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OPINION

Nation should return to its Christian heritage

Sunday, November 15, 2009
(Updated 3:00 am)

On Oct. 16, you published a letter that I found offensive. The writer was putting down the displaying of the Ten Commandments and showing respect for God in our schools.
Our country was started by pilgrims coming to America to get freedom to worship God in their own way. The Founding Fathers fought for this freedom. Our most precious documents, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, mention God throughout. Our money says “In God we trust.” The Ten Commandments are engraved in some federal buildings.

The writer says you wouldn’t want your child, if he was in Muslim Nigeria, to be forced to recite the Quran or bow to Mecca. So, therefore, we shouldn’t be allowed to display or respect the godly principles our country was founded on. This is not Muslim Nigeria, but the United States of America.

Our country has been blessed more than any in the world. It’s a shame America has turned away from its Christian roots. As we turned away, crime has increased. “Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.”

Susan Griffith
High Point
 

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J D R

November 15, 2009 - 3:08 am EST

Did you hear what the President did?

He took a Bible and cut it up - getting rid of the parts he didn't agree with including removal of the miracles of Jesus ... left 'em on the cutting room floor so to speak .. Then he rearranged the Divine Word of God in a matter more to his liking!

J.M.W.

November 15, 2009 - 11:25 am EST

Did he cut out the part about Ham being cursed? Did he take that out of context and have the first-born of swine slaughtered? Did his realization of being covered in pubic hair prod him to get rid of public hair as churches do with women? Is God now black? Is He a democrat? Do chariots have rims? Is God Allah or Jehovah? You can't be both. Does Rexella Van Impe reveal her youthful secrets? Let me know.

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 1:14 pm EST

"Is God Allah or Jehovah? You can't be both" Sure He can.

I'll let you answer the rest of your own sincere questions.

J.M.W.

November 15, 2009 - 2:07 pm EST

I've never seen in the Bible where we get 72 virgins if we whop our heads upside a skyscraper. Which book is that in?

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 6:11 pm EST

Rom 1:18
Rom 1:32
Zeph 1:18
Isa 66:15-16
2 Thes 1:8-9
Jer 21:14

et. al.

Panacea

November 15, 2009 - 9:23 pm EST

Romans 1:32 (New International Version)

32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Where in this scripture are the 72 virgins again? Rom 1:18 also doesn't mention them. I quit after that since these quotes don't seem to say anything to support whatever it is you are trying to prove.

J.M.W.

November 15, 2009 - 10:45 pm EST

J D R is trying to win an argument through intimidation. Yep, if he says it, it must be true. Nice try...

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 11:25 pm EST

yea that's it .. I post a really really hard to verify source ... knowing there's no way you could ever authenticate ...

... or maybe there's another reason .. like while the Good Book doesn't say 72 virgins the Bible offers multiple references to nasty things inflicted on non-believers ..

... of course the Koran doesn't say 72 virgins either .. although is does promise "young full-breasted maidens" ... I post that source too but it to is really really hard to verify and there's no way you could ever authenticate ...

Panacea

November 15, 2009 - 9:23 pm EST

JMW: silly boy, it's 72 Virginians. ;D

Lakeshia

November 15, 2009 - 3:38 am EST

It is contended by many that ours is a Christian government, founded upon the bible, and that all who look upon that book as false or foolish are destroying the foundation of our country. The truth is, our government is not founded upon the rights of gods, but upon the rights of men. Our constitution was framed, not to declare and uphold the diety of Christ, but the sacredness of humanity. Ours is the first government made by the people and for the people. It is the only nation with which the gods have had nothing to do. And yet there are some who are dishonest and cowardly enough to solemnly decide this is a Christian country, and that our free institutions are based upon the infamous laws of Jehovah.
Robert Ingersoll - 1832

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 7:28 am EST

Dang Lake-She-a .. I thought you were actually expressing a reasoned thought ... then "Robert Ingersoll - 1832" popped up at the end.

Regardless - Mr. Ingersoll is not totally accurate ... Some Greeks had "government made by the people and for the people." .. in fact citizens were required to be representatives ... didn't work out perfect wich is one reason the Electoral College was installed - to place a learned and reliable buffer between "the people" and those running the country.

