There are, in fact, two references to religion in the US Constitution and they both have the word "NO" in front of them. Article IV states that there shall be no religious test in order to hold public office and the First Amendment states that Congress shall pass no law respecting the establishment of a religion nor restricting the free practice thereof. Various states did have laws against heresy and blasphamy many of which remain on the books unenforced today, however, and there was a famous attempt by Patrick Henry to reestablish the Anglican/Episcipalian Church in Virginia. The most popular sects of Christianity which seem to have so much influence today, however, such as the Pentecostals, really didn't exist until at least a century after the Constitution was written which was, of course, 1800 years after Jesus or any of his disciples walked the Earth. Of course lacking any historical and legal basis might be a problem for rank and file Evangelicals, however, intelectuals within the Christian Dominionist movement freely admit that their aims are antidemocratic and essenially involve the use of government tyrany to hasten the second comming of Christ ...
Good to know these things. I'm glad the constitution was written back then not when these guys were in power. Without it, they might have had it their way by now. 'United States of Jesus' i don't know where i heard that before, must be a joke or smth.
There are, in fact, two references to religion in the US Constitution and they both have the word "NO" in front of them. Article IV states that there shall be no religious test in order to hold public office and the First Amendment states that Congress shall pass no law respecting the establishment of a religion nor restricting the free practice thereof. Various states did have laws against heresy and blasphamy many of which remain on the books unenforced today, however, and there was a famous attempt by Patrick Henry to reestablish the Anglican/Episcipalian Church in Virginia. The most popular sects of Christianity which seem to have so much influence today, however, such as the Pentecostals, really didn't exist until at least a century after the Constitution was written which was, of course, 1800 years after Jesus or any of his disciples walked the Earth. Of course lacking any historical and legal basis might be a problem for rank and file Evangelicals, however, intelectuals within the Christian Dominionist movement freely admit that their aims are antidemocratic and essenially involve the use of government tyrany to hasten the second comming of Christ ...
ReplyDeleteGood to know these things. I'm glad the constitution was written back then not when these guys were in power. Without it, they might have had it their way by now. 'United States of Jesus' i don't know where i heard that before, must be a joke or smth.
ReplyDelete