We must remember that they create their own divisions between their selves and the rest of society primarily with the belief that THEY know what is best for all of us non-Christian heathens.
And that my friends is the foundation of fascism and oppression.
It is said that history is written by the victors. And we simply can NOT allow these obvious fruitcakes to rewrite history to reflect that ANY of the Founders of this Country EVER intended this country to have ANY position on religion other than to protect the right of the individual conscience to believe as they may.
Any other interpretation is simply an attempt to usurp authority for the purpose of subjugation, persecution, imprisonment, torture and murder.
PublicEye.org - Why the Christian Right Distorts History and Why it Matters
The reasons for the founders' decision - and this is important to be able to explain - is that they were operating on the broad principle of the rights of individual conscience. Mainstream historians note that early opposition to the ratification of the Constitution came from those who, like Jefferson, felt that the Constitution was insufficiently strong and clear on these matters. So in exchange for Jefferson and his allies' support for ratification, the convention penned the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
It took time to extend these rights fully to the states, and to make them real in the lives of all citizens. As a nation we are still working on it. But it was this founding right to believe as you will, to believe differently than the powers that be - and to change your mind - free from the interference of the state or unduly powerful religious institutions, that was the main original contribution of the framers of the Constitution and is a central part of the story of the nation.
And even as many will note that the Constitution perpetuated various forms of oppression - of women, slaves, and people who did not own property - this founding principle contained the powerful possibility for change. The right to believe differently (having disentangled mutually reinforcing institutions of oppression via the unity of church and state) made possible every advance in human and civil rights that has come since.
Here is where a marvelous fact emerges that should illuminate any narrative. The right of individual conscience and the ultimate ratification of the Constitution by the thirteen states was won because of the alliance between orthodox evangelical Christians of the day, notably Baptists and Methodists, and those influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, like Jefferson and Madison. For these strange bedfellows, the issue was not whether Christianity or religion was good or bad, although certainly many differed on the point. The issue was that individuals should have the right to believe as they will without interference from powerful religious institutions or the government. (emphasis added)
And a special thanks to Stupid Evil Bastard for the following quote on legislative attempts to rewrite history.
But first:
House Resolution 888,"Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as 'American Religious History Week' for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith."
House Resolution 888, sponsored by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA-4th District), seeks to rewrite American history to include a number of falsehoods perpetuated by Christian extremists. This should be of grave concern to every American atheist as well as anyone who values historical accuracy.
For many specific examples of the misinformation contained in H. Res. 888, see Chris Rodda’s excellent post at Talk To Action. It is long, but it really is a must read. Rodda has done an impressive job of debunking many of the claims contained in the resolution. Plain and simple, this is revisionist history intended to promote the “Christian nation” myth through deception.
For more information about the implications of H. Res. 888, talking points you can use when discussing what is wrong with it, and even a sample letter you can send to your Representative in Congress, see Bruce Wilson’s helpful post at Talk To Action. Contacting your Representative is especially important if he or she happens to be on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. You can find the letter I sent to my Representative here.
And why exactly should you care about any of this revisionist history stuff? Here are a few reasons:
- Revisionist history in the National Junior ROTC program
- Why the Christian right distorts history and why it matters
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the evangelical moment in American public life
- Christian reconstructionists are trying to take dominion in America—and they have powerful friends
- Beware the dominionists
- What is Christian nationalism?
You can also see my first post on H.R. 888, Christ on a Cracker.
