Friday, February 22, 2008

“Christian Nation” Revisionist’s Rear Their Ugly & Empty Heads, Again!




Once a week, stuffed in my mail box, I get the “Monadnock Shopper News”, our free local goods and services advertising newspaper. I typically never read them. But during lunch I was leafing through the week’s edition when I came across a 1,000 word (!!) “Letter to the Editor”.



In it, a clearly deranged and uneducated Christian Fundie went on and on about this being a “Christian Nation”. How the founding Fathers were all men of Christ. How scripture can easily be seen in the Constitution. Yadda, yadda, yadda. All bald faced stupidity and invention of the Christian revisionists. So, being me, naturally I couldn’t let this just slide by unchallenged.



The following is MY letter to the editor (and publisher) in response. Feel free to use it should you observe similar idiocy in your local papers.


Dear Sir or Madam:

Up until today my wife and I were happy to have your publication delivered to our home. We patronize many of your advertisers. But after reading today's edition, with its rather lengthy letter to the editor from a religious fanatic, we are having second thoughts. I object to having a publication delivered to my home, without my consent, that gives a platform for this kind of misinformation, blatant distortions, and religious zealotry.

I won't go into great detail about the absurdities, and lack of knowledge of US history that pervades the revisionists’s letter.
- Nor will I expound on the extensive private writings of the Founding Fathers whose distain for Christianity is easily confirmed (Jefferson and Madison being among the most vehement in their expressions).



- Nor shall I point out that the Constitution is devoid of ANY reference to God/gods, Jesus, or any supernaturalism or Biblical scripture.



-Nor will I bother to detail Jefferson's letter of Jan. 1, 1802 describing the intent and purpose of the 1st Amendment's Establishment Clause as specifically creating "a wall of separation between church and state".



-Nor do I have to copy and paste here the entire Treaty of Tripoli (1796), ratified by the Senate and signed by John Adams in 1797, which plainly stated that "... the United States is not a Christian nation."



-Nor shall I bother to quote Jefferson who, in a letter dated February 10, 1814 stated that the Common Law, the foundation for the Constitution, as drawn from English law, has no basis in Christianity.

No ... I won't do any of that. Any well educated, student of history willing to suspend their personal agenda, willing to disassociate their personal "beliefs" from the public "facts" of our governmental foundation, could research and discover this for themselves.

That Christians played an important role (along with Jews, Deists, and atheists) in the development of our country is not at issue here. Neither is the fact that some /many of the Founders prayed or read the Bible. It's all good. What's at issue is your suborning ignorance, misinformation, and the need for some people to promulgate the erroneous belief that this country favors their religion over another religion or over no religion at all. Please stop it, or stop putting your publication in my mailbox.

Thank you,

[Name and PO Box included]


While I doubt the Shopper News will publish my letter maybe it will get them to think twice about thoughtlessly turning their letters section over to religious fanatic revisionists. If not, then the next time I’ll deliver my reply in person.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you DO have to go to their office in per-camel, don't let Uncle Thompson do the talking!

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Drom 100%. You are a lunatic though. You know that don't you haha! I think you should have your own radio talk show nationwide where you can rant and rave your logic at callers and guests. I would listen to it everyday and laugh my ass off!

Dromedary Hump said...

Heheheh...YOu guys!!!

Fear not CD, I shall be on my best behavior should my personal appearance be necessitated.
They are printing my letter in FreeThought Today newspaper ...you'd better join ffrf.

NIH!!!
Hey Pal, good to see you here, hope you are a subscriber. Thanks for the words of encouragment. Indeed, I'm Mad as a Hatter, and loving every minute of it.
:)
Hump

Dromedary Hump said...

wow. rec'd the following reply via email today:\\

Thank you for your well thought-out letter. I'll include it in the paper as soon as space permits. We do have a bit of a backlog right now, but rest assured that it is scheduled to be printed.

Thanks for taking the time to write and share your thoughts, and know that they were heard.

Michelle Green
The Monadnock Shopper News


Hmmm... maybe there are some thinking people on that paper.
Hump

Anonymous said...

Those are you're opinions. Those aren't the opinions of Christians.
Your opinion is no more important or true than anyone elses. If it wasn't for Christians this country would have never existed.

Dromedary Hump said...

Anon,
What we seem to have here is a failure to communicate.

When I post documented references to The Treaty of Tripoli, or Thomas Jeffersons letters, etc, all of which are easily retrievable and readable by anyone with a modicum of curiosity and intellect, it goes beyond the realm of "opinion" and becomes fact.

That you cannot discern the difference between fact and opinion, is simply symptomatic of your ignorance, borne of your rejection of secular knowledge.

As for your last sentence, you are actually correct, for once.
Christians came to the New World seeking to escape the oppression of strict theistic conformity and demand to acquies to their ruler's beliefs. They indeed settled this land.

Out of recognition we owe them two things:
First, our gratitude.
Second, the promise we will never allow this land to become what they sought to escape from... a country where theism rules, where people who have differing beliefs become outcasts, where one belief or lack thereof is valued above all others. That's why the 1st Amendment Establishment Clause exists.

I trust even YOU can understand that, albeit, I have my doubts.
Hump