The greatest misconception and misunderstood phrase involving the - TopicsExpress



          

The greatest misconception and misunderstood phrase involving the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment and the Treaty of Tripoli are as follows; 1st. Amendment; prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. The Treaty of Tripoli; (in part) As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Mohammedan] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries The First Amendment guarantees to the American public that their government will never be allowed to endorse any religion through legislation, regardless of population or will of the majority. As such it also guarantees the individual the ability (right) to practice what ever faith they deem acceptable provided that doing so causes no harm to another or violates any of the other inalienable rights that each and every one of us are born with. It is further note worthy that all the Founding Fathers were in agreement and deliberately set in our Constitution Laws fit for a good and just people to govern themselves with as little interference from the Federal Government: Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, They may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty. They will only exchange Tyrants and Tyrannies. Letter to Zabdiel Adams (21 June 1776) While our country remains untainted with the principles and manners which are now producing desolation in so many parts of the world; while she continues sincere, and incapable of insidious and impious policy, we shall have the strongest reason to rejoice in the local destination assigned us by Providence. But should the people of America once become capable of that deep simulation towards one another, and towards foreign nations, which assumes the language of justice and moderation, while it is practising iniquity and extravagance, and displays in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candour, frankness, and sincerity, while it is rioting in rapine and insolence, this country will be the most miserable habitation in the world. Because we have no government, armed with power, capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Oaths in this country are as yet universally considered as sacred obligations. That which you have taken, and so solemnly repeated on that venerable ground, is an ample pledge of your sincerity and devotion to your country and its government. -Message to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts John Adams October 11, 1798 The Treaty of Tripoli Simply put the Treaty expressly states that as a Country/Nation, the United States is not a Theocracy as in a Government founded and based on a specific religion like ancient Israel at the time of Judges, The beginning of the Roman Catholic Church & the Inquisitions or any of the Muslim Caliphates or Islamic nations themselves and so on. At no point in this Treaty does it state that the American people are atheists or otherwise devoid of religion or an acknowledgement of a Higher/Superior Power, Being or God. The Treaty only meant to signify to the Arab/Muslim peoples of the Barbary Coast that the American people through their Government would not tolerate the pirates that had been raiding our commerce lines and would make war on them for our protection and that of our interests. In doing so we wanted it to be known that this defensive action was not to be seen in anyway as a religious war or Crusade similar to what Europe had been doing for Centuries with the Muslim/Arab people as our Country (a Constitutional Republic) was totally new and different from any that had ever existed before, Our government while comprised of good and Godly men from various denominations within Christianity (and other religions) was not itself aligned with any religion and its actions would never be based or dictated by any religion - period. ..long winded -thats a given with me, Am I accurate is the crux of this argument.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:41:08 +0000

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