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"We do not consider ourselves a christian nation", says Obama

Objective Voice said:
While I understand where Pres. Obama is coming from with his remarks, I think he would have been better understood and his words more readily accepted had he said something along the lines of "...while this country has a majority Christian following, we're not just a nation of Christians any more than we are a nation of Jews, Protestants, Catholics or Jews, but rather we are a nation founded under a Constitution that allows for freedom of religion..." and took it from there.

Of course, those who want to see him fall on his face will certainly try to twist his words around much as what's already happening with his comments concerning his familiarity w/the Muslin religion.
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Quoted for emphasis.
 
American said:
Liberal means you care about our founding principles as much as she does. Please, don't try to teach conservatives about the founding of this country. Liberalism is about the arrogance of knowing it better than the founders.
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Conservatism is the sheeplike view that the Founders were infallible demigods of reason who never disagreed. See how easy that was? Can you prove that America is a Christian nation more than it is a secular nation?
 
"One nation under God" does not specify which God
 
WillRockwell said:
"One nation under God" does not specify which God
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Lets not get started on that "One Nation Under God" bull****.

"We'll show them commies that we have god on our side, We'll put it on our money and in our pledge of allegiance to the flag! Yeah!"
 
USA is not a Christian nation by strict definition. We have some of the highest Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, you name it populations in the world.

We are though a Christian nation in every other sense.(basis of law, etc)

The President of the USA should not be denying what the USA is in order to pander to the beliefs of another part of the world.

Overall its a continuation of Obama policy 101.
"Talk Big and carry a toothpick"

Carter II
 
Triad said:
USA is not a Christian nation by strict definition. We have some of the highest Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, you name it populations in the world.

We are though a Christian nation in every other sense.(basis of law, etc)

The President of the USA should not be denying what the USA is in order to pander to the beliefs of another part of the world.

Overall its a continuation of Obama policy 101.
"Talk Big and carry a toothpick"

Carter II
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People always say we are a christian nation and reference our "basis of law"

Tell me what is uniquely "christian" about our basis of law opposed to say, Jewish?
 
Zyphlin said:
America isn't a Christian Nation, it is a Secular Nation. This is true by the very nature of the constitution.

I would have issues if he stated we were not a country rooted in Christian Beliefs, because that one is patently false. From numerous members of the founding fathers to the damn near majority of initial citizens that helped shape the foundations and bedrock of this country, this country's roots were founded on Christian thoughts and moral compasses. To say other than that would've been flat out pandering in my view; however saying we're not a "christian" nation is correct as we are not a nation directly sponsoring a particular religion.

And the thanks Chevy is for the Icon. I was looking for a DP friendly sized one of that one that would be good quality for a while now.
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I agree with your view of The United States being a secular nation. I do not agree that we could know for sure what people believed in who lived over 200 years ago. To say we do seems a bit arrogant to me.

I also do not believe that "this country's roots were founded on Christian thoughts and moral compasses." The United States was founded on the Constitution, and religious rhetoric was left out of it. Many state constitutions included religious clauses in them, but that does not mean their laws are based on them. Laws are based on common human desire, it just so happens that religion is based on the same thing.
 
Caine said:
People always say we are a christian nation and reference our "basis of law"

Tell me what is uniquely "christian" about our basis of law opposed to say, Jewish?
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"Nation" means the total society, not government.

There is noting uniquely Christian about our laws, but that isn't what "Christian nation" means anyway.
 
Laila said:
So i have to be a American to have an opinion on US??
So i assume Americans cannot now discuss Iraq, Iran or Europe seeing they are neither?

Like i would know anything? Do you deny anything i just stated as false?
The United States has a strict church state seperation, even you would know that no?
Christianity is not the defining feature of US, It's Constitution is. Oh and seeing i just finished a 2 year study into the US political system, i assure you i know something

Should i be worried a American has deluded himself into thinking US was founded on a religion?
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This is actually a popular misconception. The Founding Fathers never intended to create a separation of Church and state, strict or otherwise.

The same week that Congress enacted the First Amendment, they also allocated federal funds to hire a minister to handle morning prayers at the Capitol.
 
Jerry said:
"Nation" means the total society, not government.

There is noting uniquely Christian about our laws, but that isn't what "Christian nation" means anyway.
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if you read the 2nd line of the post I quoted you'd understand where my question came from.
 
I'm Christian (not "Christian) and do not believe that this Country is a "Christain Nation".

I think anyone who understands that this Country has something called "Freedom of Religion" would understand that.
 
RightinNYC said:
This is actually a popular misconception. The Founding Fathers never intended to create a separation of Church and state, strict or otherwise.

The same week that Congress enacted the First Amendment, they also allocated federal funds to hire a minister to handle morning prayers at the Capitol.
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Then why did they pass the First Amendment? It would seem to me that if they did not intend for a separation to exist, they would have included religious rhetoric in favor of it, or at least not allowed the Establishment Clause to get through.
 
