News-Record.com

Lest we forget Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and George Washington were Deists and didn't believe in religion.

I think people assume people 'with religion' have morals and people who don't, don't. And I don't think either is an absolute.

This is just more evidence to support that the US is an "unofficial" Christian theocracy! I am sure that the bones of the founders of this nation are rumbling in their graves!

"This is just more evidence to support that the US is an "unofficial" Christian theocracy!"

This is EXACTLY what the founding population of the US intended and desired. It was to be "unofficial" in that no one denomination was to be a state church. Otherwise, the Christian Faith was publicly acknowledged as the Faith of the nation. If we destroy our Christain strength and commitment in a time of crisis and warfare we are the most truly myopic people who have ever walked the face of the earth. A tutti frutti, believe nothin' military (and people) won't cut it in the face of a demonically religious radical enemy.

And, by the way, Deists definitely, at that time, believed in religion; just not the orthodox theology of the mainline churches of the day. And there were, in fact, MANY different varieties of Deists, some of whom were actually "within" the churches, but not very well intergarted.
Others were quite radical in their theology and cavorted in their own relgious organizations.

I do not think of the few, som eof whom were deistic, who framed the Constitution and government of the young nation as illustrative of the ubiquitous and consistent Christian commitments of our "founding people."

"I think people assume people 'with religion' have morals and people who don't, don't. And I don't think either is an absolute." Nancy

First of all, Nancy, I'm not sure what the term, "with religion" means. If you mean "pew warmers" I don't think we could expect much in the way of moral commitment and consistency, as biblical values and self-control require consideralbe spiritual effort (not to mention the new birth and the filling of the Spirit).

If "with religion" means devoted Christians who study and learn the Word, attend worship and Commune regularly, then I think we should expect a high moral sense and practice.

On the other hand, the moral Law and the teachings of Jesus are woven into the very facbric of western and American culture, regardless of "professed" atheism, or secular indifference. So people brought up in a salt-of-the-earth home, with a heritage of good parents and grandparents inevitably benefit from the upbringing of those figures - even if there is no espressly Christian nurture.

So, I guess I'm agreeing with you to a point. If you look behind the scenes of those who transgress morally, be they Christian or non-, you will probably find a concatenation of influences, genetic issues, familial problems, etc. that precipitated, or exascerbated, the sin.

Psychologically healthy ahteists who come from a stable and upstanding backgrounds will probably exhibit acceptable to good moral behavior, while some genuine Christians who come from troubled and problematic backgrounds may struggle to implement the moral standards they embrace as a matter of principle.

If the salt of the earth and shining light influence of TRUE Christians were to be suddenly eliminated from the world, we would see an even worse moral debacle than we are seeing in contemporary America becuase of godless secularism, atheism and general moral decay.

I believe that this Soldier is nothing but a cry baby. Trying to get some attention or ruffle some feathers.