http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054 I have noticed some of the posters are echoing sentiments of the past and injecting scriptures as if to say “God is on our side” then they wonder why people call them hateful.  The other side is not any better with their in-your-face attitude.  No one likes to be forced to accept anything.  Great leaders of the past, such as Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King used peaceful means to make their point. Even though America has made great strides, we have never completely resolved our differences when it comes to race, religion and sexual orientation, leaving room for extremes on both sides to keep the pot stirring. We have not come far from the 1800s when ads for John Adams, read” Adams and God, or Jefferson and no God”.  The very fact Mitt Romney had to make a speech to convience the American public, that his faith would not influence his presidential decisions is unbelievable.  This is the same man that said he would not let Muslims serve in his cabinet.  Well, maybe Secretary of Transportation. I thought it was a good speech, except when Romney  quoted Adams to make his point to the Evangelicals.  He misquoted Adams , “our constitution was made for a moral and religious people” because Adams separated morals and religion.  Being an intolerant and exclusionary can apply to both atheist and Christian,so if elected, Romney will have to represent all the people. Yesterday, Mike Huckabee said.  “If a man tells me, he does not wear his religion on his sleeve, then that man has no faith”. (Sic)  That angered me, because that is being judgmental. He can not tell me that ,the values instilled in me years ago, cannot subconsciously be the driving force of my decisions; just because I do not wear my religion on my sleeve. There is a fear among some Christians that America is becoming too secular.  They cite the removal of prayer in school and making Roe v. Wade law as proof.  Several pundits have hyped their fear by taking isolated incidents and exaggerating them as the norm. I think America is much more multicultural now, than it was in the 1950s so the “The leave it to Beaver Christmas” is a thing of the past in some areas.  Christians make up about 80% of the population and rising, so their fears are not valid. From time to time, extremists will try and remove God from the pledge of allegiance , from our coins and from the public domain in general.  Courts have decided with tradition every time, so they remain.  Extremist will also try to defy federal and state law, such as in the Mary Schiavo and Judge Moore case. Religion will always be a big part of this great country, but sometimes it needs its checks and balances.     I have noticed some of the posters are echoing sentiments of the past and injecting scriptures as if to say “God is on our side” then they wonder why people call them hateful.  The other side is not any better with their in-your-face attitude.  No one likes to be forced to accept anything.  Great leaders of the past, such as Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King used peaceful means to make their point. Even though America has made great strides, we have never completely resolved our differences when it comes to race, religion and sexual orientation, leaving room for extremes on both sides to keep the pot stirring. We have not come far from the 1800s when ads for John Adams, read” Adams and God, or Jefferson and no God”.  The very fact Mitt Romney had to make a speech to convience the American public, that his faith would not influence his presidential decisions is unbelievable.  This is the same man that said he would not let Muslims serve in his cabinet.  Well, maybe Secretary of Transportation. I thought it was a good speech, except when Romney  quoted Adams to make his point to the Evangelicals.  He misquoted Adams , “our constitution was made for a moral and religious people” because Adams separated morals and religion.  Being an intolerant and exclusionary can apply to both atheist and Christian,so if elected, Romney will have to represent all the people. Yesterday, Mike Huckabee said.  “If a man tells me, he does not wear his religion on his sleeve, then that man has no faith”. (Sic)  That angered me, because that is being judgmental. He can not tell me that ,the values instilled in me years ago, cannot subconsciously be the driving force of my decisions; just because I do not wear my religion on my sleeve. There is a fear among some Christians that America is becoming too secular.  They cite the removal of prayer in school and making Roe v. Wade law as proof.  Several pundits have hyped their fear by taking isolated incidents and exaggerating them as the norm. I think America is much more multicultural now, than it was in the 1950s so the “The leave it to Beaver Christmas” is a thing of the past in some areas.  Christians make up about 80% of the population and rising, so their fears are not valid. From time to time, extremists will try and remove God from the pledge of allegiance , from our coins and from the public domain in general.  Courts have decided with tradition every time, so they remain.  Extremist will also try to defy federal and state law, such as in the Mary Schiavo and Judge Moore case. Religion will always be a big part of this great country, but sometimes it needs its checks and balances.     en-us Despite my personal issues with Hillary, she did make one statement that impressed me as a Christian. She said her upbringing and background had made her suspicious of those who wear their religion on their sleeves. I completely understand this sentiment. My family has seen some tough times in the church, and often it's the ones who shout our Lord's name the loudest who have done the most damage. Thankfully, we've had friends of faith that used gentleness and love to help us heal. But the main reason this impressed me was a recap back to when dear old Bill was in office and on the track for impeachment. There are several accounts of Hillary quietly taking a Bible with her and taking some time to herself throughout the day to read the scriptures. I may not approve of the Democrat platform, but if we get someone like Romney or Huckabee for the Republican side, I may vote for her. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28657 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28657 Despite my personal issues with Hillary, she did make one statement that impressed me as a Christian. She said her upbringing and background had made her suspicious of those who wear their religion on their sleeves. I completely understand this sentiment. My family has seen some tough times in the church, and often it's the ones who shout our Lord's name the loudest who have done the most damage. Thankfully, we've had friends of faith that used gentleness and love to help us heal. But the main reason this impressed me was a recap back to when dear old Bill was in office and on the track for impeachment. There are several accounts of Hillary quietly taking a Bible with her and taking some time to herself throughout the day to read the scriptures. I may not approve of the Democrat platform, but if we get someone like Romney or Huckabee for the Republican side, I may vote for her. Hello LAhightower Thanks for sharing , I didn’t know what Hillary was going through during the Bill Clinton fiasco,but the segment on CNN; where the candidates discussed their faith, she brought up the story you mentioned. I remain leary of those people who think injecting scripture, gives them