This is long overdue, and let's leave religion out of it.

Y'know, I am pretty much an atheist myself. I recognize as the supreme creator and ruler, Mother Nature. I just cannot get my head around the concept of on all-powerful God that put it all together, watches over us all, answers prayers and dictates policies that require us to fight and kill others so that they will embrace our religious beliefs.

I do, however, recognize Jesus as a philosopher. One who has promulgated a set of values and "laws" that have been a, if not the the, major force in establishing the rules by which most of mankind lives today. I believe also that the Ten Commandments are inherent in every human as certain behavior traits are inherent in most animal species. As a crude example, the act of a dog lifting his hind leg when urinating. Not wanting to be killed, robbed, disrespected, etc. are as much Human Values as the are Holy Commandments. It doesn't matter if you believe they were God-given or just realized and written down by some observant scribe in pre-history.

Now then, let's all try to get everyone to recognize the fact that Christianity has been the motivating force that has allowed mankind to progress these last 2000+ years from partially civilized tribes living in a mostly-primitive manner to the highly technical, medically safe and proficient, civilized society that we have become today.

Stop railing about Christianity as a religion worshiping Jesus and start thinking of Christianity as a philosophy that has created an environment that has allowed us to progress to our present level of technical and governmental excellence. The philosophy of Jesus as passed down to us was conceived by careful examination of the several thousand years of Jewish experience from the Old Testament, the writings of all the ancient Greeks and a great deal of common sense.

If you, like me, cannot reconcile in your own head that Jesus is God, then just respect the man for his philosophy and where it has brought civilization. Without it I believe we would be far worse off.

We have more than "one or two bad apples" to dump. Half of the country is on "benefits" - welfare, permanent unemployment, "disability," food stamps, etc. These are parasites who needed to be "dumped" a long time ago. The longer we wait, the worse it'll get and the more difficult it will be to re-build.

I have heard it said, and I agree, that there need to be arrests and convictions. When elected officials thwart the Constitution and violate laws they need to be taken out and actually punished.

You are worried that religious people here in the United States would attempt to destroy the freedom of religion? Strange, I did not think you were a conspiracy buff.

Would you care to point out just where you see that he wants to establish a religious theocracy? Now I hear where all those who claim to be atheists wanting to suppress our right to worship as we see fit and to pray that the government corrects it's course, but nobody has said that you must worship as we say you should.

Talk about having a chip on your shoulder.

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The only thing that turns me off is the prayer group part. I might go to find and represent the atheists, possibly find educated anarchists.

not so sure about the educated part, but YO!

I can bear the prayer as long as this is representative of liberty. Higherarchy of choice.

I've a 34 foot Motorcoach.....who's in? My business can do a couple weeks without me....to save the whole thing!