Opinion: Faith based roots of America

[BreatheUT]

The article on Fox News about when in 1956 the NYC skies were lit up bearing the 3 crosses of Jesus and the two thieves got me thinking about the values in the countries origins.

In my opinion if America never had faith based roots then this country NEVER gets off the ground nor has a chance to be what it is today. Imagine today's citizens as the ones we rely on to build a nation. It never happens so it should tell you all you need to know about the population and the America of tomorrow.

Anyone has any thoughts?

 

[EasternVol]

The article on Fox News about when in 1956 the NYC skies were lit up bearing the 3 crosses of Jesus and the two thieves got me thinking about the values in the countries origins.

In my opinion if America never had faith based roots then this country NEVER gets off the ground nor has a chance to be what it is today. Imagine today's citizens as the ones we rely on to build a nation. It never happens so it should tell you all you need to know about the population and the America of tomorrow.

Anyone has any thoughts?

Inheriting British legal, economic, and philosophical (e.g. rational thought) institutions, having our constitution, rule of law, abundant resources, good and accessible public education, beneficial immigration, aggressive territorial policies, fostering innovation, Europe destroying itself early-20th century, etc. were keys to our development.
I don't know that faith has propelled us to what the US is today. It certainly helps individuals deal with life. It can distract and retard us when the self-righteous feel compelled to impose their views on the masses.
I agree that today's citizenry would be very ill equipped to build a nation as the US was built. Then again we don't have to; we just need to maintain and improve what we've got.

 

[InVOLuntary]

I think Christianity fostered a moral base. That moral base has eroded away. Whether you believe or not, the basic moral base was things that were a generally good set of guidelines for people to live by. We as a country, a society have very little moral base. Anything goes pretty much.

 

[BreatheUT]

I think Christianity fostered a moral base. That moral base has eroded away. Whether you believe or not, the basic moral base was things that were a generally good set of guidelines for people to live by. We as a country, a society have very little moral base. Anything goes pretty much.

I think that lack of moral base will lead to self destruction. It's one thing to acknowledge we are imperfect and ask for forgiveness knowing we cannot meet the Savior's standard. It's another to deny Him. That appears to be happening more and more as a country.

Happy Easter to all! He is risen!

 

[InVOLuntary]

I think that lack of moral base will lead to self destruction. It's one thing to acknowledge we are imperfect and ask for forgiveness knowing we cannot meet the Savior's standard. It's another to deny Him. That appears to be happening more and more as a country.

Happy Easter to all! He is risen!

It's been a slow decline until recently. It seems to be exponential now.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

I think Christianity fostered a moral base. That moral base has eroded away. Whether you believe or not, the basic moral base was things that were a generally good set of guidelines for people to live by. We as a country, a society have very little moral base. Anything goes pretty much.

Fundamental morality long predates Christianity.

 

[865er]

Weird giving faith any credit for our country success, or entire civilization, when slavery was prob the main reason.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Fundamental morality long predates Christianity.

Agree, but do you not think it was religion based? My point was whether you believe in God or not, the basic tenants of Christianity were a good moral foundation. And to add, Christianity was the predominant faith when this country was founded, by a good margin.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

Agree, but do you not think it was religion based? My point was whether you believe in God or not, the basic tenants of Christianity were a good moral foundation. And to add, Christianity was the predominant faith when this country was founded, by a good margin.

Law was created for and written by man, no matter how you spin it. It was mass distributed by religion.

Most of the western world was Christian back then. Times change. The Puritans of the 1500's would see the Christians of 1776 as heretics. Likewise, the Christians of 1776 would see Christians today as false.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Law was created for and written by man, no matter how you spin it. It was mass distributed by religion.

Most of the western world was Christian back then. Times change. The Puritans of the 1500's would see the Christians of 1776 as heretics. Likewise, the Christians of 1776 would see Christians today as false.

What does that have to do with what I said? Christianity was the predominant religion when the country was founded. They set the moral foundation for THIS country. The moral foundation has deteriorated through the years. It is deteriorating at an exponential rate.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

What does that have to do with what I said? Christianity was the predominant religion when the country was founded. They set the moral foundation for THIS country. The moral foundation has deteriorated through the years. It is deteriorating at an exponential rate.

Because most Western countries were WASP's at the time. South American countries (then colonies) were founded by Christians. Their faith is more prominent now than ours is. How steady is their rule of law versus ours?

My point is that the moral terpitude isn't so much an issue of godlessness as it is an issue of decadence, population boom, socioeconomic disparity, and the quick disappearance of family stability.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Because most Western countries were WASP's at the time. South American countries (then colonies) were founded by Christians. Their faith is more prominent now than ours is. How steady is their rule of law versus ours?

My point is that the moral terpitude isn't so much an issue of godlessness as it is an issue of decadence, population boom, socioeconomic disparity, and the quick disappearance of family stability.

