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I get it, The United States is not a Chiristian nation on the Books. Why is it that Christian politiciand always get away with passing laws that favor Christians and churches exclusively without being automatically removed from office?

Why do Chirstian politicians get away with it? What can be done to stop them?

The United States does favor Christians and does let churches, priest and politicians get away with about anything when it comes to religion including state sponsored bigotry and discrimination!

So now what?

DavidLaDeau 8 Feb 15
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12 comments

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1

Well just because its not a Christian nation doesn't mean they're not allowed to institute some of their religious lifestyles into law, and technically the government is not supposed to favor or reject anyone's lifestyle over the other, they're supposed to check and balance.

They may not be legally allowed to implement religion in the government yet every day there are serious attempts to do so. Often they get away with it.

@DavidLaDeau. Oh no, they are legally allowed to implement sone aspects of their religion into the government, just not all aspects of their religion.

@JFishburnVelazq That is the problem. In addition they try to impliment things that are not legal.

@DavidLaDeau
No, they're allowed to implement some, not the entire religion itself because that would mean harming people of other religions which the Government is not allowed to do. Laws that have some religious aspects to it can get pass, like anti-abortion laws, but laws like stoning someone who doesn't believe in a particular religion is not allowed to get passed.

1

As we used to be constantly reminded in church "God's law always trumps Man's law" so when a Christophillic law is passed in the secular courts it is because Gawd wants it there.
Praise the Lard!

1

Under the constitution the government can not favor any one religion. Can you name any laws that favor Christianity? If there are any they should be challenged in court.

Politicians want to win favor with the voters, and for that reason there are some government policies and laws that facilitate religious groups. You have to remember that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not hostile to religion and have no objection to the word “God” being uttered or stamped on coins. They have no objection to congressional prayer breakfasts or to tax breaks for religious groups. Many people consider religion to have a positive influence on society and there is some evidence that it does.

I myself have no objection to those kinds of religious involvement and I don’t believe that they are prohibited by the constitution. In a democracy you can’t have everything your own way.

"In God we trust" and "One nation under God" does not outwardly favor Christianity but it does exclude Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheist/agnostic, and to a certain extent Islam in that God is not their name for him. Not to mention Vikings or Pastafarians

@273kelvin Good point. I can see that Buddhism is given short shrift. It would be hard for them to say the pledge of allegiance with sincerity. Seems to me they have grounds for a lawsuit. And of course atheists are in the same boat. If you can get it changed I won’t object.

I’m not sold on the others because “God” has an equivalent translation in their languages. You wouldn’t expect a Frenchman to object by saying it should be “Dieu”.

@WilliamFleming In which Hindu God would trust? Not to mention Scientologists etc. Admittedly "God" is quite all-encompassing but only for monastic religions.

@273kelvin Brahma, that contains all the other gods and the entire cosmos.

So far as Scientologists, they can kiss my ass. I don’t know anything about these Vikings but I suppose they must worship Woden if they are true to the name.

@273kelvin One must distinguish the Constitution from the legislation passed in the state houses of 50 individual and separate governments, as well as that of the Nation. Motivated by a surge of anti-Communist fear, and supported by many religious organizations, "In god we trust" was added to our paper currency, as well as the term "Under God" inserted into the pledge of allegiance in the 1950s. State capitals have passed even more religoiusly motivated bills. As of this moment, our Constitution does not reference or acknowledge a deity--in other words, it is officially agnostic.

@p-nullifidian The UK is different as in we have them inside the tent... They have a few guaranteed seats in the lords which are mich weaker than your senate. So they get their say but no power.
The recent time they brought something up was in response to the current crisis in Ethiopia "As a bishop, I feel that it is incumbent upon me to raise the subject of locust plagues"

@273kelvin Having lived in Europe for several years, I recognize the distinctions. However, as an anti-monarchist, I am revolted by the concept of a 'sovereign' who is both head of the state, as well as the Church of England. And yet, one must ask, which circumstance is to be preferred: a nation with a consititutionally mandated indifference toward religion or a deity, yet filled with zealous religious organizations and leaders who wield great political power, versus a nation with embedded religious institutions and leaders who appear to have been neutered, politically?

