The teabaggers like babbling about the Constitution and what the founders believed, yet they get it wrong a lot of the time. They like ranting about America being a "Christian Nation," even though anyone familiar with the Constitution or American history would know otherwise.

The First Amendment explicitly forbids the establishment of religion.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Note that the First Amendment says Congress can't make a law respecting the "establishment of religion." It does not say "establishment of a particular religion" or even "establishment of religion." The latter two are common lies told by Christian religious extremists who don't like the wall of separation between church and state mandated by the text of the First Amendment. So, they just lie about what it actually says.

Logic is often considered evil by the rightist teabaggers. Yet, the rest of us would point out that it isn't logical to think that founders who wrote and ratified the First Amendment would see our country as a "Christian nation." But, that doesn't keep the teabaggers from lying and saying it was the original intent.

One of our nation's first treaties was the Treaty of Tripoli. The main significance of the treaty to our lives today can be found in one part.

ARTICLE 11.

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.

This treaty was signed by President John Adams after being ratified by the US Senate. It should be noted that Adams is quite trendy on the right these days, but most of his conservative admirers know nothing about the Treaty of Tripoli (or much else).

Even worse for those who want to believe that America was founded as a Christian Nation was this part of his statement at signing the treaty. (bolding mine)

Now be it known, That I John Adams, President of the United States of America, having seen and considered the said Treaty do, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, accept, ratify, and confirm the same, and every clause and article thereof. And to the End that the said Treaty may be observed and performed with good Faith on the part of the United States, I have ordered the premises to be made public; And I do hereby enjoin and require all persons bearing office civil or military within the United States, and all other citizens or inhabitants thereof, faithfully to observe and fulfill the said Treaty and every clause and article thereof.

Atheists, agnostics, and non Christian religious leaders are sick and tired of this nonsense about America being a Christian nation. You teabaggers need to stop spewing this bullshit.

Why is an Astroturf scam like Teabagger Inc. pushing these lies about the Constitution and the founders? The rich bastards and corporate leaders behind the scam want to keep people too busy ranting on about religious hatreds to notice how we are being robbed by the very interests behind all the nonsense being fed the drooling knucklewalkers who have been suckered by the con job.

Photos: naama

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