American = "Christian Nation"

[Darth Wong]

Is this little slideshow a bit too cheesy? I just made it up.

http://www.creationtheory.org/Essays/Ch ... tion.xhtml

[Starglider]

Is this little slideshow a bit too cheesy? I just made it up.

Given that you're mostly arguing with people unable to comprehend the concept of humour, I can't see it doing anything useful.

[Covenant]

Also, most people can't name the commandments or quote most of the rules, and the Catholics use some different versions anyway. It would be more useful to show pictures of the founding fathers along with the quotations of them asserting that they are not Christian, or at least that America is not. And though it may be golden meany, it's not like it would be horrible to recognize that yes, some men certainly were godfearing hicks, but that many of our Nation's most influential folks were certainly not what they would feel like electing today. That will at least get the point more clearly across that America was not intended as a Christian refuge, and as a nation religion was meant to be personal, and not political, as best as it could be.

You'd be better off quoting the Bible itself where Christian-type folks are commanded to keep their religions to themselves, which is a more stirring rebuttal of their God-and-Country passion play dramatics than our obsession with large stony faces.

[salm]

The second image isn´t visible long enough for me. Since people have very different reading speeds it might be reasonable to go to the next image by clicking instead of being automatically forwarded.

[Surlethe]

It's cute, but it won't have any effect on Catholics since we have a different list of the Ten Commandments. Of course, Catholics are (at this point) not the big problem in American society, so that can slide -- hardcore Protestants, because of the "graven images" commandment, have problems even with drawings of Jesus.

[Davis 51]

The second image isn´t visible long enough for me. Since people have very different reading speeds it might be reasonable to go to the next image by clicking instead of being automatically forwarded.

Similar problem for me. I instinctively clicked on it to advance slides. It just screwed up the slideshow.

[dragon]

I don't know technical German offical religion is Christian and many of the people are Christian, yet most Germans are usally nothing like Americana so called Christians.

[salm]

I don't know technical German official religion is Christian

Germany has no official religion. Church and state were separated in 1919.
This misconception comes up from time to time, though. I wonder why. Perhaps because the strongest party in the governing coalition is the CDU (Cristian Democratic Union).

[dragon]

I don't know technical German official religion is Christian

Germany has no official religion. Church and state were separated in 1919.
This misconception comes up from time to time, though. I wonder why. Perhaps because the strongest party in the governing coalition is the CDU (Cristian Democratic Union).

I know alot of Germans, even some that have degree's in public law that say that its their offical. Oh well.

[dragon]

Dang lack of edit.
Even if there is no offical religion a very large portion of them are christians. Yet they are no wear as near as bad as American Christians..

About 67 percent of the German population, more than 55 million people, belong to a Christian Church

link

So 65% are Christains yet they don't complain about abortion, nudity, free speech, political correctness(they'll say what they belive) and many other differences. I would rather be surronded by a bunch of German Christian than a bunch of American Christains.

[Ghost Rider]

It's not bad, but the point you are trying to make literally requires someone intelligent on the other end to understand what a graven image is and what you showed was such.

[salm]

I know a lot of Germans, even some that have degree's in public law that say that its their official. Oh well.

Oh, you mean individual people? Yes, that´s true. People have official religions. I used to be a Lutheran protestant for example on the paper for example before i left church and am now an official atheist. You´re practically born into it. I guess that´s the reason why many people say that they´re catholic or protestant or whatever when in reality they never go to church and don´t really believe anything at all. They´re simple too lazy to go to the standesamt and fill out the forms and don´t really care about it because it doesn´t affect them (besides the little additional taxes they have to pay). I have several friends who are full blown atheists and hate churches but are officially catholic or Lutherans.

[TithonusSyndrome]

Wait, what? In Germany you're expected to register with a religion the way we register with political parties here?

[Ted C]

Is this little slideshow a bit too cheesy? I just made it up.

http://www.creationtheory.org/Essays/Ch ... tion.xhtml

Given the vast quantities of official statuary, you should be able to considerably lengthen the slideshow.

There ought to be other commandments you can highlight, too. The First Amendment -- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof -- is diametrically opposed to the first commandment. It arguably opposes the first four commandments, really (but you already know that).

[salm]

Yeah, but you can´t register with a political party here.
I think it´s mainly because of the church taxes. Some churches tax their members and the state has contracts with some churches and collects these taxes. The churches pay the state whatever it costs to collect theses taxes.

[Ariphaos]

To me, the slideshow is annoyingly slow. Frames should probably progress at twice that speed or faster.

The message is certainly amusing, though.

[Lonestar]

Wait, what? In Germany you're expected to register with a religion the way we register with political parties here?

I have heard(ancedotally) that you have to register with the local police station in Germany when you moe into the neighborhood. I don't know if it's true or not...

[salm]

Wait, what? In Germany you're expected to register with a religion the way we register with political parties here?

I have heard(ancedotally) that you have to register with the local police station in Germany when you moe into the neighborhood. I don't know if it's true or not...

Well, not with the police station but with the Einwohnermeldeamt, which roughly translates to citizen registration office.

[Raesene]

Wait, what? In Germany you're expected to register with a religion the way we register with political parties here?

I have heard(ancedotally) that you have to register with the local police station in Germany when you moe into the neighborhood. I don't know if it's true or not...

Same registration system is used in Austria. I'd expect that to be related to conscription and taxation issues. We also use the compulsory church fee system (We inherited the latter during the 'Anschluss' 1938).

[Darth Servo]

It's not bad, but the point you are trying to make literally requires someone intelligent on the other end to understand what a graven image is and what you showed was such.

Perhaps Mike should quote the version from the NIV?

As for Mike's latest creation, we all know how selective fundamentalist morons get about OT law. In the very same breath they'll scream about the importance of the 10 commandments and in the next exclaim how Jesus did away with all that.

[Darth Servo]

<fundie moron>

"Besides, we aren't WORSHIPING Mt Rushmore!!!"

</FM>

[The Vortex Empire]

You should also mention the Treaty of Tripoli.
"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."-Treaty of Tripoli, Article XI
Pretty much the best refutation of the USA=Christian Nation argument that there is.

[Surlethe]

<fundie moron>

"Besides, we aren't WORSHIPING Mt Rushmore!!!"

</FM>

That will indeed be the immediate counterargument.

Speaking of that and the NIV, here's the NIV translation of the first two commandments:

And God spoke all these words:

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in all the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

[Dalton]

On a more technical note, texture effects on text are ugly and unnecessary. And they make Rob sad

Nothing against you, Mike. I just don't like it as a design choice.

[darthbob88]

While it's a good point and idea, saying that Mt Rushmore, as one of the graven images forbidden by the Dude Upstairs, refutes the idea that America is a Christian nation seems something like a fundie refuting global warming by saying it's now cold outside. By itself, a good rebuttal, but you have refuted only a small part of the argument. Perhaps you could comment that the much-beloved weekend runs counter to the idea of remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. Or that American consumerism is incompatible with "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's stuff", though that is a weak case at best.