That is not what I said. I said that her response does not address the points I've offered against your assertions related to Ron Paul and his views about faith.
You have gone to say that Ron Paul believes in using the government to promote his faith, and that is a complete, and I feel dishonest, misreading of the original quote and the further materials you have offered.
Declaring there is a "war on religion" belies what you are attempting to suggest.
The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion.
This is from "War on Religion" by Ron Paul.
It is a serious misread of the Constitution and the intent of the Founding Fathers. People who think this man a "strict constitutionalist" don't know what they're talking about. He's a strict "Ron Paul interpretation of the constitutionalist", nothing more.
"replete with references to God" .. how many times is God replete/abundantly referenced in the Constitution?
ZERO
Here's a copy of the Constitution posted on his own website. Search and find how many "replete" references to God there are. Don't accuse me of twisting his words when I'm giving you HIS words.
You tell me why he would lie to you and those he knows would not validate substance with rhetoric in such an obvious way?
"The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution"
The First Amendment ..
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
How easy was that to figure out?
He doesn't believe that government should be used to promote religion? .. He voted for school prayer (H.J.RES.78).
For fifty years, the personal religious freedom of this nation’s citizens has been infringed upon by courts that misread and distort the First amendment. The framers of the Constitution never in their worst nightmares imagined that the words, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech …..” would be used to ban children from praying in school, prohibit courthouses from displaying the Ten Commandments, or prevent citizens from praying before football games.
His own words .. yet none of that is true. There simply are no laws or court rulings in effect that “ban children from praying in school, prohibit courthouses from displaying the Ten Commandments, or prevent citizens from praying before football games.” Children can pray in school. Courthouses can display the Ten Commandments. Citizens can pray before football games. These actions are not only legal, but sanctioned by the federal courts.
Are you aware of his bill HR 4922 which would have emptied all cases pertaining to the first amendment religious establishment clause from the court system and prohibited the federal courts from considering or ruling on any more of them.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.4922:
If passed, Ron Paul’s bill would have removed judicial review from all laws having to do with the use of government resources to proselytize for particular religions. In order to solve a series of fictions that do not correspond with observable fact, current law or Supreme Court rulings, Ron Paul would have removed the only vehicle for religious minorities to check the power of the government to shove the religious agenda of religious majorities down their throats.
Fortunately, like almost everything else he proposes, it went nowhere.
No. I celebrate Chanukah, and that's my right. But we are private citizens and not members of the State. And neither is it wrong for someone else practicing their Christianity, or praising the values of Christianity for providing a positive influence on a free society.
There is no attack on Christmas and the "state" is not engaged in an attack on christians. That's just bullshit .. and anyone can feel free to parise the value of christianity as others can say they don't believe that shit. This so-called "christian" nation just attacked and mass-murdered hundreds of thousands of innocxent people including women, children, and babies. What he's preaching is bullshit.
[uote]I think Ron Paul would agree with you. And liberty and freedom also means being able to speak and think freely and maintain a free society where people may do that as they wish.[/quote]
I agree with freedom and liberty but people cannot do as they wish. there are responsibilities to living in a modern grown up society. Laws and government exists because Man needs to be governed. WSe have a responsibility to our elderly, our veterans, our children, our society, and the world.
I am in such a position because I am able to appreciate the philosophical context of these statements is one of liberty and non-interference in people's affairs, as opposed to the State favoring one belief system over another. That's why I, even as a non-Christian, am able to look at these remarks and say: Yes, I agree.
With all due respect I doubt if you're more intellectually or analytically more gifted than anyone else here, including and especially Darla. What we do here is offer our opinions and perspectives, not sage-like guidance to wisdom. I wish no part of Ron Paul's idea of freedom or liberty. If you do, have at it, but again, you are in no position to admonish anyone about knowing.
It seems that if you disagreed with his original statement that you presented as some kind of evidence against him, that your only implied argument is that you believe our morals should come from a public source rather than a private source. I'm required to take such a bad policy seriously when it's proposed and oppose it.
I believe that morals should come from your parents, your family, and the wisdom of history. Public vs private .. that's semantics used to escaoe dealing with the reality. I haven't said a single word about "public".
The problem for Paul supporters is once you get beyond the idealism there is nothing there. Once you look into Ron Paul, there is nothing there but a frail old man selling snake oil.