Posted on Jun 3, 2015
Why do so many reject the religion and traditions that made our country the greatest country on Earth?
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Religion
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Our country was founded on the rejection of religious traditions. This country was founded on the idea that people should be FREE from religious influence because it undermines the fabric of a cohesive and inclusive society. This country isn't a Christian nation (though, by population you have a strong majority), it is a free nation that encourages religious freedom and the constructive conversations brought on by all different walks of life.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
It wasnt founded on rejection of tradition, but rejection of the crown to impose it.
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COL Ted Mc
SGT Darryl Allen - Spec; Contrary to popular belief America was NOT "founded on the idea that people should be FREE from religious influence because it undermines the fabric of a cohesive and inclusive society.". At one level (that of the suckers who were convinced to immigrate), the several colonies WERE founded on the idea that "WE should be free from THEIR religious influences and should be able to persecute THEM and freeze THEM out of positions of power and authority the way that THEY did to US.". At another level (that of the people who funded the colonies) America was founded on the idea that "This is a really good place to base ships that we can use to raid other people's colonies and steal their treasures.".
That's the reality and the reality doesn't detract one iota from the value of the concepts taught in the myth.
That's the reality and the reality doesn't detract one iota from the value of the concepts taught in the myth.
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Why can't people keep their religion to themselves and leave others to worship as they choose?
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LTC Bink Romanick
The more that you proselytize, the more people disengage from religion. Faith is an issue that should be kept to oneself.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
That's not true sir, I'm a Christian today because someone invited me to church. There are several that are Christians today because I've shared the gospel with them, and yes there are probably a few that I ran away. Not everyone rejects someone sharing their faith.
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SSG (Join to see)
SGT Anthony Rossi, that's wonderful for you. I am glad you've found something that makes you happy and gives you a feeling of fulfillment.
But-- many of us follow our own traditions and are equally happy with them, and it comes off as very rude to constantly have someone tell us we're wrong or that we lack "proper" fulfillment or whatever. It is disrespectful.
If someone decides they want to know more about Christianity, it is easy for them to find answers-- here or anywhere else in the US, with its abundance of churches. If someone asks, by all means share what you know. But please stop trying to force it.
But-- many of us follow our own traditions and are equally happy with them, and it comes off as very rude to constantly have someone tell us we're wrong or that we lack "proper" fulfillment or whatever. It is disrespectful.
If someone decides they want to know more about Christianity, it is easy for them to find answers-- here or anywhere else in the US, with its abundance of churches. If someone asks, by all means share what you know. But please stop trying to force it.
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I always wonder about questions like this. Many people look to the past to compare to the now. Problem is not everyone see's the same History as the person next to them.
If you pick and select tradition and religion, the US has had some amazing results. After WWII the United States grew exponentially due to a high manufacture rate that was incorporated into society and the emerging of the Cold War, which pushed American Idealism to its limits.
Problem was, we were still not that great. Our Past is checkered by a host of bad decisions, horrible traditions, and the ability to pervert religion for the sake of a few.
Using Manifest destiny (Divine purpose) as a rally cry, we conquered this nation from its native people, pushing them onto small tracts of land and saying that we wanted to assimilate them into us with no thoughts or cares of who or what they were.
The US was one of the last nations to outlaw slavery, and it took a Civil War to actually do it. Not to mention how many problems have we had with Civil rights for Minorities, women, Native Americans.
I hear my parents tell me how good everything was when they were kids, and I say it to the Kids now, my grandparents said it to my parents.
Quite looking in the past. This nation is great because we are looking to the future. This world is constantly changing. We need to embrace change and move forward. While looking into the past can give us an idea of problems coming, it can't predict the future.
Every generation has had their good moments and bad moments. You want good times.... Make them, this is your time now.
If you pick and select tradition and religion, the US has had some amazing results. After WWII the United States grew exponentially due to a high manufacture rate that was incorporated into society and the emerging of the Cold War, which pushed American Idealism to its limits.
Problem was, we were still not that great. Our Past is checkered by a host of bad decisions, horrible traditions, and the ability to pervert religion for the sake of a few.
