Just One More Example of the Wisdom of Our Founding Fathers

Despite the Religious Wrong's hijacking of America's Founding Fathers for their own narrow purposes, (i.e., the indignant claim that the U.S. was founded on the basis of Judeo-Christian values, and therefore all law should be based on Scripture), the writings of many of these learned men and great thinkers speak rather frankly about their true intentions regarding religion's role in government--both in terms of its founding and functioning. I have provided the following few examples before, but I think they bear reiterating, given the kinds of crazy-ass public appeals some elected officials (and many a pundit on Fox and elsewhere) are making with regard to important Federal legislation.

"The United States of America is in no sense founded on the Christian religion."
--John Adams, Treaty of Tripoli (1797)


"In every country and in every age the priest has been hostile to liberty, he is always in allegiance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection of his own... History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government... Political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves [of public ignorance] for their own purpose."


"State churches that use government power to support themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths undermine all our civil rights...  Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society."
--Thomas Jefferson

The Daily Show has done many segments in the past regarding the inappropriateness of religion in government. I personally find satire one of the absolute best ways to illuminate just how dangerous it is for all of us when religion crosses into the realm of government. Here is the latest regarding health care reform.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-4-2010/the-med-menace