Deism

[CSwriter1]

Thomas Jefferson spent the later years of his life editing the bible to conform with science. He and others of his time were Deist. This is the belief that there is a God, however, this God is not the one of the bible who walked with Adam and Eve and becomes involved in human lives. Rather this God is like Spinzoa's understanding of God. This concept of God would be pleasing to quantum physicist.

This is important to understand, because twice in human history science has resulted in democracies.
The first time was Athens. It was men like Pythagoras and Democritus who presented the concept that the universe is organized and can be known mathematically. From this comes the idea that, reason, is the controlling force of the universe.

Here all becomes a question of authority. Socrates challenged the relgious authority of his day, by asking questions like, Are the Gods good? Is Zeus good? Is Zeus an adultrer? Everyone knew Zeus was an adultrer and that thought it was bad to commit adultry. Socrates pleaded, that stories of the Gods be edited to teach only moral behavior, but as the Christian right today, some had no tolerance of truth, and desired power through might. The threat to religious leaders was also a threat the power structure of Athens, so Socrates was silenced, as many years later the church silenced Galileo and others, and is once again trying to silence the voices of reason and science.

Our democracy begins with the same question of authority. To whom does God give his authority, the king? the church? How about everyone? Both in Athens and the US democracy is based on the belief that all humans can learn and reason, therefore, God gives his authority to everyone.

This bases for democracy is not the bible as the Christian right would have us believe, but science and our ability to learn and reason. This is what stopped the witch hunts, and other horrors of ignorance of superstition. This what improved human life, the repression of science and truth that is essential to the power of the church and its followers.

Our Statue of Liberty holds a book for literacy and a torch for enlightenment. The American Revolution began with a revolution of consciousness. Only when our democracy is defended in the classroom is it defended and we stopped doing this in 1958, and began using public education to become the New World Order. This is what has brought the religious and non religious to a near violent conflict.

[CSwriter1]

I can appreciate the desire for religious and anti religious fighting to end, but what is clearly at stake here is, our democracy. Our democracy does not depend on the bible as some well meaning Christians would have us believe. Our democracy depends on a search for universal truths, and this depends on science, not the bible. As the Christian right is gaining the political power to rule over all of us, we must fight for our democracy, against the same evil that defined Christian Europe before the American Revolution. Right now our failure to educated for democracy, and leaving moral training to the church, has our democracy in extreme danger.

I am sorry peace lovers, but we must get this out in the open and discuss it, because in 1958 we began preparing for the New World Order the same as the Christian republic of Germany began preparing for the New World Order, leading us to mix religion with military might, and the Shock and Awe first strike that has gotten the attention of the whole world. This is equal to tragic mistakes Athens made near the end of its 200 years.

From without and within, we are in danger of falling from the very high pedestal of international leadership, and our own liberty and freedom is at stake as we spin into a police state that is technologically more efficient than the immoral, efficient, mechanical society, we defended our democracy against in world wars. The Prussian perverted, Christian Republic of Germany, later know as Hitler’s New World Order.

Because our public education has adopted the Germany model of education for technology for military and industrial purpose, including destroying our national heroes who were the foundation of our culture, and leaving moral training to the church, it is necessary to reeducate the public. Thomas Jefferson spent his later years editing the bible to be compliant with science. He and his peers were deist. A deist accepts there is a God, but does not interpret the bible literally, nor think it is the word of God. The concept of God is more like Spinzoa's, and this understanding of God would appeal to quantum physicists.

A history book of the US that begins with endorsements from Jefferson, Adams and Monroe, says the founders were not just Protestants, but were also protesting Protestantism. This is because constant warring between Protestants and Catholics, horrors such as the witch hunts and Spanish inquisition, and enlightening forces such as the progress of philosophy and science, had these men questioning authority and truth. The American Revolution began as an intellectual revolution.

Twice in human history, science has lead to democracy. The first time was in Athens and the second time was the United States, the modern world Athens. Our education was modeled after Athens education for well rounded personal growth, and this was very much about moral education. Moral as Socrates understood moral, and as all those who value democracy must understand morals. Our liberty is possible only when we are highly moral people, and only highly moral deserve the position of world leadership.

Germany was the modern world Sparta. Sparta destroyed Athens 200 year democracy, when Athens misused its military might and turned all the Greek city/states against Athens. The twist on this history is, beginning in 1958, through public education, we prepared our nation to be the leader of the New World Order the same as Germany used public education for this purpose, and as Germany we stopped teaching for a high morality and left moral education to the church. Now Christians without the transmitting culture of the democracy we inherited are opposing science and liberty, and we are reliving the history of Germany all the way to mixing military might and religion, and strengthening the power of our federal government to monitor our lives. This is a Lion King fantasy of a great King leader that does not work for humans! People should not be represented as hyenas, and leaders should not be represented as loins needed to keep the hyenas form destroying everything.