Before that were many other by-the-people for-the-people societies - lesser known but some even more successful - the American Native Indian tribes being good examples .. they were also commies too .. and let's not forget the earlier-and-hardier Eskimos.

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 7:33 am EST

... and who was Robert Ingersoll anyway? I've never heard of him:

Robert Ingersoll - "19th century American orator, famous atheist, free thinker, proponent of liberty and women's rights, opponent of slavery, crusader against superstition, champion of separation of church and state; lawyer, patriot, politician." Fair to say he was one of those danged LIEburals, Heck he even believed in Evolution.

I also think is it very accurate to say the Founding Fathers .. at least most .. were not atheist.

Voice of Reason

November 15, 2009 - 4:24 am EST

Non-Christian = criminal. If I were easily offended I'd say that was offensive. I'd also wager there are more than a few US citizens of faiths other than Christianity who find it very offensive, and rightly so. In fact, I'm fairly confident that nearly 3/4's of the criminals in the United States would classify themselves as Christians.

Interested

November 15, 2009 - 7:36 am EST

There is absolutely nothing preventing you from getting up out of bed every morning and worshipping in your home. You are free to go to your house of worship as often as you wish to offer up prayer and praise. If you want to "go back" to your christian roots, you are free to do so in your own way, in your own time, in your own home. I believe that most writers on this subject are really suggesting that they want to make that same choice for all their neighbors as well, and as the writer stated, this is the United States of America. You don't get to make that decision for others, nor does the government.

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 8:46 am EST

"I believe that most writers on this subject are really suggesting that they want to make that same choice for all their neighbors as well ... "

I agree ... but Joel's Army disagree's with me:

"The focus of attention [is] the earth, rather than the eternal heavenly kingdom. The blessings of God are now, instead of rewards later. The nations and all people are to be Christianized. Taking the nations for God will be accomplished by becoming an army fighting a war against spiritual hosts of wickedness and driving them out of the land. With our newly discovered powers that are taught by the new leaders (apostles and prophets) we can now bind and loose the wicked ones and punish evil."

http://endtimepilgrim.org/latterrain.htm

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 8:48 am EST

Speaking of Eskimos .... let us not forget Mr. Palin - a card carrying Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) member until 2002

http://www.akip.org/

... with the AIP being at least "a friend and ally" and perhaps even de facto Alaska affiliate of the Constitution Party

http://constitutionparty.com/news.php?aid=973

"The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Providence as we work to restore and preserve these United States.

"This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been and are afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.

"The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.

http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php

J D R

November 15, 2009 - 8:43 am EST

... there's a bunch of folks who hung out in Phila circa 1776 .. now spinning in their graves.

Yvonne

November 15, 2009 - 8:20 am EST

I am proud to be a true Christian, one who believes in live and let live. I am not offended nor threatened by the religious beliefs or lack thereof of others. To each their own. What offends me greatly is others thinking it is OK to put me in a christian box and dictate what my behaviors are. My religious journey is between me and God, not me and the rest of the world. If more people practiced minding their own business, rather than trying to mind that of others, we could actually get along better. While I am addressing the letter writer, if we (globally) applied the attitude of tending our own business, the world could not help but improve, imho.

GHSWhirlie1974

November 15, 2009 - 12:59 pm EST

true Christian? live and let live?...i dont think true Christian when i hear that, i think instead a true secular fundamentalist...live and let live entirely takes grace out of the equation...

Panacea

November 15, 2009 - 9:28 pm EST

In what way? Christ preached tolerance. Turn the other cheek. Yvonne's points are well taken.

GHSWhirlie1974

November 15, 2009 - 9:52 pm EST

"live and let live" is another way of saying that there is no absolute truth....as in my truth is my truth, your truth is your truth and we will be cool if you just stay in your yard with your truth and i will stay in mine.

so out of years of study of the Old and the New Testament that the one thing I should have heard so loud and clear is "live and let live" and that is so because Jesus preached tolerance and to turn the other cheek?...

I believe God made a New Covenant with the Gentiles because His own Chosen people preferred to practice "live and let live" instead of taking God's Word to the ends of the earth...God prefers you to be either hot or cold, not lukewarm..."live and let live" is about as tepid as it gets..aka comfortable christianity...

