In his article - God gets boot again in Washington D.C., Chuck Norris shares that Rep. Randy Forbes, R-VA. and the 108 congressional members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus would not allow such omissions to stand.
Norris writes:
That is why Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and the 108 congressional members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus recently petitioned the Architect of the Capitol by letter, which details and documents the incomplete and inaccurate religious content in the Capitol Visitor Center – also found in Sen. Jim DeMint's, R-S.C., YouTube video "War on God":
1. No mention of our national motto, "In God We Trust";
2. In displaying images of the current speaker's rostrum in the House chamber, the phrase "In God We Trust" is omitted from its location engraved in marble above the speaker's head;
3. The opening words in Article 3 in the Northwest Ordinance (1787) are excluded from an exhibit. The actual article reads, "Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." The exhibit article reads: "Art. 3. … schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."
4. There are factual inaccuracies regarding church services held at the Capitol in early decades of our republic, saying they were held when Congress wasn't in session, when in fact they were held year around – and even the so-labeled strict-separatist Thomas Jefferson attended them throughout his eight years of presidency.
5. The exhibits include photos from Earth Day, an AIDS rally, various casino grounds and factories, but it does not include photos from monumental religious events such as the National Day of Prayer or the March for Life event, attended by thousands annually, etc.
6. There is an absence of any major display or description of the religious influence within or about the 200-plus year history of the Capitol.
Historical buildings like the Capitol Visitor Center are there to tell the story of our nation," said Rep. Forbes. "When religious history is removed from these displays, the American public is not able to observe an accurate depiction of our nation's story. We owe it to those who have gone before us and to our future generations to provide a complete representation of our nation's heritage. We will continue to fight until this is achieved in the Capitol Visitor Center."
Read entire article.
HT: WorldNetDaily
For 175 years, "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One) was the national motto of the United States. During the mid-1950s, superpatriotic Christian nutjobs got it changed to its current motto.
ReplyDeleteOne could claim that our current troubles started from there...but I won't. That would be silly.
Still, what was so wrong with E Pluribus Unum that it had to be changed? Saddam Hussein actually had "God Is Great" inscribed on the flag of Iraq: and what good did it do him, in the end?
It'll take more than mere religiosity to buff up our past, or to improve our lot now.
Good post.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm working on a blog about
'E Pluribus Unum' and should post this week.
Good blog...I'm following.
GMPilot -
ReplyDeleteI always love how you will take the side of secularists when the subject at hand is not agreeable to you.
You ask "why change it" when it comes to this subject. However, do your secularist views think it's OK to change the thousands-of-years-old tradition of the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman? Why or why not?
Once again, your bias is showing!
BTW, wasn't Iraq's former dictator a follower of Allah? Not the same god - GM.
Hi Tony C,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to TalkWisdom! I look forward to your post about "E Pluribus Unum" and appreciate your kind words about this post and my blog!
Please let me know when you have posted your new essay.
Actually Christine, Arab Christians use the word "Allah" because it literally just means "the God" in Arabic :)
ReplyDeleteBoth Christians and Muslims believe there is only one God who created everything that exists; who is omniscient; timeless; and unchanging.
Whether you use one set of phonemes or another doesn't mean there is more than one God.
So...umm yasmin,
ReplyDeleteAre you claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
Last I'd checked, Christine, you always took the religious (not the "godly") way when the subject at hand is not agreeable to you.
ReplyDeleteYou have your view, I have mine. It keeps life interesting.
So the word "marriage" upsets you? Fine. Make it a "civil union" then. As long as the same-sex couple has all the legal rights before the law that a man-woman couple has, I don't see a problem. Many a marriage has taken place without a member of the clergy around: ever hear of "common-law" marriage? It's a custom going back well before the USA.
Yo never actually asked me my 'secularist views' on this subject, but since you've got your knickers in a twist over it, here you are. Maybe Prop. 8 will pass; maybe not. We'll know in another three weeks, won't we?
Now...just what was so wrong with E Pluribus Unum that it had to be changed? Think you can answer that, hm?
CJW:
ReplyDeleteAre you claiming that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
Yeah...the Jews, too. All worship the same God (which is why they are referred to as the "Abrahamic" religions). All three faiths claim Abraham as their founder.
Of course, none of them can agree on the exact characteristics of this God (except the ones umm yasmin listed), or its precise nature.
Those of us who do not worship any gods can only shake our heads.
gmpilot,
ReplyDelete"As long as the same-sex couple has all the legal rights before the law that a man-woman couple has, "
Last I checked, marriage was not a right. One good check is to see if something can be exercised independently. You can have free speech independently. Freedom of religion? Yep. Marriage...hmmm. Seems to me that's a function that government administrates. If government disappeared, no marriage. Guess that isn't a right. One of the few exceptions to the general rule is right to an attorney. However, that's to ensure that government can't further intrude on your rights when exercising it's power. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely believe that gay people should have equal rights. Marriage simply isn't a right.
