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

You Just Can't Compete Against Jesus

This past weekend, my school district held their Golden Apple Teacher of the Year awards banquet. Amazingly, 2 of the 5 finalists were teachers with whom I work. One in particular is a young man who teaches the Emotionally/Behaviorally Disordered middle schoolers in a self-contained class. He is very devoted to his kids and is a really great teacher.

Well, unfortunately (in my biased opinion), this particular teacher didn't win. The guy who won is a music teacher who claimed that he never wanted to even go into teaching until Jesus "opened his eyes" and showed him "the way." Now, whether he is a more exceptional teacher than my colleague I leave to the judgment of the panel who evaluated each finalist, but as another colleague pointed out to me on Monday morning, "You just can't compete against Jesus."

Quote of the Day:

"Bribes, believe me, buy both gods and men."

--Ovid

Atheist Humor--Part 3: Signs of the Times

And my personal favorite.....

Religious Views of Life

Taoism

Shit happens.

Confucianism

Confucius says shit happens.

Buddhism

If shit happens, it isn't really shit.

Zen

What is the sound of shit happening?

Hinduism

This shit happened before.

Hare Krishna

Shit happens, rama lama ding-dong.

Islam

If shit happens, take a hostage.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Knock, knock....shit happens.

Catholicism

If shit happens, you deserve it.

Protestantism

Let shit happen to someone else.

Judaism

Why does this shit always happen to us?

Rastafarianism

Let's smoke this shit!!

Agnosticism

What is this shit?

Atheism

I don't believe this shit.