Posted On: July 20, 2006, 11:21 am CDT

Posted By: Pat

Wow, and here I thought that the pilgrims came here to worhip and beleive according to their consciences. Please allow me to quote some influential Americans from days gone by who might disagree with you:

"The real object of the [First] Amendment was not to countenance, much less advance, Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity by prostrating Chrisianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects." "Christianity becomes not merely an auxiliary, but a guide, to the law of nature; establishing its conclusions, removing its doubts, and evaluating its precepts." -Joseph Story, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1811-1845, founder of Harvard Law School.

"The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and Religion are identified. It would be strange indeed, if with such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity, and did not often refer to it, and exhibit relations with it." -John Marshall, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1801-1835.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -Congress of the United States of America.

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." -John Jay, First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and co-author of the Federalist Papers.

"No free government now exists in the world, unless where Christianity is acknowledged, and is the religion of the country." -Pennsylvania Supreme Court, 1824. Updegraph v. Commonwealth; 11 Serg. & R. 393, 406.

"The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." -Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Oh, and here's a quote from someone on your side �¢â�¬â�� tell me please, who wants to dictate to others:

"�¢â�¬�¦if American champions of civil liberty could all think in terms of economic freedom as the goal of their labors, they too would accept 'workers' democracy' as far superior to what the capitalist world offers to any but a small minority. Yes, and they would accept �¢â�¬â�� regretfully, of course �¢â�¬â�� the necessity of dictatorship while the job of reorganizing society on a socialist basis is being done." "I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the State itself as an instrument of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal." -Roger Baldwin, Unitarian, Founding Director of the American Civil Liberties Union.