamin Franklin, September 1782
RELIGION WAS THE BEDROCK OF OUR FREEDOM. As a nation affording freedom of worship, the door was open to freedoms in general. Free commerce was thereby an offshoot and with it the Puritan regimen of colonial America led to a general prosperity and the ability to enjoy more freedom. Not that the founders had much choice about religion in the new country. A great number of remote little despotisms had long evolved in the colonies with rigid religious orthodoxies of their own by 1776. Several colonies were explicitly Christian. These would never join together as a nation under any authority other than that of themselves. Thus, just the common thread of deism would be expressed by the founders in the US Constitution.
Now that individual reasoning has fallen aback the liberal agenda as implemented by many of our public institutions and much of the media, our First Amendment freedoms are stretched and distorted. Only in a non-religious/un-free nation would the high court of one of its states rule that a private charity must cover birth control in its health care plan despite the charity’s moral opposition. But, does anyone notice or think about it? While the vast majority of Americans consider themselves Christian, what seems to crowd most minds nowadays is not godliness, but mesmerization by one electronic medium or another.
ON THE OTHER HAND, we were never a religious nation to begin with. Article VI of The US Constitution states: "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States." And The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” People came to America for religious freedom, often fleeing religious persecution elsewhere. Naturally, Christianity flourished because the Christian’s notions of salvation by free will are congruent with America’s freedom. It is a paradox that, unlike in most of Europe where religion was imposed and secularization prevailed, America’s religious liberty led to a resistance to secularization. Only with a secular government are a variety of religions free to coexist and only through freedom do individuals experience the glory of God to become in their hearts religious.
The Chairman, much appreciating the old time religion via HDTV, calls for a debate:
RESOLVED: WE WERE A RELIGIOUS NATION
The Debate will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at the University Club, 420 Summit Avenue, in Saint Paul. The debate will begin at half past seven p.m., following a lecture at six o'clock by Chuck Shreffler. While there is no dress code for attendance, gentlemen who wish to speak must wear a tie; ladies should adhere to a similar sartorial standard. For those gentlemen who arrive tieless yet wish to speak, fret not: the Purveyor of Ties will keep on hand at least one of his quite remarkable ties for just such an eventuality. Questions about debate caucus procedures or about the John Adams Society itself may be directed to the Chairman at 651-222-2782 or the Secretary at 952-486-8059.
www.johnadamssociety.org
posted by festivus | 5/08/2007 03:52:00 PM
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