Using Manifest destiny (Divine purpose) as a rally cry, we conquered this nation from its native people, pushing them onto small tracts of land and saying that we wanted to assimilate them into us with no thoughts or cares of who or what they were.
The US was one of the last nations to outlaw slavery, and it took a Civil War to actually do it. Not to mention how many problems have we had with Civil rights for Minorities, women, Native Americans.
I hear my parents tell me how good everything was when they were kids, and I say it to the Kids now, my grandparents said it to my parents.
Quite looking in the past. This nation is great because we are looking to the future. This world is constantly changing. We need to embrace change and move forward. While looking into the past can give us an idea of problems coming, it can't predict the future.
Every generation has had their good moments and bad moments. You want good times.... Make them, this is your time now.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
Many good point yet with all our progress we are less safer, and more insecure than in the not so distant past. Why with all our progress why do we feel afraid to leave our doors unlocked at night, or even during the day. I really am not sure if everything we have accomplished can be called progress.
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MSgt Robert Pellam
SGT Anthony Rossi I understand what you are saying and where you are coming from. We look to the immediate past and see a more innocent time. The 1990's were such a time. After Desert Storm, The USA was on a high. The economic growth was to the point we actually balanced our Federal budget. We seemed to have great relations with almost everyone in the world. on the home front it seemed like everything was going great.
Then we had 9/11and things seemed to spiral out of control. Wars, Domestic problems, national problems, it becomes almost a domino effect. Anything bad happening was highlighted and it seemed to get worse and worse right up to the present.
There was something else created in the 90's though, that I believe contributed to this problem. The Internet.
You see statistics actually show less crime now then in the 90's and 2000's. I believe Most of the problems come from Mass Media. The ability to stream information in real time is insane compared to how we got World, regional or even local news before. In my opinion, due to the research I have done, the reason we are where we at now is not because things are worse, its because the Media tells us we are so they can sell stories, or so A-hole on twitter can get 1000 likes, even if he stretches the truth. I think because everyone is able to push their opinion on others things seem worse then what they are. That is why I say the Future is in your hands. We have to stop listening to the countless drone voices telling us everything is bad, and show them and the world that we as individuals, as a society, as a people are Awesome!. Its not about the past, religion, or history. Its about us.
Then we had 9/11and things seemed to spiral out of control. Wars, Domestic problems, national problems, it becomes almost a domino effect. Anything bad happening was highlighted and it seemed to get worse and worse right up to the present.
There was something else created in the 90's though, that I believe contributed to this problem. The Internet.
You see statistics actually show less crime now then in the 90's and 2000's. I believe Most of the problems come from Mass Media. The ability to stream information in real time is insane compared to how we got World, regional or even local news before. In my opinion, due to the research I have done, the reason we are where we at now is not because things are worse, its because the Media tells us we are so they can sell stories, or so A-hole on twitter can get 1000 likes, even if he stretches the truth. I think because everyone is able to push their opinion on others things seem worse then what they are. That is why I say the Future is in your hands. We have to stop listening to the countless drone voices telling us everything is bad, and show them and the world that we as individuals, as a society, as a people are Awesome!. Its not about the past, religion, or history. Its about us.
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I think you do not know your history, maybe you "overheard" this and assumed it true?
This country was founded on religious persecution.
It was decided by our forefathers to allow freedom of religion to all.
They also made sure to keep a separation between Church and State for just this reason.
I applaud you for finding a religion that you comfortable with, but please refrain from attempting to shove it down my throat due to some hokey nonsense about "back in the day..." Back in the day, they hung young women for being a witch....
And you could say, "Hey! That was many, many years ago!" And is agree with you, but the mentality is still there.
If I don't conform to your idea of religion and America, I am a problem. Eventually, problems have to be dealt with, correct?
Get a grip. Your religion should be a private thing, not forced on others.
This country was founded on religious persecution.
It was decided by our forefathers to allow freedom of religion to all.
They also made sure to keep a separation between Church and State for just this reason.
I applaud you for finding a religion that you comfortable with, but please refrain from attempting to shove it down my throat due to some hokey nonsense about "back in the day..." Back in the day, they hung young women for being a witch....
And you could say, "Hey! That was many, many years ago!" And is agree with you, but the mentality is still there.