And all those things were because they drifted from God. Those morals were established in religion. As religion has decayed so has society. There is a definite correlation.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

And all those things were because they drifted from God.

They haven't. Venezuela is nearly 90% Christian, and it's the most dangerous place in the America's. Mexico. Brazil. Same deal.

Those morals were established in religion.

The Code of Hammurabi, which covers the majority of basic law (really, the first recorded moral code) was written by man and distributed to his subjects through Babylonian religion.

Laws are based in man. They are created by man. They are enforced by man.

As religion has decayed so has society.

Some of the darkest times in human history have been overseen by religious dominance. I'd rather live in today's world than any of the crusades.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Those country's you mentioned aren't ruled by Christians. They're ruled by ruthless dictators. The truth of the manor is that subscribing to moral principles it requires adherence to rules. People don't want to adhere to rules so they move away from what requires rules. The decay of society is because they've moved away from. GOD.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Weird giving faith any credit for our country success, or entire civilization, when slavery was prob the main reason.

Somebody threw a truth turd in the punch bowl.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

Somebody threw a truth turd in the punch bowl.

Neither are exclusively attributed to our immediate success. Geography, agriculture, philosophy, and geopolitical landscape in relation to time are all bigger factors

 

[bignewt]

Weird giving faith any credit for our country success, or entire civilization, when slavery was prob the main reason.

Hey those slave owners were good Christian folk!

 

[InVOLuntary]

Hey those slave owners were good Christian folk!

Always count on Newt to trash on Christians. It's like crack cocaine. Gotta have his fix.

 

[TNVOLNAVY]

The article on Fox News about when in 1956 the NYC skies were lit up bearing the 3 crosses of Jesus and the two thieves got me thinking about the values in the countries origins.

In my opinion if America never had faith based roots then this country NEVER gets off the ground nor has a chance to be what it is today. Imagine today's citizens as the ones we rely on to build a nation. It never happens so it should tell you all you need to know about the population and the America of tomorrow.

Anyone has any thoughts?

Pretty simple. When society determines what’s right and wrong instead of God’s word, there is no limit on which behaviors can be deemed to be acceptable.

 

[BreatheUT]

Pretty simple. When society determines what’s right and wrong instead of God’s word, there is no limit on which behaviors can be deemed to be acceptable.

Government = god. Government becomes the deity, the false prophet.

 

[utvolpj]

Pretty simple. When society determines what’s right and wrong instead of God’s word, there is no limit on which behaviors can be deemed to be acceptable.

Then God should speak up occasionally and stop spending all his time answering Facebook prayer requests

 

[volgr]

If the Sun unleashed another Carrington type event, crippling worldwide electrical grids, people would find God real quick.

The ease and convenience of life today has made many think THEY are God.

 

[hog88]

If the Sun unleashed another Carrington type event, crippling worldwide electrical grids, people would find God real quick.

The ease and convenience of life today has made many think THEY are God.

LOL

 

[LouderVol]

The article on Fox News about when in 1956 the NYC skies were lit up bearing the 3 crosses of Jesus and the two thieves got me thinking about the values in the countries origins.

In my opinion if America never had faith based roots then this country NEVER gets off the ground nor has a chance to be what it is today. Imagine today's citizens as the ones we rely on to build a nation. It never happens so it should tell you all you need to know about the population and the America of tomorrow.

Anyone has any thoughts?

I think its a myth we have faith based roots to this country as far as how its supposed to operate, or who created it.

if you were looking for general terms to define the FF, Christian would probably be the fourth one on the list. they were the free thinkers, rabble rousers, polymaths/scientists of their time. They were the liberals of the time, and part of that is that they were less faith based than their contemporaries. we look back at them as Christians because compared to people today they are relatively more Christian than us, but that doesn't make them or the government they created Christian.

They had a Christian background/upraising but that doesn't inherently mean our nation has faith based roots. Especially considering we were made up of individual states dominated by different denominations that couldn't peacefully live together in Europe based on the difference in the various Christian flavors. and also you have the small matter of separation of church and state included in our constitution. it would seem like if we were faith based that faith would be defined in some manner. at least Faith as far as being tied to a deity in an operational sense. Or even to recognize "God" if we couldn't agree on a particular faith.

There isn't anything in the formation of our government that speaks to a particular faith, or even being comparatively faithful vs any other nation. You don't have to believe in God or Vishnu to say murder is wrong. You don't have to be faith based to say the government has no right for unlawful search and seizure. They fought a war of freedom against the figure head of an organized religion. a representative democracy/republic has no faith based ties. we clearly weren't treating the least of us as equals, or adding any faith based justifications/explanations to anything we did.

 

[volgr]

I think its a myth we have faith based roots to this country as far as how its supposed to operate, or who created it.

Bible reading in schools and later public schools when they were established, were common in the founding generation and throughout the 1800s. Hell, a few New England States still had a State church after ratification (hint, because the Bill of Rights didnt apply to States).

The seperation of church and State and its intent, have been completely perverted.