America is a secular nation. (Torah, abstinence, beliefs, minority)

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Answer Please.

Not all of them.
Merely the ones where you stopped addressing the points and resorted to distraction tactics.

Oh wait... Perhaps it IS all of them?

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

Not all of them.
Merely the ones where you stopped addressing the points and resorted to distraction tactics.

Oh wait... Perhaps it IS all of them?

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

Merely calling it how I see it.
If you do not like the picture I am seeing, perhaps you should paint a different one?

And judging from the Frubals I have recieved from this thread alone, I would surmise that I am not alone in this opinion.

(see, even I will toss out an appeal to numbers)

[Reverend Rick]

A frubal race it is! I'm leading!

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

A frubal race it is! I'm leading!

Ok.
However, I propose that we do a frubals to posts ratio.

[Seyorni]

Careful -- the love of frubals is the root of all evil...

[Reverend Rick]

Not to mention that I have Frubal envy every time I see Phil post.

[Shadow Wolf]

Luke, how could you take something good and turn it into something so ugly?

I just merely stated facts.

Once again, the same people you condemn also were the group that gave Blacks the right to vote, and the equal rights amendment. There must have been more folks fighting to free slaves and make things fair, because it was not an easy change to make, but it was done because it was the right thing to do.

I never condemned anyone. I just said playing by the rules and being a part of society use to mean even a dog had more rights than women and blacks, and many were pleased with it.

Don't cross me on this subject. I've studied this subject since before I was still a youngster, and have studied it ever since.

The constitution says that "...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States" -Under the United States: that means in the federal government. The states aren't bound by that clause; they didn't operate by it; and the federal government made no move to change that after the ratification process. Why? Because the states have every right to lean toward one religion or another. That's because they're sovereign; coequal with the federal government.

So, it's not illegal. You obviously need to take several courses in constitutional law.

I have. The Constitution is the most high law in America, and no state law can go against it, as they are all bound by it.
If the Constitution were to define marriage as one man, one woman, and made gay marriage illegal, then it would be impossible for ANY state to have legal gay marriage. That is why alot of people currently want gay marriage to be a state issue.

We're talking about America: not medieval Europe. And the fact is that the predominant Christian population that always has been predominant in the US (then and today) were willing the new government be formed on a secular and liberal basis.

I know. But Christians have not always made a society safe for all religions. Had the founding fathers been predominantly Christian, it would probably still be the same way today.

Anyway, a treaty between two nations ceases to be valid when one of the signers ceases to exist. As a matter if fact, it ceased to be valid 8 years after the signing. It is a half-baked argument.

Actually, some treaties have a defined period of time, depending on the situation. It can be a simple over night cease fire for supplies to reach war refugees, or two nations forming an alliance, or a number of other things. But the point is, be the treaty of Tripoli void or valid, the fact still remains it was clearly stated that America was not established on Christian principles. That is undeniable.

No. I was expressing an opinion, not considering my faith, that you have no appreciation for the great freedom you have.

Myself, being a male with hair down to my shoulders, a goatee a few inches long, little work experience, and no certifications or college degrees, it is rather hard for me to get a job. I don't seem to quite fit in to societies norms, so the amount of freedoms I can freely exercise drops. It goes the same for alot of minority groups, such as a gay man who can be legally fired in many states just for being gay.

[Reverend Rick]

Luke, I used to wear my hair down to my belt loops. I have tatoos over half my body. My Son is very well paid and has a beard and hair half way down his back. Most skilled trades don't care what you look like.

[yossarian22]

Originally Posted by Luke_17:2

The only time secular, and democratic ideals of government were introduced in a Muslim ciuntry was after WWI, and now they're reversing their progress. Jews segregate themselves.

What is your point?
Neither of these bits of information support your argument that atheist, Islamic, or Jewish settlers would not have been tolerant of other religions. There is absolutely no reason to assume any hypothetical settlers would follow past governments.