The Minds of Our Founding Fathers vs Todays New Age Thinkers......Who Do You Trust ? Part I: The State . . . Part II: The Federal Level

I received the brunt of this information in an E-Mail from a friend so I dont feel right not passin' the credit. If they read this post and dont mind me calling them by name, I will be more then happy to add their name to the blog. This has been on my mind for quite some time and it may take several updates and additions to get it all down, so stay with me if you will.....

Now that current policy calls for our National Day of Prayer to be "a private thing" and it is no longer P/C to mention God , have the Ten Commandments posted in our public buildings/ courts of law, not to forget to mention prayer in school , a few questions arrise that I feel should be addressed by the people that want these changes to take place.

Below are explicit references to God from all 50 state constitutions along with my first couple of questions for the new age thinkers or simply just unbelievers.

If God doesnt exist and is to be removed from all public bastions of our lives, when are they going to start redoing all of these historical documents ?
It would be silly not to change all of these constitutions and remove God from them since He never existed and/or is no longer needed or wanted.

By what authority do these people make these demands ?
If God doesnt exist, these documents arent worth the paper they are printed on and the rights that you were endowed with by "Your Creator" and use to speak against Him, dont even exist. Therefore they have no right to even speak out!

Changing history,or trying to do so, brings about problems that these open minded,free thinkers may not have figured out yet. Maybe they just havent thought of the problems yet and this blog will help get the ball rollin' so to speak..........


Alabama 1901, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution..

Alaska 1956, Preamble: We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.

Arizona 1911, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Arizona , grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution...

Arkansas 1874, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Arkansas , grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government....

California 1879, Preamble: We, the People of the State of California , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...

Colorado 1876, Preamble: We, the people of Colorado , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe...

Connecticut 1818, Preamble: The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy.

Delaware 1897, Preamble: Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences...

Florida 1885, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Florida , grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution...

Georgia 1777, Preamble: We, the people of Georgia , relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution...

Hawaii 1959, Preamble: We , the people of Hawaii , Grateful for Divine Guidance ... Establish this Constitution.

Idaho 1889, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Idaho , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.

Illinois 1870, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.

Indiana 1851, Preamble: We, the People of the State of Indiana , grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.

Iowa 1857, Preamble: We, the People of the St ate of Iowa , grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution.

Kansas 1859, Preamble: We, the people of Kansas , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble: We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties...

Louisiana 1921, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Louisiana , grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy...

Maine 1820, Preamble: We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction...

Maryland 1776, Preamble: We, the people of the state of Maryland , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty...

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble: We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction ...

Michigan 1908, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Michigan , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this Constitution.

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings..

Mississippi 1890, Preamble: We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.....

Missouri 1845, Preamble: We, the people of Missouri , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . Establish this Constitution...

Montana 1889, Preamble: We, the people of Montana , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution ...

Nebraska 1875, Preamble: We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . Establish this Constitution...

Nevada 1864, Preamble: We the people of the State of Nevada , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V : Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience...

New Jersey 1844, Preamble: We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors...

New Mexico 1911, Preamble: We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty...

New York 1846, Preamble: We, the people of the State of New York , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings...

North Carolina 1868, Preamble: We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those...

North Dakota 1889, Preamble: We , the people of North Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain...

Ohio 1852, Preamble: We the people of the state of Ohio , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common...

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble: Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this...

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2: All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences.

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble: We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance....

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble: We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing...

South Carolina 1778, Preamble: We, the people of he State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

South Dakota 1889, Preamble: We, the people of South Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ...

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III : That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience...

Texas 1845, Preamble: We the People of the Republic of Texas , acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God...

Utah 1896, Preamble: Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.

Vermont 1777, Preamble: Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ...

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI : Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other ...

Washington 1889, Preamble: We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.

West Virginia 1872, Preamble: Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God ...

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble: We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility...

Wyoming 1890, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Wyoming , grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution...


AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

While the facts are there for the naysayers to rebut the beliefs,or lack there of, of some of the authors of our earliest documents as for the government being established and their limited roles in our lives, even they understood the importance of the drive toward freedom from religious persecution. Why didnt Jefferson include the importance of his unbelief , as the author of the Declaration of Independance ?
It is Jefferson who is credited with propagating the phrase "separation of church and state". He cut and pasted pieces of the New Testament together to compose a version that excluded any miracles by Jesus. While opposed to the institutions of organized religion, Jefferson repeatedly expressed his belief in God and his admiration for Jesus as a moral teacher. Yet.....

