?
why or why not?

if that means one recognized religion then no.America is all about the freedom to worship as you choose.

This should be in a religous forum

yes because its the best way to be.

oooops, you are right. sorry all

The (U.S.) federal government is secular but most state governments are not.

should canada be secular with respect to religion?

Secular means not religious.

Exactly.

hmmmmm

when this country of ours finishes reaching with the momentum of itspresent course to make our government the sloe provider of renumerable componsation for services rendered through entitlement theology, then we shall know just how correct the the present course of action is.

At present, half of the citizevry owes its allegiance directly to the governemnt for its very paycheck, and of course, this half is going to vote for leaders that promise to maintain that course of action in the hopes of procuring their own leisurely entitlements at the hand of this faceless giant.

pucker up, kiddies.

such a god as this is not the benevolent dictator so sought.

but that which you must, so do.

As for me and mine, we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice in Him.

^ Excerpted.

Are you getting this statistic by including governmental workers in that number, or just welfare?

i wont answer you because you never answered me back on my post so there -

not welfare. I wish it were that and not what it is.

the half of the economy is getting government paychecks or paychecks from governemnt contracts.

seek and you shall find.

by the way, are we not taught not to bite the hand that feeds us?


irony.

And you're suggesting that we denounce government money and instead rely on a paycheck from God?

Should America be secular in regards to religion? No, in that the people in this country have a fundamental right to worship (or abstain from worshiping) as they see fit. The citizenry therefore should never be secular as a rule or even as an idea.

The government on the other hand (yes, we are the government but since we elect officials to make decisions on our behalf I trust everyone will forgive the distinction) should in no way be religious--as an entity. There is absolutely no reason for such nonsense.

Any government attempting to practice, promote, or direct any sort of dogma or religion will soon be unable to serve their primary purpose which is simply to protect the right of her citizens to practice as they wish. Government is to secure, not promote.

Of coarse one has to walk past the nonsense that this nation was founded by a large group of "Christian" men. It wasn't, because they knew better. Whatever faith they might or might not have practiced they understood that those things should be the function of the church with the state there simply to ensure that those who were drawn to faith were free to practice that faith.

-Drew

now now.

don't be hasty.

you will get your penny from God, in due time.

might I suggest that you vote the democratic ticket and apply for a cushy governemnt job?

you certainly have no clue what I am saying.

good luck in your job search.

Darn, you said it first.

"As long as there are tests in schools there will be prayer in schools."

I'm disappointed (not the right word, but surprised isn't either) in people who want "quiet time" for Christian prayers (and there may be similar Hindi or Islamic accommodations requested, but I'm spacing right now) in schools, but don't want to give equal time to other religious believes that practice differently. From the above quote, I think you can get my primary position.

I don't think they can really stop you, why draw attention to it?

I sense that you're trying to make a point, but you're being extremely indirect about it. Are you implying that the Democrats are prone to giving away cushy government contracts?

sure. right along with the republicans.

but the historical statistics follow a curve.

more democratic leanings towards bigger government and more government employment and entitlements goes hand in hand with the outcome in the voting booth.

Bush started unwinding those jobs and deleting them and many democrats lost their jobs, but government payrolls shrank too.

whatever else he has done, is not excused by me, but it reflects the backlash that turned the congressional houses over to the democratic ticket.

I don't care if Obama is president or not, but it will be fun to watch Nancy Pelosi puppeteer the levers of governemnt from her seat, more so than the emasculations due to accompany Obama in his delusional thinking that he can move the legislatures to further his own agendas.

What a joke.

The democrats wil only restore Clintonesque socialism. NO one is surprised by that.

CApital will conmtinue to flee this country.

no one should be surprised by that.

Dividends paid and inflated stock prices and commodity prices will not abate, and that is not a national treasure trove, it is a global grab now. So, who would be surprised that abrogation of our constitutional laws is not also emasculated and subserviant to the bottom line in ownership of industry. The captains of industry answer to the shareholders, not the American public.


Hmmmmm

maybe this thread doesn't belong in the religion chat forum, after all.