Alex said:
Then why did they pass the First Amendment? It would seem to me that if they did not intend for a separation to exist, they would have included religious rhetoric in favor of it, or at least not allowed the Establishment Clause to get through.
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The Establishment Clause was passed because Congress didn't want the government to declare a particular religious sect as the new national religion. Members of minority Christian sects were worried that they would be forced to financially support another Christian sect. They weren't opposed to the idea of government supporting Christianity generally.
 
America is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious culture.

Until we pass laws that say that the only relgion allowed is the perverted version of "Christian" that the right-wing professes...we are not a "Christian" nation. Eye opener...I know.
 
RightinNYC said:
The Establishment Clause was passed because Congress didn't want the government to declare a particular religious sect as the new national religion. Members of minority Christian sects were worried that they would be forced to financially support another Christian sect. They weren't opposed to the idea of government supporting Christianity generally.
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That makes sense, but the clause is a blanket restriction on religion, not just everything not Christian. It does not state, "Congress shall pass no law respecting the establishment of non-Christian religions."

I am sure the people who drafted and supported the First Amendment were very well aware of how it was being written, and they wrote it the way it is for a reason.
 
disneydude said:
America is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious culture.

Until we pass laws that say that the only relgion allowed is the perverted version of "Christian" that the right-wing professes...we are not a "Christian" nation. Eye opener...I know.
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Who are you responding to?

Alex said:
That makes sense, but the clause is a blanket restriction on religion, not just everything not Christian. It does not state, "Congress shall pass no law respecting the establishment of non-Christian religions."

I am sure the people who drafted and supported the First Amendment were very well aware of how it was being written, and they wrote it the way it is for a reason.
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They wrote it that way because it was inconceivable to them that anyone could consider generic governmental support for Christian morals to fall within the description of an "establishment of religion." Society was very different back then, and a large part of the misconceptions that exist today come from trying to look at their words and actions from our modern perspective.
 
kaya'08 said:
YouTube - Obama In Turkey "We Do Not Consider Ourselves A Christian Nation"

First time ive heard an American PM say that :shock:
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We don't have a PM...

Also, we a majority Christian Nation, however, we are not a nation held to an Official Christian Religion. On that Obama is correct. He makes the secularist, the lefties who are embarrassed by this nations heritage... he gives them a tingle up their leg.

What's sad about this comment, is we a President doing his damnedest to disavow everything that has made America... America. And there are plenty out there, and on this board that cheer him on in this endeavor.

While many of you think this makes America look better in the eyes of the world, all I see, and I bet ya money, our enemies see us as weak. Weak nations are targets. Clinton made us look weak, Bush was seen as weak, and what did we get?
 
MrVicchio said:
We don't have a PM...

Also, we a majority Christian Nation, however, we are not a nation held to an Official Christian Religion. On that Obama is correct. He makes the secularist, the lefties who are embarrassed by this nations heritage... he gives them a tingle up their leg.

What's sad about this comment, is we a President doing his damnedest to disavow everything that has made America... America. And there are plenty out there, and on this board that cheer him on in this endeavor.

While many of you think this makes America look better in the eyes of the world, all I see, and I bet ya money, our enemies see us as weak. Weak nations are targets. Clinton made us look weak, Bush was seen as weak, and what did we get?
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So, informing the Turks that we aren't a nation of zealot Christians makes us look weak.


I'll bet you look up to Iran as the strongest country in the world huh?
 
Laila said:
The United States is not a Christian nation. It is one built on secular beliefs. There is a church and state seperation.
Don't mistake a country with a christian majority to mean it IS a christian country.
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There actually isn't a "separation of church and state". What there is is a constitutional law that prohibits the government from establishing a religion or from prohibiting the freedom to exercise any religion you choose.

Are we a Christian nation? Officially, no. We are definitely a nation with a Christian majority. Though, from that last data I saw Atheism or "no-religion affiliation" is coming up fast behind Christianity.
 
Caine said:
So, informing the Turks that we aren't a nation of zealot Christians makes us look weak.


I'll bet you look up to Iran as the strongest country in the world huh?
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You missed the point...

I love how you tossed int he "zealot" part, GG. I wonder, will the "hyper partisan" trolls come out against you? Somehow, I think not.
 
Nice to finally have a POTUS that knows what our country is about and what it was/was NOT founded upon. Bravo Obama! :)
 
MrVicchio said:
You missed the point...
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I think (maybe arrogantly) that everyone has missed the point. The video-clip is of an American President (representing a secular state) speaking to an Islamist leader (Erdogan) of another secular state - a leader who has been trying to rid his own country of the secular separation of religion and government established by Attaturk over 60-70 years ago.

Instead of commenting on how Obama is telling Erdogan what he doesn't want to hear - we have a few pages of interpretation of what Obama did or didn't say. What I would like to have seen is how Erdogan responded to Obama - I'm guessing he as lukewarm as his agenda is to Islamise Turkey although he also knows that won't get his country into the EU.
 
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