There are understandable reasons why some in this nation believe major warnings should be heeded to prevent the United States from becoming a chaotic democracy—something on the order of France, early in the last century, a country of so many divided parties and factions, parliament was to a large extent paralyzed.
The rise of the Tea Party, representing disappointment in Washington and the political parties, divisions among Americans especially in the Southwest, the terrorists threat and resentment of Muslim Americans, the recession, and other current trends are reasons for concern—concern whether a unified democracy will reduce its crime rate and achieve unity and order in the near future.
The crime rate itself is a national disgrace. Over 150 children have already been shot this year in Chicago. Bad as that is, Chicago famous as a criminal gang city, the number shot in Orlando is even higher!
A majority now opposes wars the country is waging in Muslim countries—countries which are none of our business, even though terrorists have come from them. That is probably impossible to end, and our invasions of countries from which they came has probably produced as much resentment and hate of Americans as friends.
In Iraq where about 4,000 Americans gave their lives in eight years of a war begun by President George W. Bush based on false information about nuclear weapons, there’s still chaos. Over 100 people were killed by bombing in the second week in May—the same news of recent years even when we were there to produce a democracy, order and stability.
The new government seems likely, again, to leave Sunnis out of the government, though President Karsai was warned about this on his recent weeklong visit in Washington (with his cabinet). They are a major racial element (in north Iraq) of the population.
Attacks on the United States by Islam terrorists are likely to continue, or be attempted, and though perhaps not wise public relations, words spoken recently by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, contained much truth.
Graham said the true Islam faith and teaching as practiced by some is evil, since it justifies killing. Graham said it was shameful, wicked and evil. And it is—as viewed by the standards of tolerances observed by most Americans and other faiths.
There are some 29 countries where Islam is a major faith, with millions of adherents. We are waging wars in two and striving desperately to win over Muslim populations in all, but damnation of a population’s religion doesn’t make our task any easier.
Millions of Muslims also now live in the United States. They are a worrisome faction in the racial and cultural mix now threatening American unity.
No Protestants!
In, probably, no other country could its highest court contain not even one member of the majority faith in the nation.
Not just from the numbers count, but from the historical record, Protestants have been the major factor in shaping the nation’s laws, democracy and society since its founding.
Yet President Obama’s latest nominee to fill the vacancy of Justice John Paul Stevens, the only Protestant on the high court now leaving, is the third member of the Jewish faith on the court. The other six justices are Roman Catholics.
All were appointed by Protestant Presidents.
This is a step from the thinking of many of the nation’s founders, including John Jay, the Supreme Court’s first chief justice. Jay, in stressing the importance of national unity, wrote: “Providence has been pleased to give this one country to one united people—a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion (Protestant) attached to the same principles ofgovernment, very similar in their manners and customs.”
Alexander Hamilton said the safety of the republic depended “essentially on the energy of a common national sentiment.”
Hamilton was speaking primarily about immigration — which citizens of Arizona might be interested to read today.
Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson made similar remarks about maintaining the moral and religious unity of the nation. George Washington (in a speech written by Hamilton) declared: “To render the people of this country as homogenous as possible must tend as much as any other circumstance to the permanence of their union and posterity.”
That the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t contain even one Protestant, representing the philosophy of the founding fathers, doesn’t mean that members of other faiths can’t and won’t do so—and have.
But, at the very least, it’s something of an oddity for a country of about 100 million majority faith Protestants not to have even one member of their faith on the nation’s highest court.
Odd at a time when historically, the Roman Catholic faith is beset with a worldwide mass of sins and crimes by thousands of priests following centuries old church doctrine that priests not marry. One doesn’t imply any of the six Roman Catholics on the current court are connected, in any way, with this scandal.
But it can be said, and should be, that the faith of the founding fathers and the historic faith of the majority of Americans should be represented on the nation’s highest court, which has always been the case in U.S. history, until 2010.