Education for technology for military and industrial purpose, being amoral, and resulting in destroying our moral society and liberty. This amoral education not only makes people dependent on “authority” but the failure to prepare them to be their own authority, leads to immorality that seems to validate the idea that we are naturally evil and must be repressed by authority over us. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy based on a biblical concept of reality, and is far from the education we had before 1958, and the education we must have to maintain our liberty. We have lost memory of the philosophy that made us different from autocratic, Christian Europe, while amoral education, has resulted in a materialistic and amoral society. We are now what we fought against, and those who think the greatness of our country is because of the bible, are very much a large part of the problem. Such people will elect men like Bush, who mix religion with military might to enhance their own power and association with those who lust for power. This is also what happened to Athenian’s 200 year democracy.


Socrates came near the end of Athens democracy. A time when those in the seats of power were consolidating their power, and as today, religious belief was very important to holding power. Socrates’ crime during these power hungry days of Athens was to question the Gods. The equivalent to Athens religious right silenced Socrates. These are the same people who have made our president strong in the US and our country feared around the world, and who are trying to silence the voice of reason and science in public education. The same power of Pat Robinson’s money gathering miracles, (fear and superstition) that supports political pressure is, the power of witch hunts and the Spanish inquisition and repression of liberty and freedom throughout history. Our war president is not following the Prince of Peace, but has perverted both the meaning of our democracy and the word of Jesus. Our 200 year democracy is following the same course of Athens. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

It is a lie that our democracy is based on the bible, because it is dependent on science, not the bible. The bible is not a book of universal truths, but a book of theology written by those wanting to increase the power of this religious group. Germany was a Christian Republic, and it was not lack of Christianity that made Germany our enemy. If we do not return to defending democracy in our classrooms, it will disappear from the face of the earth, just as the democracy of Athens disappeared from the face of the earth. We have perverted our democracy, as the Prussians perverted the democracy of Germany, and the bible is not what can save our democracy.

A deist is someone who believes there is a God, but does not accept the bible as the final word on God. A deist believes God is revealed in nature and that there are universal truths that we can know through science and math. Our three point system of checks and balances is dependent on understanding mathematical truth and the power of the Triad, not the Monad power of the God of the bible that, tells not of the social order of democracy, but the social order of kings and slaves, and justifies authority over the people. Jesus spoke against this social order, but unfortunately, the bible as whole supports it, especially for those who use the bible to increase their own power. This is so, even to the point of leading some Christians to believe, democracy is not the way of God, and authority over the people is necessary. Those who believe democracy is the way of God do need to defend that belief, and we must return to moral education if we are to keep our liberty, because only highly moral people can have liberty.

Morality is not something to leave to the church if we want justice and liberty for all. We are where Athens was just before the fall. We are where Rome was before the fall. We have clung to power and glory, and have thrown out the search for universal truth with the courage to be vulnerable, as were those who risk everything to establish our democracy. We turned our democracy upside down.

We might seriously question if democracy and Christianity are compatible. For sure, Christianity with education for technology that lacks education for democracy is not compatible with the democracy of our deist forefathers. We have become gluttonous, materialistic cowards cringing behind our military might. Our national economic goals have not been universal human rights goals. We lack the courage to be vulnerable and trust in a universal God who may not put our own interest above all others. The New World Order is not the order of a universal God. Shock and Awe was an intolerable mix of religion and military might. Before the church can restore our democracy, the leaders and their followers must study more than the bible. That is the great need of public education.

[vicente]

There once was Freedom from Religion

On August 27, 1987 at a news conference in Chicago, Illinois, Robert I. Sherman, a reporter for the American Atheist news journal, fully accredited by the state of Illinois and by invitation a participating member of the press corps covering the national candidates asked the then Vice President HW Bush "What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are Atheists?" George Bush replied, "I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

Actually, George Bush was correct, since 1956 America has been one nation under Christianity's monotheistic God, and the former National Motto, E Pluribus Unum, 'From Many, One', was discarded. However, before the McCarthy Era, America was not a Christian Nation.

According to Article VI of the United States Constitution, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land"

Under George Washington, such a supreme Law of the Land was drafted in 1796, then unanimously ratified by the US Senate and sign into law on June 10, 1797 by President John Adams which said:

"the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded upon the Christian religion".

Even though that document was read aloud in Congress without dissension, and well publicized at the time, there were no complaints or public outcry, as when Christians balked over the illegality of the addition of 'Under God' in the Pledge. In fact, at the signing of the above 1797 document, Adams said, "Now be it known, that I, John Adams, President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, accept, ratify, and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof. And to the end, may it be observed and performed with good faith on the part of the United States, I have ordered the premises to be made public; and I do hereby enjoin and require all persons bearing office civil or military within the United States, and all other citizens or inhabitants thereof, faithfully to observe and fulfill every clause and article thereof".

