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Interpreting apocalyptic literature as truth verbatim is not only stupid, it's dangerous.

But it does make for some pretty wild art

Most of them if not all believed Christianity to be a perversion of the original teachings of Jesus.

They would not be happy to see where this country has gone.

I suspect, we'd disagree strongly about particular aspects of today's America, that the founding fathers would've been most unhappy about:

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become corrupt as in Europe
Thomas Jefferson

But this one more step further off-topic...

I also am going to take the opportunity to remind the Slashdot community that a good percentage of our founders were not fundamentalists, and emphatically supported the concept of separation of church and state. I also would like to share the fact that it has been a practice of late for the religious right to spread misconceptions on this topic.

Christian revisionism
Here or here about your founding fathers.
I suppose the formerly conservative supreme court is now liberal because they wont allow an Alabama judge to activily endorse the christian religion.

Other than the people who got shipped over in chains (african americans), starved out (americans of irish descent during the potato famine), were here before us (latinos/american indians), sent to serve out prison sentences, or just wanted a better life, I would hazard a guess and say very few came to the US exclusively because of religious regions.

Well, there is always the Hanky Code. Christians have adapted it to their own needs.

I'm sure we could develop a business-oriented and geek-oriented hanky code as well. No batteries required.

They must stop this madness now!

Do you think I want children 'researching' oral sex, or discusting masturbation in a public library? It is completely evil!

If this doesn't go past, you will automatically start to see bums jacking off in libraries!

Or gay rings in public schools!

We Must Put a Stop to This!

This holy law must be passed!

I would say that "Creator" is much less of a specific term than "God." Although it does indeed indicate spiritual leanings, it does not in any way necessarily indicate the judeo-christian religion.

Although it does in some sense indicate a belief in a generic higher power, i far prefer it to the alternative that Eisenhower stuck into the Pledge of Allegiance. If push comes to shove, i'll say that my Creator was whatever star or stars that fussed together the carbon and oxygen that make up my body.

this is a hell of a lot deeper than anyone here seems to realize. Judeo-Christian faith is the basis which the government was built on. it is the history on which the nation was founded. you can't simply strike it out. i don't think they'd let you.

Wow, quite authoritative aren't you? And who wouldn't let me?

"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion"
-from Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, approved by Congress and signed by John Adams

"I have examined all the known superstitions of the word, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth."
-Thomas Jefferson

"I would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching His name to that book (the Bible)."
-Thomas Paine

Athiesm Awareness
Not a Christian Nation
Treaty of Tripoli

how about james madison?
or benjamin franklin?
john adamn, perhaps?
thomas paine?

http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/founders.htm
http://www.postfun.com/pfp/worbois.html

zing!

"The next thing you know it will be illegial or unlawful to utter the word 'God' in public"

The same law that prohibits the government from promoting any religion, prohibits the government from censoring any particular religion

"So much for the founding fathers with their Christian beliefs"

Nuff said!

Do you remember when that book Bible Code came out, and everyone thought for a moment that there were all these secret messages in the Bible... After a little analysis people applied those same techniques and found assassinations foretold in Moby Dick, prophecies in a MS access license, references to Bill Gates in Revelations (I'd believe that) and all kinds of stuff.

It's like crossing your eyes and looking at wall paper, amusing, but meaningless.

Thanks for the highlights of the book though Mr. Wheatley, now I really don't need to read it.

Here's an idea, why doesn't someone put up an explicitly illustrated bible web page, and wait unitl it gets blocked by the censorware. Then you can make then out to be godless commies, or something.

Here's a few freebies, you'll have to find the pics, though:

How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman's hands.
2
Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies.
3
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
4
Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.
5
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses.
6
How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!
7
Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
8
I said, "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9
and your mouth like the best wine. May the wine go straight to my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth. [1]
10
I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.

and for the pervs out there:

Judges 19:24-29 "Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel."

Thanks mostly to the XXX-rated Bible.

George

Also, see Dean Worbois' "The Faith of Our Founding Fathers" for various quotes; the founders of the US may have been mostly deists of various stripes, but they were definitely no admirers of the structures of organized religions.