*On Tuesday December 11, 2007 The US House of Representatives passed House Resolution 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian Faith.
This bold and blatant disregard for the First Amendment met with little opposition in the Democratic controlled House and passed virtually unreported by the mainstream media.
According to the website www.govtrack.us The bill was sponsored by 60 members of the US House of Representatives, 59 of which were Republican members of the House with 1 Democrat Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina.
Overall the House Resolution, which calls for the recognition of Christianity as the National religion of the United States, 372 House members voted in favor of the resolution while 9 voted against it.
An Excerpt of the Resolution is as follows;
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
The Resolution, seemingly innocuous at first glance, begins by speaking of the significance of Christmas.
As you read further into the Resolution, it is apparently clear that the intention of the Resolution is to effective establish Christianity as the National Religion of the United States, even going as far as to proclaim the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world, and closing with an expression of deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
What is more striking about this Resolution is the fact that it also calls for a rejection of bigotry and persecution directed Only against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide as well as expressing a continued support for Only Christians in the United States and worldwide.
I happen to be a non-Christian American. I was born and raised in the United States and also am a practicing Wiccan. For my family and I, this Resolution represents a direct Federal endorsement of the Christian Religion as the National Religion of the United States.
Furthermore, it selectively promotes the Christian religion at the direct exclusion of all other religious beliefs. It grants special rights and protections to those of Christian Faith and runs into direct conflict with the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
The First Amendment clearly states,
Congress shall make no law respecting an Establishment of Religion. Simply put, The Federal Government, as an institution is expressly prohibited from selecting a religious preference and promoting it.
Because the majority of people in the United States happen to also be Christians themselves, the vast majority of them will view this as a step forward towards having their Faith front and center in everyday American life. They will not see the damage this causes with regards to the, "Free Exercise" Clause of the Constitution.
As an American, living in a country that was founded 231 Years ago on the basis of Freedom and Democracy, I never in my lifetime thought I would see those basic tenants such as the Bill of Rights become so utterly disregarded by the very government sworn to protect and defend them.
If our founding fathers were alive today to see what has become of this nation that they spilled their blood to create, I doubt they would look fondly on those in the Christian Faith who have attempted to circumvent the Constitution.
As a proud Non-Christian, a Veteran of the Armed Forces and an American Born Citizen, I can not in good conscience stand idly by while my country is hijacked by people with a direct agenda to force their religious beliefs upon me.
I call on all Americans, to stand up and be counted. I call on both those of faith and those without, to come together. Today it is the Christian Faith, in 20 or 30 years it may be the Islamic Faith, or the Wiccan Faith. No matter what Faith it is, no matter how well intentioned, this country was founded on the principles that it respect no establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof.
Justice David Souter, writing for the majority in the Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, 512 U.S. 687 (1994),, concluded that government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion.
I ask you all to stand with me now and stop this madness before it is too late. (author:Two Sense of Horsham, PA --Topix "Today is a sad day for each of us" http://www.topix.net/forum
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Life can be as bitter as dragon tears. But whether dragon tears are bitter or sweet depends entirely on how each man perceives the taste.
~*~Promote Religious Tolerance, Celebrate Diversity, Love One Another~*~
I was under the impression that Christianity WAS the official US religion, which is why national holidays like Christmas and Easter exist. If there is no official religion, then there would be no nationally-recognized religious holidays.
PythiaI don't think this is as big a change as it sounds. But I'll admit that political policy is not my strong suit. :)
07:54 PM EST