1796 Senate: U.S. "is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion"

[expatriot]

This is beautiful. In the first unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate, the Treaty of Tripoli was agreed to by the United States Senate in which Article XI of the Treaty clearly and unambiguously states

As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

http://members.tripod.com/~candst/tripoli1.htm

I can't believe this is document and this historic Senate vote is not common knowledge. I had never heard of it before Al Franken has been mentioning it as of late.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. I have said over and over again that European history, at the time

that the U.S. Constitution was being written, should be studied by American students so they can convince themselves that the last thing immigrants, who were leaving their homelands due to religious persecution, wanted to be a part of was a new government based on theocracy which would persecute others in the same way.

[The_Nick]

3. True and noble ideals.

However, the puritans did hide themselves well and have always existed in America, from Salem to present.

http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/rise_of_american_fascism.htm

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Sure doesn't sound like they were interested in overtaking the

country and forcing their religion down anybody's throats if they were hiding themselves, now does it?

[sea dee]

2. thank you

holy crap! that's a suprise! this will be useful for me.

[saltpoint]

4. "Unambiguous" is exactly right, expatriot.

It would be helpful to photocopy this passage and tuck it under the windshield wiper blades in a fundamentalist church parking lot on Sunday mornings while the good folks are indoors listening to hellfire & punishment sermons.

I like the notion of them returning to a parking lot full of those photocopies.

Give 'em something to think about all week.

[milhistory]

6. Federalist #2

John Jay (first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) write in Federalist 2:

"With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people--a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence."

Then, as now, not everyone agree. But you should see Madison's famous #10 for that one.