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Posted by Grant in CO [66.129.51.243] on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 15:29:39 :
In Reply to: Re: God, Family and Guns posted by Will (in IL) [98.214.244.154] on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 13:21:25 :
Will, Thank you for your considered response. We may differ in our opinions, but I find you to be an honest person and I agree with much of what you have said. I want to respond to the "This country was founded in the belief of God (multiple religions)" statement. Here are quotes from Thomas Jefferson who was one of the principal framers of the Constitution for your consideration. People of many different persuasions formed this country and that is exactly the point. Grant
"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
"History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose. " — Thomas Jefferson to Baron von Humboldt, 1813
"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" –Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782.
"Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and importers led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus."
"The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves...these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ."
"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors." –Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823
"Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies."
"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature."
- Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat
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