Gilley organizing Country Crossing rally

My bottom line - this area is made up of many different people of many different faiths (and even people of no faith at all).  Why should one particular belief system decide our secular laws?  As I typed earlier, I do not need a keeper.  Neither do most of my neighbors.  We must be allowed to decide for ourselves whether we want to play bingo.  I can’t believe this has become such a controversy.

To post a follow up to my previous statement:

#1 Should begin stating, “Our founding fathers were MOSTLY deist not Christians.“

About 40% of our founding fathers fall under the Christian denomination. i apologize for the error…

Name a couple and show the qoute that they called themselves a Deists which is different from saying a Christion believes in the Diety of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  (By the way, it is proper to capitalize God for those of you on this board that didn’t learn that.) I’m sure since you say most of them profess to be that way you should have no problem posting the qoute and where it came from.  Cuting and pasting is fine, it proves your sources and is nothing to be ashamed of, after all none of us know everything.

About Washington not having a opinion when concerning religion, you need to reread his qoute at the bottom of my post.  The Bishop was clearly mistaken since it was in Washington’s own handwriting.

You’ve been watching too many history channel docudramas and should pull open some actual writings from these men.  They most certainly refered to Jesus, again reread my post and the qoutes listed and you’ll see it is correct.

You may also want to know that George washington Held Christ in such High regard that he most likly did not metion the name out of fear of profaning him by accident.  Many belived that way in the up through the start of the victorian era.  You’ll find it explained here,:http://www.positiveliberty.com/2007/07/washingtons-creed-and-historical-ideology.html

“In over 20,000 pages of Washington’s recorded writings and speeches he mentions the words “Jesus Christ” exactly once — in a speech given to the Delaware Indians which was not even written in his own hand and point-by-point restated what the Indians requested. The Indians indicated they wanted their children to learn the religion of Jesus Christ and Washington responded with “You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.” In one other public speech — the 1783 Circular to the States — GW refers to “the Divine Author of our blessed religion” which probably was Jesus. Other than that, there exist no identifiable instances of Washington using the words “Jesus Christ” or talking about His person. And in none of Washington’s private letters does he talk of Jesus or use the words “Jesus Christ.”

Here is how Dr. Gregg Frazer responds: “It is almost inconceivable that a sincere believer in the deity of Jesus who accepted him as the Christ would never mention anything about such a belief to friends or family in correspondence.” Ph.D. Dissertation, 165.

Indeed, Thomas Jefferson talked much more about Jesus, praising him as a great moral teacher, which Washington never did.

Lillback’s response: Washington refused to talk about Jesus because he held Him in such reverence he didn’t want to risk profaning His name. He further stated that deist or unitarians were actually more likely to casually talk about Jesus because they didn’t fear such.“

“You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention; and to tie the knot of friendship and union so fast, that nothing shall ever be able to loose it.“
SPEECH TO THE DELAWARE CHIEFS
Head Quarters, Middle Brook, May 12, 1779. Doesn’t sound like a deist to me….

check this out, his peers and people that wrote about his character and manner all had no doubt he was a Christain. 
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g011.html

The name of Jesus Christ is not mentioned even once in the vast collection of Washington’s published letters. He refers to Providence in numerous letters, but he used the term as a synonym for Destiny or Fate. Bishop White, who knew him well for many years, wrote after Washington’s death that he had never heard him express an opinion on any religious subject. He added that although Washington was “serious and attentive” in church, he never saw him kneel in prayer.

MaryM,
I think we can agree who our founding fathers were it is a matter of fact now let’s see if they really were Christians?  Several were ordained and attended church services weekly. 
John Adams and John Hancock:
We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775]
John Adams:
“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress
Samuel Adams: | Portrait of Sam Adams
“ He who made all men hath made the truths necessary to human happiness obvious to all… Our forefathers opened the Bible to all.” [ “American Independence,“ August 1, 1776. Speech delivered at the State House in Philadelphia]

John Quincy Adams:
• “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?“ “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity”?
—1837, at the age of 69, when he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Benjamin Franklin: | Portrait of Ben Franklin
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 | original manuscript of this speech
Alexander Hamilton:
• Hamilton began work with the Rev. James Bayard to form the Christian Constitutional Society to help spread over the world the two things which Hamilton said made America great:
(1) Christianity
(2) a Constitution formed under Christianity.
“The Christian Constitutional Society, its object is first: The support of the Christian religion. Second: The support of the United States.”
John Hancock:
• “In circumstances as dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments, … “A Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, with a total abstinence from labor and recreation. Proclamation on April 15, 1775”
Patrick Henry:
“Orator of the Revolution.“
• This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry
“The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.”
Thomas Jefferson:
“ The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.”
“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.”
“I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.“
James Madison
“ We’ve staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart.”
“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” [1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia]

James McHenry – Signer of the Constitution
Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures. The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they bear, which produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness. In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions. Bibles are strong entrenchments. Where they abound, men cannot pursue wicked courses, and at the same time enjoy quiet conscience.
Thomas Paine:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”

Noah Webster:
“ The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow [Source: 1828, in the preface to his American Dictionary of the English Language]
“The Bible was America’s basic textbook in all fields.” [Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5] “Education is useless without the Bible” [Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5 ]
George Washington:
Farewell Address: The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion” ...and later: “...reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle…“
“ It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.”
“What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.” [speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779]
“To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian” [May 2, 1778, at Valley Forge]
During his inauguration, Washington took the oath as prescribed by the Constitution but added several religious components to that official ceremony. Before taking his oath of office, he summoned a Bible on which to take the oath, added the words “So help me God!” to the end of the oath, then leaned over and kissed the Bible.
Maybe you should do your homework before posting????