A Christian Nation
I was unaware that there was an effort to create a "Christian Nation Amendment" until I read my most recent issue of Church and State (published by Americans United for Separation of Church and State of which I am a member). The point of the article was a poll that indicated that 66% of Americans are against a constitutional amendment "to establish Christianity as the official religion of the United States." (qtd. in 57: 171) 66%? That's it?
Are people unaware of the reasons people came to America in the first place? Are they aware of the First Amendment? Are they thinking ahead to the possible consequences of creating a national religion? This is truly frightening folks. Would the Bible become law? Would non-Christians be persecuted or forced to convert? What kind of nation would we become? If you're wondering that same question and don't know the answer, just look to the middle east where they do have a national religion.
I looked around online for more information to corroborate this article. I didn't find too much on it which leads me to believe this isn't quite at our doorstep just yet. But I did find one website with an "action plan" for making it happen as well as two equally scary examples of what such an amendment might say.
The Christian America Constitutional Amendment: "The United States is a Christian Nation. Congress shall make no law abridging the free exercise of all Christian religions, nor make law giving preference of one Christian denomination over another Christian denomination, nor giving preference of one Christian sect over another Christian sect. This amendment replaces the religion clause of the First Amendment and supersedes all treaties as relevant to this amendment."
Or how about this one?
Draft of a proposed [Christian Amendment] amendment to the Preamble to the United States Constitution (amendment in brackets):
"We, the People of the United States [recognizing the being and attributes of Almighty God, the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures, the law of God as the paramount rule, and Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior and Lord of all], in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
I truly cannot understand how one can come to the conclusion that their religion is so superior to others' religions that they should deny them the right to practice what they believe. History is replete with examples of "religion gone bad." How many women have been oppressed in the middle east in the name of religion? How many "witches" were burned in Salem? How many gay people are denied equal treatment right now?
Now keep this in mind before you get angry with me: I am not against Christians or Christianity. What I am against is the over-zealous, selfish, superior notion that one religion must be imposed on others. I don't think that is what many, many Christians believe. But America is seeing more and more of the far right who seems hell bent on delivering us from whatever, even if we don't want their version of UPS. If the US ever declares itself a "Christian Nation" you'd see my blog coming from our northern neighbor. I don't care how cold their winters are.
(sources: "Americans Oppose "Christian Nation" Amendment, Poll Finds." Church and State 57.8 (2004): 171.; http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/christianamerica/; http://candst.tripod.com/chrsamnd.htm; http://www.acknowledgegodamerica.com/)
Holy shit! These conservatives are all over things at the moment. This is one revelation that should be spread far and wide! I will start sending out some emails about this one! I am disgusted that Dubya and his morons are hiding this so well!
Actually no witches were burned in Salem. That wasn't an option under English law at the time. (Don't you hate someone who used to be a first person interpreter as a Colonial Attorney?)
But- 19 "witches" were hanged. One, Giles Corey was pressed to death while being subjected to torture to extract a confession (his wife had already been hanged.) and somewhere between 4 and 13 died of disease or malnutrition in prison (the exact number is not clear).
Christianity as it is "practiced" in America - sucks.
Makes Canada all that more attractive. I swear these christian wackos are just as bad as any other fundamentalist religion out there. They bitch about muslims blowing themselves up and killing people, well they aren't too far behind.
With school prayer, for example, still such a contentious issue, I suspect that you're right - The Christian Nation thing isn't something were going to see in our lifetime. And probably never. Thank God for small miracles. ;)