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From: gumby@mit-eddie.UUCP (David Vinayak Wallace)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The Bible and our great Nation.
Message-ID: <622@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Aug-83 12:45:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.622
Posted: Thu Aug 18 12:45:27 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Aug-83 23:04:49 EDT
References: <184@teltone.UUCP>
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 23

I doubt anyone claims the bible had no part in the origins of the USA.
After all, why did the pilgrims come here?  But you fail to recognise
the PLACE the bible has in US history.

The US (and supposedly the constitution) stands for the freedom of 
speech and religion.  This freedom includes the right not to have one
religion singled out over any other.  Imagine the hue and cry had the
Q'ran been singled out instead!

Of course, there is precident.  The singling out of Christmas is, I think,
unconstitutional.  However it is accepted as it is the "majority"
(actualy plurality) religion; when coupled with Channuka, it accounts for
probably 85% of the population having a holiday then.  But I think this
particular singling out is pretty poor.  I guess that's why they didn't
publicise it; I'd never heard of it before.

david

PS:  Andrew Jackson is a pretty poor example for them to have used.  They
    must have been scraping the barrel.  He was the least-educated President.
    (third grade, I think).  As a matter of fact, it is claimed that when
    he became president, a woman in his home town said "Andrew JACKSON?  Why
    if that boy is president than ANYONE can be!"