Sarah Palin's 'Christian Nation' Remarks Spark Debate

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Is America a Christian nation?

Sarah Palin said on Friday that it's "mind-boggling" to suggest otherwise.

But two groups dedicated to the separation of church and state are now speaking out against her, arguing that she is misreading the founders' intent.

"It's incredibly hypocritical that Sarah Palin, who disapproves of government involvement in just about anything, now suddenly wants the government to help people be religious," Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told ABC News.

"It is wildly inconsistent with her views on limited government to get the government involved in matters of faith."

Lynn was reacting to remarks Palin gave last Friday in Louisville, Ky., one day after a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the National Day of Prayer, created in 1952 by Congress, violated the First Amendment.

"We hear of a judge's ruling that our National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional," said Palin. "I think we'll be challenging that one."

"God truly has shed his grace on thee -- on this country," Palin told the Women of Joy conference. "He's blessed us, and we better not blow it."

Without ever mentioning him by name, Palin also took aim at President Obama, repeating an often cited but incorrect claim that Obama said he believed that the U.S was no longer a Christian nation during a 2006 speech.

"And then, hearing any leader declare that America isn't a Christian nation and poking an ally like Israel in the eye, it's mind-boggling to see some of our nation's actions recently, but politics truly is a topic for another day."

A written text of the speech posted at BarackObama.com of the June 2006 keynote address at the Call to Renewal Conference indicated that Obama had written that (emphasis added) "We are no longer just a Christian nation, but we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation..."

Palin, who belongs to the Assembly of God church, used her speech to reject the notion that God and state should be kept separate.

"Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our founding fathers, they were believers," said Palin. "And George Washington, he saw faith in God as basic to life."

"In Washington's farewell address, he wrote 'Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, religion, faith, morality are indispensible supports,'" she continued. "So Women of Joy, remember that, and remember that even today this nation needs you."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sarah-pa ... d=10419289

ZOMG! Discuss!

 

[Cosmic]

I seriously doubt Sarah Palin cares what religion anyone is. Her point is probably that those people who insist on being politically correct at all times and removing all Christian symbols / traditions are going against a majority. America is primarily a Christian nation. Maybe the founding fathers meant that anyone should be able to pray anywhere, whether it to be God, Allah, or the living room sofa, not no one being able to pray at all.

 

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Christianity: (78.5%)
((((Protestantism (51.3%)
Roman Catholicism (23.9%)
Mormonism (1.7%)
Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%)
Orthodox Church (0.6%)
other Christian (0.3%) )))))
Unaffiliated, including atheist or agnostic (16.1%)
Judaism (1.7%)
Buddhist (0.7%)
Islam (0.6%)
Hinduism (0.4%)
other (1.2%)

Just proving that Christians are the majority.

 

[NBK*Twitch]

Christianity: (78.5%)
(Protestantism (51.3%)
Roman Catholicism (23.9%)
Mormonism (1.7%)
Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%)
Orthodox Church (0.6%)
other Christian (0.3%) )
Unaffiliated, including atheist or agnostic (16.1%)
Judaism (1.7%)
Buddhist (0.7%)
Islam (0.6%)
Hinduism (0.4%)
other (1.2%)

Just proving that Christians are the majority.

Uhmm That chart makes no sense. It is more like 300% when you add it all up..

 

[Justin M]

Christianity: (78.5%)
(Protestantism (51.3%)
Roman Catholicism (23.9%)
Mormonism (1.7%)
Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%)
Orthodox Church (0.6%)
other Christian (0.3%) )
Unaffiliated, including atheist or agnostic (16.1%)
Judaism (1.7%)
Buddhist (0.7%)
Islam (0.6%)
Hinduism (0.4%)
other (1.2%)

Just proving that Christians are the majority.

Uhmm That chart makes no sense. It is more like 300% when you add it all up..

Protestants fall under Christians, it lists the major religions and some major sects within.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

I seriously doubt Sarah Palin cares what religion anyone is. Her point is probably that those people who insist on being politically correct at all times and removing all Christian symbols / traditions are going against a majority. America is primarily a Christian nation.

I'm an Atheist, but you can't deny the raw statistics. America is a Christian nation. It doesn't bother me unless someone forces his opinion on me or mixes politics with religion (which, in all fairness, happens a lot). I really don't like Sarah Palin, but I don't think she's an evil criminal for saying this. She's an evil criminal for other reasons. I do believe that America would be much better off without Christianity or any other religion for that matter, but I can't control what people want to believe.

 

[Cosmic]

What? Many of the principles this nation is based off are derived form the ten commandments. Whether you lime it or not, Christians have donated millions to charity and have gone out of their way to help millions of people. Those people who think that Christianity is the worship of some zombie up in the sky are ignorant because they know very little about the positive effects Christianity ha son people. I know arguing its truth won't click with you, but how can you say that Christianity has made the US worse? You will probably say you know plenty of nice Atheists, but to them there is no being watching everything they do. Thus, everything immoral they do in secret is perfectly okay because there is no inexorable moral standard.

And what crime has Sarah Palin committed? Please link me to her criminal record. I guess to some liberals, disagreeing with them is a crime but I don't think you're that stupid. Seriously, Sarah Palin has the right to say whatever she ***** well pleases.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

You will probably say you know plenty of nice Atheists, but to them there is no being watching everything they do. Thus, everything immoral they do in secret is perfectly okay because there is no inexorable moral standard.

You're wrong. Although I don't believe there's any higher being watching everything I do, I try much harder than any Christian I know to be a good person both in public and private.

Positive effects of Christianity? The Bible Belt is the reason that the murder rate and divorce rate in the United States is so high. Guess which state has the least divorces. It's Massachusetts; Massachusetts is quite likely the most secular state of them all.

 

[Cosmic]

Murders? Who on earth would a real Christian murder because of Christianity? There are insane wacko nutjobs atheists too. Hitler and Stalin are example. There are insane nut jobs everywhere. These insane nut jobs would kill anyone for any reason. And I guess you don't know very many real Christians, because many of the Christians you will meet are CINOs (Christians in name only).

 

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The slogan: "The family that prays together, stays together" is well known. There has been much anecdotal evidence that has led to "unsubstantiated claims that the divorce rate for Christians who attended church regularly, pray together or who meet other conditions is only 1 or 2 percent". 8 Emphasis ours]. Dr. Tom Ellis, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention's Council on the Family said that for "...born-again Christian couples who marry...in the church after having received premarital counseling...and attend church regularly and pray daily together..." experience only 1 divorce out of nearly 39,000 marriages -- or 0.00256 percent.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_dira.htm