So Sick of Fundies

I am so ever living sick of your "typical" Christian Fundamentalist. I got another stupid rasict forward about how immigrants need to conform to America, and accept God because our country, and our culture is based on God. Below is the HUGE rant I sent (which I probably shouldn't have since it was my GF's mother that sent the letter, but wahtever, I know I've told them and my GF has re-iterated, that I'm not religious at ALL, so don't forward that shit to me and I won't respond by shattering your fragile little Jesus world)

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BEGIN RANT

Actually just to correct some factual errors in this email:

1.) The country was founded by Diests, not Christians. They believed in A God & Higher Power, just not necessarily the Christian god. Specifically:

- Thomas Jefferson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_jefferson#Religious_views)
- Ben Franklin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Franklin#Religious_beliefs)
- John Adams
- Thomas Paine
- James Madison

2.) The US Declaration of Independance & Constitution are extensively based upon the political and social philosophy known as "Social Contract Theory" which specifically enumerates the obligations a government has to its citizens. The single biggest writer at the time espousing this view point was John Locke, a Unitarian, who in his "2nd Treatise on Government" specifically argued that all men had the rights to "life, liberty & property" (sound familiar?). This theory was of course an extension of the thoughs put forward by Plato in "The Republic" which predates Christianity by 390 years or so.

3.) The United States as NO official language. No where in ANY US law is it stipulated that all business must be conducted in English. Until that time, English is simply the de facto national language because it's the one spoken by the majority. Specifically in the 2000 census, it was recorded that 1 in 5 people live in a non-english speaking household. Multi-culturalism

4.) There is NO war on Christmas. The very idiot who railed about this (Bill O'reily) had on his OWN website "Season's Greetings".

First of all to say there is a "war" on a freakin holiday simply because people are asked to be POLITE (not politically correct) by using the term Season's Greetings, is an insult to the millions of people who have died, been maimed, or lost their homes in a REAL war.

Having someone say "Season's Greetings" isn't political correctness it's simply being polite. If you know nothing about me, what religion I belong to, or even IF I believe in a religion, then it is a nice way of recognizing whatever winter event I might celebrate (Hannakah, Ramadan, Sahaim, etc).

Secondly, what other religion has their most sacred day as a NATIONAL holiday? Do we all get off Yom Kippor, the Summer Solstice, Ramadan, or any other religion's holiday off? NO. Only Christians are the ones that are so "blessed"

4.) "In God We Trust" wasn't added to the US Coin Currency until 1864 during the Civil War, almost 100 years after our country was founded. In addition, it disappeared from currency for almost 55 years from 1883 - 1938.

It wasn't added to paper currency until 1956, the same year it became the country's motto, replacing "E Pluibus Unum" (out of many we are one)

5.) Another justification that has tranditionally been used, but wasn't present in this "article" was "under god" being in the pledge of allegence. But that phrase wasn't added until 1954, spurred on by the Knight of Columbus (a Catholic Fraternal organization).

It's important to remember that all of this "God"-ifying was happening at the time of the Red Scare and Joe McCarthy's Anti-American hearings (summer of 1954) where we were fighting the "godless" communists.

6.) Around 43% of the US classifies themself as either "spiritual but not religious" or "neither spiritual nor religious" (2002 USA/Gallup Poll). The US culture is NOT one of God. This is NEVER what America has stood for.

Instead America was founded and people have fought and DIED for the ability for us to have WHATEVER views we want on whatever subject. To say that if we don't accept "God" that we should leave the country is to be ignorant and disrespectful to everyone who has given their life to protect the freedoms outlined in our constitution.

7.) Instead of "Christians" worrying about fictional wars on Christmas, or of gay people being able to marry or raise kids, or any ways they'd like to restrict other peoples rights so that we're forced to live by their moral codes, perhaps they should go and read the New Testament again and start living like Jesus preached to them that they should:

- Feed the Hungry
- Clothe the poor
- Build houses for the homeless
- Protect the weak

You know what, I'll start listening to Christians on how I should live my life, once they step up to the plate and feed, clothe, shelter and care for every homeless CHILD in America. I'm not even saying that have to solve it worldwide, or even all of the adults, lets simply take care of those who are too weak to help themselves. If they do that, then they can come and lecture to me about working on Sundays, or drinking alcohol, or having premartial sex, or whatever else their Dogma says I'll go to hell for.

Until then, they're simply hypocrites trying to make the laws of this country adhere to their faith, and there's another group that has that same mission....the Illotlahs in Iran. Maybe they should get together.

If you don't want to hear this type of crap from me in the future, then don't send me stuff that will provoke this response.

END RANT
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