God isn't in this country's rules and reguylations, but he is in the hearts and minds of many of it's citizens.

after all, the topic is about secular humanism, to some degree, isn't it?

So where will that lead?

Indications are clear to me that man based charity is one of the goals of both socialism and secular humanism.

No need for God when the State controls the benevolence, eh?

God can be outlawed quite easily from public discourse, and religious freedoms will no longer be a discriminatory prejudice free of protections from government when being considered or not as the soundness representative of the job applicant any longer, among other things.

I dwell on whatever is lovely and pure and of good report, can't you tell?

Apparently, I think n9one of those attributes are evident in the present public dsicourse. LOL

Soon enough, I may be quieted.

maybe not.

But tin the meantime, this country is headed towards receiving the fullness of its own requests as representative form of government and not the federal republic which it was.

When it is bankrupt, look for the holders of the mortgage to call in the collateral.

English will not be the language spoken and civil liberties will not be those enjoyed whileyet still marginally protected by the predominance of Christian influence.

Where you or anyone stands in that regard is immaterial to the point I am making regarding this thread.

But where we go, this country goes.

where the voter takes it, is where it goes.

and when the voter is voting to retain one's job more so than doing what is good for other than oneself, then we no longer have a CVhristinan influence holding up this country to God.

It is the Chridstian influence of giving to others and receiving not again but from God, our own portion, that has made this country great.

But it precisely the absolution of such selfless dedication to greater principles of honor and integrity that are no longer fashionable in this country.

And on the way out.


In the end, this experiment may very well end dismally; this, the American Experiment.


Either way, red or blue, the country is black and blue.


Just as religios zealots pit themselves against one another, so do secular zealots.

and in the heat of the moment and in the passions of the dreams espoused do the most marginal of aspirations catch the sleeping by surprise.

It will not be christians that are run off to play in the streets for the excesses and wrongs perpetrated as Christian influence over the centuries to the hurt of the licentiuous minorities without voice.

It will be the eradication of Christians enmass that will be the scapegoat for thefailure of secular humanists to be blamed for having given over the levers of power too late in the day.


Once the transfer is complete, they will cry foul.


Why?


Because the are void of the truth and this country chooses to embrace abandonment of all that was before.

Life is a struggle, and no man can say that he is entitled to ease, but when governments become too large and exercise too much control over the daily lives of their citizenry, then they have become too big to manage effectively and wisely anyway.

So, let's tax everything and tax it til it hurts.

Hey, great idea!

Let's try it again!

yeah, yeah, let's make those greedy fatcats share the wealth!

yup. that will work.

but don't forget one thing......

they are not bound any longer to this land.

There presence in the world goes to the highest bidder for their services.


let's not kid ourselves.

Business has easier markets than this over prtective and litigious environment that is called the United States of America.


I love my country.

I hate what is happening to it.

but abandon God.

Don't blame God as though God held it back from you all .

He gave it to you all to fend for yourselves with because you asked him for it.


Meanwhile, we that love the Lord and serve God will only see the next step as just another arduous step in an already precarious pilgrimage that includes reaching out to the lost and broken and maimed and abused.

Christianity may even have time left on the clock of man for an encore and be here for the godless when they are through learning their lesson.

now that I have written a book, just quiet it down and settle on it a bit.


I have been direct.

Whether you like it or not, take it as your answer.

mi lago.

This is easy.

The framers of our constitution knew how dangerous religious types were. (Don't give me that Christian nation $hit 'cause it isn't true)

What they sought for all citizens was religious freedom. So that no matter what you believed, or didn't beleive, you were still afford the rights of citizenship. (As long as you were white and a man but that's another thread)

This country was not conceived as a Christian nation but as one that offered safety to all regardless of personal beliefs.

-------------------------

For Wouldee "Bush started unwinding those jobs and deleting them and many democrats lost their jobs, but government payrolls shrank too."

Have you bothered to look at the facts? The government payroll is larger, the deficit is larger and there are billions of unaccounted for dollars lost in Iraq alone. Fiscally responsible Republicans agree that this administration has spent like a drunk sailor. ( I apologize in advance to all sailors)