Quote:
Quote by: ZNFYRH  I wasn't sure if this belonged in Politics or Religion.
If you believe the concept of "inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence, can you also be an atheist?
Specifically, those rights are inalienable because they were endowed by our Creator. So if you don't believe there was a Creator, where does that leave you? |
Great Idea for philosophy or for the "human rights" forums, also poltical of course.
I think that the document was partly written so that it would be read by those over in England who claimed (at that time) that parts of the east coast belonged to the British, subject to their laws and supervision.
Being that England was influenced by the church of England those who drafted the document wanted to suggest that they were conducting the revolution and dratfing the document by a higher authority (Creator) rather then just for economical reasons, etc. To impress the British that they were therefore justified to do so.
They declaired in effect a "holy war". Which was in conformity with the traditional reasons for wars or land grabs.
Although the "God of nature" left open some room for expanding upon how England interpreted the word "Creator". (we have had that debate).
The documents were also written for those who had taken up residence here. Many who grew up in England were still believers in the Bristish religions and so the forefathers of those documents wanted to insure that the Chruch of England would not influence the politics here, or that areas here would not be ruled over by simular religious dogmas, but would be ruled only by the government the forefathers were creating.
Meaning that state government would not be controlled by the local religions that concentrated in a given area as the majority.
Although most of the originals who wrote the documents visioned that the country would be supervised by the intellectuals and those who could estabish the philosophy embodied in the laws in a wise, fair, and reasonable manner - logically. Or by whatever it is that inspired or created logical intellecturalism. The poltical ideas would be presented for peer review by the other intellectuals (educated men of good standing) and then, voted on. They expected that the farmers and others would vote for people who already were in good standing as educated leaders of the society, to represent them in the formulation of those laws and related political philosophies.
That is my personal persepective of the background for your question.
It is absolutly clear that the God of Moses who said "worship god with all your heart and soul" is not going to driect people to say "worship as you please, or don't bother to conform if you prefer". That would conflict with most of the Bible teachings. On the other hand they did not outlaw religion as Stalin did. Or even the "God of nature spiritualism" spoke about in some of the books which were being newly published back then.
If I may use a qoute from the lastest metaphysical movie "Ghost Rider" - re: "You can make a choice in life or let life make that choice for you"
Vote or don't vote.
Needless to say the Atheists play an important role in our society to insure we are never gain ruled over by a dominate religion. That is important, as long as they allow non-leaders to do "whatever" via a kind of "live and let live" attitude, as long as the non-leaders do not try to force their beliefs upon everyone else so that they in effect take on the nature of leadership.
So you have the right to take a black marker and to cross out the "religious sounding words" in your copy of those documents and to insert more secular concepts. Why? Because the Consitution said so.