A Quote for Thought

“I do not know whether all Americans have a sincere faith in their religion-for who can search the human heart?–but I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the whole nation and to every rank of society.”  (De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, I.2.9)

Is religion necessary for liberty to thrive?

“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but with his wrath?  Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just:  that his justice cannot sleep forever:  that considering numbers, nature, and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is among possible events:  that it may become probable by supernatural interference!  The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest.”  (Thomas Jefferson, Query XVIII, Notes on the State of Virginia)

So, will America be able to survive if we remove the firm basis of God from our nation? My believe is that it won’t so we need to bring God back into America.

~James Dalley

What’s the big deal in Iran?

Why are we so focused on Iran right now instead of keeping our government on the right track. Foundingbloggers.com on their front page had eight articles on Iran and seven on America one of which is Michael Jackson dying! I admit that Iran is a huge issue, but it is also a cover-up that people are using to get us to fight over Iran instead of Government Health Care, Paygo, and cap and trade!  America, we need to wake up and see the lie within our government.  We need to wake up to the real issues.  Gay Rights, isn’t a real issue, Abortion isn’t a real issue, Gun Control isn’t a real issue. The real issue is Communism/Socialism/Fascism Vs. Republic/Founding Fathers. We need to focus on getting new people into Congress, we need to get Founding Father Constitutionalists, not Democrats, not Republicans. We need good strong, sturdy, people whom we as the people can trust. America wake up and see the real issues.

~James Dalley

Problems with Public Schooling (Morals)

In today’s society we expect most to all children to go to a government run public schooling system. There are many problems with this system though, most of which are not generally discussed. My biggest problem with the public school system is that it no longer just teaches readin’, ‘rittin’, and ‘rithmetic, but it now teaches morals too! Milton Friedman who was a famous 20th century economist, and a Nobel prize winner in economics, said this:

“Public schools teach religion, too–not a formal, theistic religion, but a set of values and beliefs that constitute a religion in all but name. The present arrangements abridge the religions freedom of the parents who do not accept the religion taught by the public schools yet are forced to pay to have their children indoctrinated with it, and to pay to still more to have their children escape indoctrination.”

A modern day example of this is the teaching of evolution. Our kids are being taught that we all evolved from monkeys and that God doesn’t exist. Teachers may not say right out that God doesn’t exist but the overall result is to teach our children to be atheists. This can be seen in the increasing number of atheists among the younger generation. Public schools have started to accept the ways of the world instead of sticking to strong, good, morals, upon which our country was founded.

So our tax dollars are being spent to teach our children morals that we do not always agree with and the parents have no control over what their children are being taught unless they homeschool them or take them to private school.

-James Dalley

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Moment of Silence

This post is a little closer to home but it is very important to everyone. Texas schools have a “moment of silence” after the pledge of allegiance and an atheist who had children going to these schools said that it was unconstitutional because it forced people to pray. Thus he said that it was a violation of the first amendment, which reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

First off congress had made no law that established a religion in schools, and neither did Texas. The opinion that religion is illegal in any public place came from the idea of separation of church and state. The separation of church and state came out of a letter from Thomas Jefferson, and it has been taken out of context. Jefferson’s letter reads as follows:

Mr. President

To messers Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem & approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful & zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more & more pleasing.

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. [Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorized only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect.] Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.

(signed) Thomas Jefferson
Jan.1.1802.

Jefferson said that the first amendment put up a wall between the church and the state but he did not say that we had to have complete separation of church and state. Thus even the defense of the separation of church and state does not succeed since we have no law prohibiting it. Thus it is legal to have religion in public places as long as it is not a religion established by the government.

Thankfully, the atheist’s attack on the moment of silence failed, and the courts declared it constitutional. I hope that all of you will stand up for what little bit of religion we still have within our school system.

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-James Dalley