This has nothing to do with capable nominee Elena Kagan, who will almost surely be confirmed, as the court’s third Jewish justice, who is widely respected. But Protestants should still fill several seats on the high court, traditionally and democratically.
A Divided Nation
The rise of the Tea Party, representing disappointment in Washington and the political parties, divisions among Americans especially in the Southwest, the terrorists threat and resentment of Muslim Americans, the recession, and other current trends are reasons for concern—concern whether a unified democracy will reduce its crime rate and achieve unity and order in the near future.
The crime rate itself is a national disgrace. Over 150 children have already been shot this year in Chicago. Bad as that is, Chicago famous as a criminal gang city, the number shot in Orlando is even higher!
A majority now opposes wars the country is waging in Muslim countries—countries which are none of our business, even though terrorists have come from them. That is probably impossible to end, and our invasions of countries from which they came has probably produced as much resentment and hate of Americans as friends.
In Iraq where about 4,000 Americans gave their lives in eight years of a war begun by President George W. Bush based on false information about nuclear weapons, there’s still chaos. Over 100 people were killed by bombing in the second week in May—the same news of recent years even when we were there to produce a democracy, order and stability.
The new government seems likely, again, to leave Sunnis out of the government, though President Karsai was warned about this on his recent weeklong visit in Washington (with his cabinet). They are a major racial element (in north Iraq) of the population.
Attacks on the United States by Islam terrorists are likely to continue, or be attempted, and though perhaps not wise public relations, words spoken recently by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, contained much truth.
Graham said the true Islam faith and teaching as practiced by some is evil, since it justifies killing. Graham said it was shameful, wicked and evil. And it is—as viewed by the standards of tolerances observed by most Americans and other faiths.
There are some 29 countries where Islam is a major faith, with millions of adherents. We are waging wars in two and striving desperately to win over Muslim populations in all, but damnation of a population’s religion doesn’t make our task any easier.
Millions of Muslims also now live in the United States. They are a worrisome faction in the racial and cultural mix now threatening American unity.
No Protestants!
In, probably, no other country could its highest court contain not even one member of the majority faith in the nation.
Not just from the numbers count, but from the historical record, Protestants have been the major factor in shaping the nation’s laws, democracy and society since its founding.
Yet President Obama’s latest nominee to fill the vacancy of Justice John Paul Stevens, the only Protestant on the high court now leaving, is the third member of the Jewish faith on the court. The other six justices are Roman Catholics.
All were appointed by Protestant Presidents.
This is a step from the thinking of many of the nation’s founders, including John Jay, the Supreme Court’s first chief justice. Jay, in stressing the importance of national unity, wrote: “Providence has been pleased to give this one country to one united people—a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion (Protestant) attached to the same principles ofgovernment, very similar in their manners and customs.”
Alexander Hamilton said the safety of the republic depended “essentially on the energy of a common national sentiment.”
Hamilton was speaking primarily about immigration — which citizens of Arizona might be interested to read today.
Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson made similar remarks about maintaining the moral and religious unity of the nation. George Washington (in a speech written by Hamilton) declared: “To render the people of this country as homogenous as possible must tend as much as any other circumstance to the permanence of their union and posterity.”
That the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t contain even one Protestant, representing the philosophy of the founding fathers, doesn’t mean that members of other faiths can’t and won’t do so—and have.
But, at the very least, it’s something of an oddity for a country of about 100 million majority faith Protestants not to have even one member of their faith on the nation’s highest court.
Odd at a time when historically, the Roman Catholic faith is beset with a worldwide mass of sins and crimes by thousands of priests following centuries old church doctrine that priests not marry. One doesn’t imply any of the six Roman Catholics on the current court are connected, in any way, with this scandal.
But it can be said, and should be, that the faith of the founding fathers and the historic faith of the majority of Americans should be represented on the nation’s highest court, which has always been the case in U.S. history, until 2010.
This has nothing to do with capable nominee Elena Kagan, who will almost surely be confirmed, as the court’s third Jewish justice, who is widely respected. But Protestants should still fill several seats on the high court, traditionally and democratically.