If I don't conform to your idea of religion and America, I am a problem. Eventually, problems have to be dealt with, correct?
Get a grip. Your religion should be a private thing, not forced on others.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
Fair statement. However I think the concept of all men being created equal is a pretty good concept which has its foundation in Christianity. I think we all like that concept. Without Christianity we would have a king, and this discussion we are engaged in would never happen. So, I support your objection to Faith, but that doesn't negate all the good faith has brought to our country. Thanks
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
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SSG (ret) William Martin
I am a Christian but don't pass judgment or assume the worse because of your past experiences. I will be honest, I don't care if someone believes in God or not. I don't care if they go to heaven or hell. You might assume certain things about me because of my conduct I display and if you ask, do so but if you don't like what I say, grow thicker skin. I have met atheists and Christians alike who lived with thin skin. Both could not handle that another person believed or lack belief.
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"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
--John Adams
In fact a good number of our founding fathers would disagree with the statement.
http://www.alternet.org/story/153727/5_founding_fathers_whose_skepticism_about_christianity_would_make_them_unelectable_today
--John Adams
In fact a good number of our founding fathers would disagree with the statement.
http://www.alternet.org/story/153727/5_founding_fathers_whose_skepticism_about_christianity_would_make_them_unelectable_today
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CPT Ahmed Faried
I'm not sure your quote implies the United States was founded to be a Christian nation. They are appealing to a higher power but the next sentence has them declaring from whom their authority to create the new nation derives from. And yes a majority of them were Christian, still doesn't mean they saw the country only in that religious lens.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
Actualy they did, However, they wanted these convictions to be personal and not mandated by the state.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
All men are created "equal" implies a creator. Religion is a way to accnowledge that creator. To throw off religion is to throw off the very foundation of our country. The founders never had the idea that we should abandon religion, on the contrary we would embrace it! The religion we should choose should no be governed by the state.
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SPC (Join to see)
Given the attitudes of some of the founders, I doubt as many of them would have made as many references to a "creator" if the had the same scientific understanding that we in the 21st century have.
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religion did not make this country great, not even a little. It was the blood, sweat and tears of resilient people over coming obstacle and moving forward that made this country great, if anything religion made the whole process harder.
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Amendment #1: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, ..."
To effectively answer your question, there was no need to continue to publish the rest.
To effectively answer your question, there was no need to continue to publish the rest.
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Is someone looking at Somalia as an example of perfect culture? What country are you talking about?
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The simple answer is because they do not believe it is true...
I'd also like to point out that Paganism made the Roman Empire the worlds most powerful empire for almost a thousand years, does that make Paganism even more true than Christianity? It was not until the Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire fully embraced Christianity that it crumbled and fell.
I'd also like to point out that Paganism made the Roman Empire the worlds most powerful empire for almost a thousand years, does that make Paganism even more true than Christianity? It was not until the Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire fully embraced Christianity that it crumbled and fell.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
it was Christian principle that have given us this freedom to speak openly on this site gentlemen. Thanks for your remarks.
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SSG (Join to see)
SGT Anthony Rossi You really should put some time and effort into trying to understand the enlightenment. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/
Prior to the enlightenment, Christianity wasn't a whole lot different from Islam with regard to freedom of speech.
Prior to the enlightenment, Christianity wasn't a whole lot different from Islam with regard to freedom of speech.
Enlightenment (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
The Enlightenment is the period in the history of western thoughtand culture, stretching roughly from the mid-decades of the seventeenthcentury through the eighteenth century, characterized by dramaticrevolutions in science, philosophy, society and politics; theserevolutions swept away the medieval world-view and ushered in ourmodern western world. Enlightenment thought culminateshistorically in the political upheaval of the French Revolution,...
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SGT Anthony Rossi
I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation. GEORGE WASHINGTON
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SSG (Join to see)
Wishing Gods blessings on a nation and wishing for that nation to officially adhere to a religion are two different things. I pray that God blesses this nation as well, that doesn't mean I want my own or any other religion to be a part of the State.
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Basically they don't know and are not educated on this countries history.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation. GEORGE WASHINGTON
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