America Is Christian:
Manifest Destiny,
And All That
Ned Dibble
From: "Ned Dibble"
To: "Cliff Walker" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: America the Christian Nation
Date: February 27, 2002 3:19 PM
So I hear that all you godless atheists are getting your knickers in a knot now that the righteous indignation following the 9/11 thing is fomenting the idea that America is a Christian nation. Well, dad gummit, I'm here to tell you that it is!
Just who do you think it was that imbued the pioneers with the righteous license called Manifest Destiny? I tell you right here that without feeling good about cutting our way through those unchurched Indians America would be just a few settlements surrounded by Indian Casinos! America is land, and lots of it! Land appropriated through the permission of our good American clergy and don't you forget it.
Never forget that Democracy was around for hundreds of years before our savior walked the earth. Greek culture had been around Palestine since Alexander pushed through so of course Jesus knew about democracy! He just knew that He could never be King of the Jews and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven if He proposed an election. He was the son of God! Democracy frowns on nepotism except in the case of Dubya. Prince of Peace has a nice ring to it. Try to win converts to the Cabinet Minister of the Republic of God and you'll see what I mean.
Would Constantine have handed over stewardship to the Western part of the Roman Empire to a Democratic sect? Huh? Our Savior knew this and kept His council until He saw His time was ripe. This is proof that America is anointed by the Father and the Son as their chosen people! Proof that His wonders still happen today! Certain Atheist writers have suggested that feudalism, the choice of Christian Nations before we founded America, is not identical to democracy. However, they are the same in the eyes of the Lord. So there. Those who say that the engine behind America's strength is the middle class and their opportunity for achievement forget that the middle class also go to church. That Christianity does not actually encourage the aspirations of the middle class is historical and not important.
We have welcomed Christians of every stripe to our shores so none of your lip about Christian exclusivity and American diversity being at odds. Could that be a Bible that Lady Liberty is holding? I think so!
And one more thing. Just because the founding fathers were not entirely Christian according to what they said, and wrote, and stuff, they still created a country that is now mostly Christian, so it's never too late to accept Jesus.
I think I'd better take my tongue out of my cheek now. I think I bit it!
Ned Dibble
p.s I really appreciated the thoughtful exchange we had back in November (Tunnel of Light in your mail file) and Bill Garrett's welcome addition. I notice that you addressed the same topics earlier in your letters file so thanks for rehashing for me.
Cliff replies:
I will rehash the same material afresh for each writer because that, to me, is the dignified way to do this. I just hate a Forum section that's nothing but "See this file; see that file." Rather, if I rehash it, you will get what I've learned since the last time plus you'll get how I'm feeling about it today, plus I may detect a slightly (or pronouncedly) different tone in your question which will reflect in my response. Besides, if most of our readers today are new, they didn't catch the original, and so it's all new to them!
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