instant credibility http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28699 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28699 Hello LAhightower Thanks for sharing , I didn’t know what Hillary was going through during the Bill Clinton fiasco,but the segment on CNN; where the candidates discussed their faith, she brought up the story you mentioned. I remain leary of those people who think injecting scripture, gives them instant credibility I don't know exactly who the "we" are when you think of inviting a holy war, Mike, but I think the war is going on if we invite it or not, so some of us grab our weapons and hop in. My favorite weapons are the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet! I believe that without true Christian principles and morality, politics and business become tyrannical. I have in mind communist govts. of the last century. Also,  some stock holders from Enron might have hoped that the execs. remembered the 7th and 8th Commandments as their retirement funds went to zero. I hear you Hightower about those who shout out the loudest in the name of religion can sometimes do the worst damage. Usually, those types can be seen through, but sadly, not right away by many people. If we look at the lives of some of the great saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi and John Paul the Great, who will be canonized, they didn't do much shouting. There holy and selfless actions spoke incredibly louder than words.   http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28760 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28760 I don't know exactly who the "we" are when you think of inviting a holy war, Mike, but I think the war is going on if we invite it or not, so some of us grab our weapons and hop in. My favorite weapons are the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet! I believe that without true Christian principles and morality, politics and business become tyrannical. I have in mind communist govts. of the last century. Also,  some stock holders from Enron might have hoped that the execs. remembered the 7th and 8th Commandments as their retirement funds went to zero. I hear you Hightower about those who shout out the loudest in the name of religion can sometimes do the worst damage. Usually, those types can be seen through, but sadly, not right away by many people. If we look at the lives of some of the great saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi and John Paul the Great, who will be canonized, they didn't do much shouting. There holy and selfless actions spoke incredibly louder than words.   Hello maryann I don’t want this country; go back to 1925 in which a teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching his students a chapter on  Darwinian evolution.  We’re not that far off, because three GOP candidates raised their hands indicating that they did not believe in the theory of evolution. This is the year 2007.  Why are we even asking the question? I think religion thrives in the USA, because it coincides with science.  Religion could and should play a dominant role in combating global warming. Mike Huckabee, asked question “Do the Mormons believe that God and Satan were brothers?”  Obviously, Mr. Huckabee was pandering to the evangelicals.  Again, this is the year 2007, we should be beyond that.  In 1992, Mike Huckabee said “God is on the side of Republicans and with George W. Bush”.  Many think our current president has a messianic worldview that, told him  to the bring freedom to the Middle East.  That’s dangerous.  This will cause our country to be like the Shiites and Sunni. I’ll really saying separation of church and state becoming less and less.     http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28884 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28884 Hello maryann I don’t want this country; go back to 1925 in which a teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching his students a chapter on  Darwinian evolution.  We’re not that far off, because three GOP candidates raised their hands indicating that they did not believe in the theory of evolution. This is the year 2007.  Why are we even asking the question? I think religion thrives in the USA, because it coincides with science.  Religion could and should play a dominant role in combating global warming. Mike Huckabee, asked question “Do the Mormons believe that God and Satan were brothers?”  Obviously, Mr. Huckabee was pandering to the evangelicals.  Again, this is the year 2007, we should be beyond that.  In 1992, Mike Huckabee said “God is on the side of Republicans and with George W. Bush”.  Many think our current president has a messianic worldview that, told him  to the bring freedom to the Middle East.  That’s dangerous.  This will cause our country to be like the Shiites and Sunni. I’ll really saying separation of church and state becoming less and less.     In 1992, Mike Huckabee said “God is on the side of Republicans and with George W. Bush”. Why does that remind me of the short story by Mark Twain. What was it? The War Prayer? Everyone screams their cause it righteous and never bothers to look and see what their advantages could take from others. God help and guide us all. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28893 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28893 In 1992, Mike Huckabee said “God is on the side of Republicans and with George W. Bush”. Why does that remind me of the short story by Mark Twain. What was it? The War Prayer? Everyone screams their cause it righteous and never bothers to look and see what their advantages could take from others. God help and guide us all. I'm all for a healthy religious debate- it means that our brains and souls are still working as they should. As for evolution, well.... it's still a theory, especially the part about higher species evolving from lower species, like a tiger from a shark. Not enough fossils to prove that yet. I have no problem of evolution, as long as it's taught as a theory. As my kids enter junior high, they will be prepared for books/teachers that try to teach them they come from monkeys and that it's a proven historical point!!! lol We have separation of state and religion here. We have no state church, and the church is not trying to appoint and annoint presidents. Yes, churches can guide on principles, and it's their duty to do so.  I like our set up. I think all candidates pander. Why can't they pander to religionists? I agree that some shouldn't be saying "God is on our side." That's a bit much. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28895 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/6054/#c_28895 I'm all for a healthy religious debate- it means that our brains and souls are still working as they should. As for evolution, well.... it's still a theory, especially the part about higher species evolving from lower species, like a tiger from a shark. Not enough fossils to prove that yet. I have no problem of evolution, as long as it's taught as a theory. As my kids enter junior high, they will be prepared for books/teachers that try to teach them they come from monkeys and that it's a proven historical point!!! lol We have separation of state and religion here. We have no state church, and the church is not trying to appoint and annoint presidents. Yes, churches can guide on principles, and it's their duty to do so.  I like our set up. I think all candidates pander. Why can't they pander to religionists? I agree that some shouldn't be saying "God is on our side." That's a bit much.