@p-nullifidian You have the 2nd amendment to protect you from an elected dictatorship. The monarchy fulfills the same function here. No ayatollah can usurp the church, no general can organize a coup as they all swear allegiance to the queen.
The odd one was Bulgaria. After the fall of the USSR and their satellites. The king came back from exile and stood as president on the condition that he abdicated all rights to the throne and would only serve one term in order to help with the transition. He got elected and I asked a Bulgain guy I worked with what he was like? "Well, he was okay at 1st but then he sent too long playing playboy with King Juan Carlos in Spain. That said he was a lot better than the corrupt bastards we have had since"

1

We sue, again. Its endless, it is the dying gasps of the religion in our society, but those holding power do not like to relinquish it, that is why its dangerous.

Support your ACLU, they are suing for you.

2

Oh come on: A slight search of the record shows that our founding citizens (fathers) were Freemasons and Freethinkers not christians
Our politicians certainly have unchristian satanic values; foreign wars
If ANY other organization had the Pedophillic reputation of the Roman Catholics , they would NEVER be allowed to minister to children.
Politicians pander to christianity ONLY because they are. a voting constituency.

3

"The hinge that squeaks the loudest gets the oil" - Mao.
Democracy does not automatically reflect the views of the majority. Apart from the inbuilt checks and balances designed to reduce the chances of mob rule. You have the influence of lobbies. These do need a majority in the same way that control of a company does not necessarily need 51% of the shares, in some cases 21% is enough.
At its best, it can give a vocal minority redress to amend laws that oppress it. For example (I talk about the UK here because I can vouch-safe for my knowledge of the subject.) In 1968 under pressure from the minority and the legal profession itself, the UK made it legal for 2 consenting adults over 21 to have gay sex. If you had conducted a referendum on this? I doubt if it would have passed. Later in the 80s when attitudes had changed the conservative govt lowered the age to 18. A few years later Labour gave gays equality and made it 16. Then we got civil partnerships leading to full equal marriage status. The point is that if you had asked for a majority decision on this at any point in the correct choice? It would not have passed.
But that is at its best. At its worst big money controls the shots. Also, not all pressure groups are reforming. If enough people get together and shout loud enough their voices will be heard. That does not mean their cause is right, only that they speak in unison.
The church gets a lot of oil in the US because it squeaks very loudly. Agnostics and atheists are by their very nature not great joiners. where are opposition gathers to hear pontiffs tell them "the truth", we generally at home reading a book. This is why sites like this are very important for the USA in particular. It is only when there are not only votes but the vocal assertion of those votes is heard, will those with an eye on power listen.

1

Most everything in this country is about MONEY!

Christianity close behind.

@jlynn37 True, but only because of the votes.

@Sticks48 In my opinion, by the ignorance and gullibility of the population.

@jlynn37 50% of the country have an IQ in double digits. What do you expect?

4

Not just christians, freedom of religion is enjoyed even by the weirdest beliefs like scientology.

Yes but Scientology have found to their cost waving the freedom of religion card in court only works if you a 10 million plus registered voters backing up your claims.

@LenHazell53 whatever, as you say it is Yes, no buts apply though, all religions enjoy freedom of religion, all of them.

@Mofo1953 Legally yes, but in practice no, for example witchcraft was only accepted as a religion in the USA in 1973 because of religious pressure, The Satanic Temple fought for the legal and Tax exempt status and was recognised as a religion in 2013, the much older Church of Satan has never sought that status but gained it when the Temple did by association.
Scientology has only been recognised as a religion in the USA since 1993 (2013 in the UK) and there has been an ongoing campaign to revoke that status ever since owing to their blatantly criminal activities such as operation snow white.
Indigenous American religions were not recognised as such until 1978 and some up to the 1960s where outrightly banned.
The Unification Church (Moonies) though technically recognised as a church has none of the benefits of such and has been continually prosecuted for tax evasion since 1982 by both the state of New York and the federal treasury.

So as Orwell might have put it All religions are equal, but some are more equal than others.

@LenHazell53 i don't want to go on with this crap ad infinitum, legally yes period. No more comments from my side.

3

Money buys power.
It's all by design.

2

Power

twill Level 7 Feb 15, 2020
2

I still think they buy their way into immunity.

3

Politicians get away with stuff even worse than that. It's only another brick in the wall.

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