Also, your argument on worship is contradictory. If people worship Gods with differing characteristics, they are not worshiping the same God. The Muslim god venerates in death in that the only way that you can guarantee yourself eternal life is martyrdom in the cause of Jihad. Outside of that, it basically comes down to a coin toss.
It's kind of like running into someone with the same last name I have. His father may have the same name as my father, but if he does a different job, raises the kids a different ways, and I never saw the guy in my life, then I would have to say that he isn't my father. You can judge the root by the fruit.
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteYes - of course, we may well (and do) disagree on how God has interacted in human history. Even Jews and Christians disagree on that score.
So if you say we (Muslims and Christians) are worshipping different deities, then this also means that the God that Jews worship is not the same God that Christians worship for obvious reasons (namely that Jews don't believe God has come to earth in the human form of Jesus Christ, just as Muslims don't).
Hi Gary,
ReplyDelete"The Muslim god venerates in death in that the only way that you can guarantee yourself eternal life is martyrdom in the cause of Jihad."
Actually, this is incorrect. There are two separate questions here: a) can anyone guarantee they have eternal life b) does jihad give guarantee of eternal life. They are related however.
Muslims believe that God promises to reward with Paradise, those who devote themselves wholeheartedly to Him and work righteousness in the world. There is no doubt about that at all. This type of person by definition is a Muslim, and has the assurance of salvation and eternal life in the hereafter.
The question is better asked, how do I know I am living up to being a true Muslim?
This is the same questions Christians might ask of themselves in regard to Christianity's promises about salvation. Because it is possible for someone to have been a Christian all their lives, but on their deathbed renounce Christ and blaspheme the Holy Spirit - would they be assured of eternal life? Matthew 7:21-23 says not.
Are atheists who were former Christians still saved? If you say their Christianity wasn't genuine, but if they honestly believed at the time it was, how do you not know you might end up the same way yourself? How can any Christian *guarantee* what they will do in the future that might invalidate their salvation?
In Islam, everything is judged by intention, and even someone who is martyred in jihad is not assured of salvation, if their intention was merely mundane or political. As Prophet Muhammad said: "One who died and had no intention for jihad, died as a hypocrite." (narrated in Muslim & Abu Dawud). As for whether God venerates death, well the Qur'an denies this when it says: "Kill not one another. Lo! God is ever Merciful unto you." (4:29)
Umm -
ReplyDeleteLet me preface this by stating that what I will share will inevitably anger someone. That is not my intention, but it often happens when discussing various religious beliefs.
You and all Muslims are entitled to your own beliefs.
Jews are entitled to their own beliefs.
Christians are entitled to their own beliefs.
However, when comparing the religions - they cannot possibly all be correct.
I have already shared my analysis about the differences between Islam and Christianity. In case you missed it, here is the link:
Do Muslims and Christians Worship the same God?
For Jews, it is a different story. Christianity came, as a result of the fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah from the Old Testament writings from Judaism. It wasn't a made up religion (sorry - but true) by a self-proclaimed prophet who died and stayed in the grave.
Jesus rose from the dead, proving who he was and all that he claimed. He fulfilled most of the 300 plus prophecies written about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. The remaining Messianic prophecies will be fulfilled at his second coming.
There are (currently) Messianic Jews who see Jesus as their Messiah. When Jesus returns the second time - many of the Jews living at that time will join in belief in Him along with their Messianic Jew brothers and sisters.
To be brief, I often like to share a discussion (paraphrased here) that I heard and saw on the Larry King show. Billy Graham was his guest.
Graham (again, paraphrased here) asked King, 'if the Messiah were to return today, what question would you ask him?'
King (paraphrased here) answered, 'is this your first or second visit?'
Basically, in a secular-put nutshell, that is what will be realized by the remnant of religious Jews who will still be looking for their Messiah in the end times.
This is the Christian worldview on this subject. Many Jews who might visit this blog and read this may not agree. It may even anger them. But the prophecies yet to be fulfilled from the OT actually state that they will "look upon Him whom they had pierced."
At the crucifixion, John shared this fulfilled prophecy in his gospel:
Jhn 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Which came from the prophecy of Zechariah:
Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.
Revelation reveals that the Jews will realize that Jesus, whom they (along with the Romans and all of us sinners) had pierced, IS the long-awaited Messiah afterall.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
As Christians, Scripture has told us to revere the Holy Land of Israel. Preserve, protect, and partner with the "apple of God's eye" - Jerusalem.
We know that the Holy Land has been fought over for thousands of years. It is the focal point of Biblical prophecy, too.
Well, I'm getting too far off the subject so I will end here.
This HAS NOT been a politically correct comment. However, I have tried to share the truth as I have come to believe through the written Word of God. There is much, much more that can be said about all of this. I have attempted to be brief and to the point.