Yeah, apparently the United States Constitution Bill of Rights means nothing to someone like Mitt Romney. In a speech he gave today he was quoted saying:
There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation’s founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams’ words: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. … Our Constitution,” he said, “was made for a moral and religious people.”
Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.
[…]
No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It’s as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America - the religion of secularism. They are wrong.
They? Who is “they”? He’s clearly talking about those people like me, people who believe freedom of religion means not having a to pick a religion at all. Clearly mr. Romney thinks everyong should have to believe in god and practice some religion. The founding fathers were clear that religion was an option open to all and in no way should ever be imposed by the government. Disagree? Go read the first amendment of the US Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
I would also like to point out that this tool referred to secularism as a religion. What an idiot.
Ah, but his secularism is new - not to be confused the the old secularism;)
you, by claiming atheism, are picking a religion for religion is “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.” You believe that there is no God and you adhere to certain practices generally agreed upon by other atheists.
you also said this in you post: “Clearly mr. Romney thinks everyong should have to believe in god and practice some religion.” i don’t think he thinks everyone “should have” to believe in god. However, I bet Romney thinks everyone “should” believe in God. Two very different things.
i very much enjoy your blog. I want you to know that I’m not some religious person who is trying to battle you. I am, however, attempting to enter into discussion about different aspects of what you and I believe. You have a right (and i would even say you have a reason) to believe as you do.
Adam, your definition of religion would make following road rules a religion. Gotten any blasphemy tickets lately? Have you ever committed the sin of speeding, or the sin of obstructing a driveway? Or do you drive your car according to one of those get-out-of-my-way, I’ll-hit-anything-that-moves denominations?
So atheists believe by not believing? Damned if you do and damned if you don’t….. there is no escape from religion it seems. The trick obviously lies in picking the right one, which you, Adam, clearly believe you have. Did you achieve this by studying all of the world’s religions and choosing Christianity on it’s relative merits, or did your God speak to you directly? Or was it more an accident of geography and social conditioning that could have just as easily seen you grow up as a Muslim had you been born in Basra?
Your nation must surely be one of fools.*
Otherwise this man would in therapy, instead of in a prisidential election.
*This not meaning that every American is a fool, merely that there must be a great number of them around.