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This portion from the Declaration has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history". The passage has often been used to promote the rights of marginalized groups, and came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive. This view was greatly influenced by Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy and promoted the idea that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.

Or "Publius" himself, Alexander Hamilton, father to the Federalist papers, along with Madison and Jay, who had an "opportunistic religiosity" at best ?

Let me close this part tonight with but two more examples of what was important to some of our more believing founding fathers.......

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. . . . . . .
...The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government : of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
.....Lincolns Gettysberg Address

Last but certainly not least in his farewell address........

Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

.......George Washington, First President of these currently, semi United States of America.

You can keep your Chopra, Moore and Lerner types, even tho their stuff will end up in the fiction section and not the Historical section. It is your choice, because of the religious freedoms that were and are being fought for, not because you feel that you are right....or wrong, whichever the case may be. We cant allow the current moral faux pas to undo hundreds of years worth of honor and tradition just to make some more comfortable in their current unhappyness. This country was founded because of the need for religious freedom, not for those free of religion, to push their views, hidden under the cloak of religious freedom.

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Comment by Snake Stewart on May 26, 2009 at 19:31
Do you really want your government running your beliefs? I think not. I think what this movement wants is to have their beliefs run our government. But, newsflash, we are not and never have been and never will be a theocracy.
Just my humble opinion.

btw, none of your quoted preambles say WHICH GOD? Is it Allah? Jaweh? My god? Your god?


Sorry, Had to come back to these.........

You are kidin' right ?
This "movement" that you refer to has been here for centuries. The movement away from values has only become real popular with the masses of late.

Theocracy...n., From the Greek - theokratia 1. government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.

You got the current administration pegged, sister ! (LOL) Aint nothin' divine coming outta that camp!

With all the confusion you seem to be having figureing out which God is real, it's a wonder you can even muster the strength to post as eloquently as you do and precisely why I dont care to have anyone, whether they be........Baptist, AOG, Lutheran, Presbyterian , Catholic, Agnostic, Athiest or whatever else some care to call themselves, jackin' with the constitution. Government cant even figure out government ! They should leave the "divine stuff" to you and me, kid. Have a good one. I have missed our debates and hope to continue this one.
Comment by Snake Stewart on May 26, 2009 at 17:33
it never has been appropriate to post religious beliefs in public offices....This is so simple, so basic, so fundamental to our free society that it just blows my mind that you or anyone else thinks that YOUR rights are violated if YOU are not allowed to POST YOUR beliefs in a public building.
(Quote)

I didnt write any of these constitutions. I am only 43.:-)

What part of the 4000 year old Ten Commandments, the "Standard" by which most of our laws were originally based, constitutes the mind bending, mood altering, sickness inflicting, forced religious worship that you elude to ?

Even so, the questions still remain unanswered, if you feel the need to grapple. This isnt about my beliefs, it is about the founding fathers feelings and their historical words.

Was it the founding fathers intent, to allow future unbelievers, to dictate the meaning of religious freedom ? I think not but if they would have had any idea that this country would have headed in the direction that we have , they may have added additional protections that they may not have felt even needed mentioning at the time.
If it mattered how tax dollars had been spent, or how much blood was spilled & lives lost down through the ages, I would be willing to wager that much more has been paid by people that arent offended by the Ten Commandments placement in our halls of justice.

But each time I have to read and to hear someone else's faith, witness, and prosthletizing in a public building, such as a courthouse, my place of WORK NOT WORSHIP, it offends MY BELIEFS. Yet, I nowhere "post" my beliefs in a public place so as to offend anyone else's.(Quote)

Isnt that what your post just did ?(chuckle,chuckle)

All I know is that if more people, whether "Religious" or not, upheld the principles represented by the document in question, your place of "work" would be a much nicer place to have to work in.
Comment by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on May 26, 2009 at 14:35
KB should take comfort in the fact that it doesn't mention a specific God. It seems to me that the context of the separation clause indicates that the government was attempting to protect the church from the Government and not the Government from the church. The founders welcomed the virtues that faith and religion brought to the public institutions...which religion is a whole nother issue unrelated to this discussion, probably more of a sociological one, the evidence, absent a view that the constitution is an evolving documentband intent has no place in the discussion, seems to be clear in pointing to a place for God in our public places.

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