However, most religious people in todays America think that this Country was founded on Christian values. On February 10, 1814 Thomas Jefferson wrote that common law "is that system of law which was introduced by the Saxons on their settlement in England…about the middle of the fifth century. But Christianity was not introduced till the seventh century.…We may safely affirm that Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." Christian values are not American values. For example, the 1st Commandment is in direct opposition to the 1st Amendment.

Most of America's Founding Father's were quite opposed to Christianity and its values. Neither George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, John Adams, nor Thomas Jefferson were Christians (reference quotes below). Thomas Paine, the Father of the American Revolution ("Washington's sword would have been yielded in vain had it not been supported by the pen of Paine" - James Monroe) and person who coined the term United States of America, said "It has often been said that anything may be proved from the Bible; but before anything can be admitted as proved by the Bible, the Bible itself must be proved to be true; for if the Bible be not true, or the truth of it be doubtful, it ceases to have authority, and cannot be admitted as proof of anything." Few Americans realize that the first Christian President was the 7th, Andrew Jackson, and there have been several more non-Christian Presidents after him. "Mr. Lincoln was not a Christian" said Mary Todd Lincoln.

The groupthink of Christians today argue that America was founded by the Pilgrams. This is not true. The first English colony was in 1609 Jamestown. Fewer than half of the 102 Mayflower passengers in 1620 were Pilgrims. Nor does Christianity have deep roots in the 18th Century Independence of America. Such a notion is purely 20th Century Christian Revisionism.

This new Christianity induces that America was founded as One Nation under their God. Yet the truth is, according to such eminent persons as Herman C. Weber DD, an expert in religious census and statistics, few early Americans were actually affiliated with Christianity. In the Yearbooks of American Churches, the census of 1800 showed just 6.9% of US citizens as belonging to a church. By 1850, Church membership rose to 15.5%. In 1900, Christians doubled their number to 37%. But, not until 1942, just 8 years before Senator Joseph McCarthy brought his conservative monotheism into government, and subsequently the Republican Party into the power it knows today, did Christian participation exceed 50%.

Today, all US Senators, whether Republican or Democrat, following their vote against the 9th Circuit Court, can in essense be labled anti-Americans.

In May 2002, the 9th Circuit Court said that the "The Pledge, as currently codified, is an impermissible government endorsement of religion because it sends a message to unbelievers that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community."

In other words they said "Under God" promoted a situation where Atheists, Polytheists, Buddhists, Deists, Wiccans, Humanists, Brights, and those into Ontosophy, are not members of the Community. Nor, as George Bush said, "should they be considered patriots."

Written in 1892 and adopted by Congress as a patriotic tribute in 1942, the pledge did not originally include "under God.” Congress inserted the Constitutionally illegal phrase in 1954 during the McCarthy Era. Since then, Christian politicians have continued an agenda to make illegality legal, in violation of their oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States". Instead they have put their religion beliefs above the Law, and in principle engaged in the insurrection and rebellion against America (Section 3 of the 14th Amendment).

Unfortunately, many Americans haven't a clue about their Country. America is not one nation under a Christian majority, but one nation under a Constitution. Although the Constitution sets up a representative democracy, it specifically was amended with the Bill of Rights in 1791 to uphold individual and minority rights. On constitutional matters we do not have majority rule. The majority has no right to tyrannize the non-monotheists on matters of religion.

When history is viewed as it was, verses how todays Christians wanted it to be, the intent of the 1st Amendment is obvious. "...no law respecting an establishment of religion (FREEDOM FROM RELIGION), or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (FREEDOM OF RELIGION).

Vicente Marco
Albuquerque, NM

Founding Father quotes:

"I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature" George Washington

"He [the Rev. Mr. Whitefield] used, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard." Franklin's Autobiography

"I have generally been denominated a Deist, the reality of which I never disputed, being conscious I am no Christian..." Ethan Allen

"The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity." John Adams
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." Thomas Jefferson

"Among the most detestable villains in history, you could not find one worse than Moses, who gave an order to butcher the boys, to massacre the mothers and then rape the daughters. One of the most horrible atrocities found in the literature of any nation. I would not dishonor my Creator's name by attaching it to this filthy book." Thomas Paine

"Christianity is the cause of pride and indolence in the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." James Madison

"My earlier views of the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years and I see no reason for thinking I shall ever change them." Abraham Lincoln

[CSwriter1]

Vincente, thank you so much for adding your information to this subject. However, I think we must reduce our comments to a few words, or many may not read what these post. My deepest desire is for all to understand what is being said here.

I sincerely wish, others were making comments. The concept of democracy is so complex, it can not be fully explained in a paragraph. It is by writing about the concepts that our understanding of them deepens and becomes something we are thrilled to live for. That is, democracy is, something that gives our lives meaning and purpose.

Democracy is so awesome, and has everything to do our consciousness. I wish it were not confused with our form of government, which it is not. Fascism, socialism, communism are all forms of democracy, but when citizens do not understand democracy they can't really have it.