Panacea

November 15, 2009 - 10:55 pm EST

Really? When I read the Bible, God made the New Covenant in fulfillment of prophecy made in the Old Testament, not because the Israelites were live and let live (the Pharisees showed many Jews were anything but live and let live).

I'll take tepid Christianity, as you put it, over hot. I'm much less likely to violate the rights and freedoms of others that way. Christ also said that the one shouting his piety on the street corner was not of Him.

GHSWhirlie1974

November 15, 2009 - 11:42 pm EST

please explain to me how you will serve Christ and live daily as a model of God's grace and do so with a live and let live "strategy".... i sincerely am interested to hear how you make that work since obviously you know i cant see any chance that it could/would....

and also please explain how does sharing and furthering the truth of God's Word violate the rights and freedoms of others?....

greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world...and more, you are to wear the armor....satan is very pleased that you would choose to live and let live...that makes his work here that much easier...

Yvonne

November 16, 2009 - 10:22 am EST

"greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.."

It seems you are contradicting yourself Whirlie. Greater is He (capital H as in Christ) that is in you than he (lower case h meaning mortal man) that is in the world. To me, this says it is better to have Christ within oneself than mankind screaming Christ's praises in the world.

But you are totally off base with your interpretation of my live and let live statement. Where you came up with the analogy of "you stay in your yard with your truth and I'll stay in mine with my truth", I can't figure out. What I was clearly saying is your truth and my truth does not have to be the same in order for us to behave like adults and get along. It is not up to me to try to deny you your truth in order to accept you and and accept we see things differently. Likewise, it is not your place to deny me my beliefs.

If one must be a carbon of your beliefs in order for you to accept them and their truths as being their own, it seems rather unchristian-like thinking to me.

As I said, my spiritual journey is between me and God just as your journey is between you and whomever or whatever you believe in.

GHSWhirlie1974

November 16, 2009 - 11:47 am EST

why do you have to scream His praises and even if you do, whats wrong with that?...a street preacher can witness for Christ, but live and let live is no witness and does not further His kingdom nor spread His Word....you are to do battle with Satan and your PC only furthers Satan's work here...

just please explain to me how you mix live and let live with your service to Christ and modeling His grace?....now i understand that since you and your walk are a private affair between you and your God that service and grace could not be a part of your witness and walk...maybe you have arranged a special deal that is a win-win for you and your God...

he = satan....the one who is very pleased that you are working for him with your live and let live strategy...

God loves you as much as me as much as anyone and everyone and it is His desire that you should know Him...if you choose not to share Christ and stay in your yard privately with Him and do the live and let live thing i am saying you are lukewarm for Christ and He will call you on that and you will have to answer for that...you know very well you are either to be hot or cold for Christ.....

is your yard on a river in egypt ?

Yvonne

November 16, 2009 - 4:29 pm EST

Whirlie,

If you think standing in judgment of those you know nothing about and your own attitude of it's my way or no way wins any souls for Christ, you are only deluding yourself. If you were, indeed, a scholar of the Bible, you would already know this.

GHSWhirlie1974

November 16, 2009 - 5:04 pm EST

you call yourself a "true cxhristian" because you live and let live, and i say that doesnt add up.....a true Christian shares her faith, and live and let live is diametrically opposed and opposite to sharing your faith...

it is clear you practice lukewarm,comfortable, politically correct christianity....you know enough to be dangerous to others who dont know....

Yvonne

November 16, 2009 - 11:04 pm EST

"and i say that doesnt add up."

Say whatever you want. You saying something doesn't make it true or factual.

Beadbaby

November 15, 2009 - 8:27 am EST

I think any government that tries to tell its citizens what to believe or disbelieve is wrong. Theocracies of any sort are oppressive. We've had theocracy in America, and it didn't work. Look at the Puritans.

And remember, religion and ethics are two different things. Teaching people to be more ethical and more concerned about other people is perfectly okay in my opinion.

mawmaw

November 15, 2009 - 9:06 am EST

Well said Yvonne and Beadbaby...part of our economic problems come from greedy folks doing "legal" things which are totally unethical.

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