Madison redux

I’m so incredibly sick of listening to, or reading of,  the Trump evangelical sycophant fan-base laud him as a “Godly man” who, they promise, will restore….who knows, the “Good Old Days?” You know, when non-Christians were some sort of second-class citizens, yet bound to the whims of a faith they neither believed or observed?

        Modern skeptics aren’t by any stretch, the first Americans who foresaw the dangers of enforced religious belief or conformity to a free nation. The “Christian nation” bullshit is precisely that. Every Fourth of July, we see or hear, frequently from a pulpit,  cherry-picked citations from some of the founding fathers which are then extrapolated as being representative of what the framers of our national Constitution intended. As usual, those fraudulent claims are bolstered by their insistence than only a Christian nation can be moral in its actions.

Accordingly, here are some words from the Father of the United States Constitution, which all Americans of all degrees of all or no faiths really need to read and understand. This is philosophically relevant to every human being on Planet Earth who believes that their religion makes them superior and therefore fit to rule others.

“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.”

“What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people… A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not."

“Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?”

James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance, addressed to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of VA, 1795

       Although Madison was addressing those who then (and now to an extent) believed that the United States of America should be a "Christian nation," the thought process and the warning, is as relevant to Islam, or for that matter any government which should seek to enforce religious adherence as the price for civil equality. Theocracies like Iran and Saudi Arabia (supposedly a monarchy, but only because they suck up to their domestic Wahabi fanatics) do little to help their populations by cramming religious dogma down their throats. 

       Likewise Hindu dominated India has fostered for years a mindset toward women that they are having a terrible time reversing. Isn't it odd that Fundamentalist Christians, Hiindus and Muslims all denigrate women with respect to their freedom, sexuality and place as religious leaders? It seems to me that if any of the world's professed divinely inspired religions were so obviously just, right and beneficial that there would be no need to enforce their observance. 

       If the Taliban are right, why do they have to use terrorism and force to get others to see the rectitude of their viewpoint? If Christianity is truly God's will, why were there Crusades, Inquisitions, witch burnings and continuing persecution of various minorities in his name? Why kill people in the name of a deity who allegedly loves everyone equally? If the Taliban were fundamentalist Christians would we be in Afghanistan?

       I leave the subject for now with several additional quotes which relate to my question:

 "In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point." - Friederich Nietzsche

"It's fair to say that the Bible contains equal amounts of fact, history, and pizza." --Penn Jillette

"I refuse to prove that I exist" says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith, I am nothing."  "Oh," says man, "but the Babel Fish is a dead give-away, isn't it?  It proves You exist, and so therefore You don't.  Q.E.D."  "Oh, I hadn't thought of that," says God, who promptly vanishes in a puff of logic. - Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"Those to whom his word was revealed were always alone in some remote place, like Moses. There wasn't anyone else around when Mohammed got the word either. Mormon Joseph Smith and Christian Scientist, Mary Baker Eddy, had exclusive audiences with God. We have to trust them as reporters---and you know how reporters are. They'll do anything for a story." --Andy Rooney

"It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere... Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." - Albert Einstein