What became of the Republican Party of Lincoln? Why is it stuck with religion and other crazy ideas that have nothing to do with the founding of this government.

I often enjoy watching the political side show called the Presidential election. It has been an interesting thing to watch and the 2012 election was no exception. But what I found, specially on the Republican side was nothing short of scary. because religion was a far more important issue in many cases than what I would think would be more important issues.

Since Jefferson penned that letter as President to a religious Baptist sect, a sect that wanted government protection from another religious sect. In his answer he stated quite clearly that there was a wall of separation between religion and government. I am sure he wrote that letter after talking it over with his Secretary of State, James Madison. Madison who is known as the Father of the Constitution. Madison was Jefferson's intellectual support. He was a man of amazing intellectual properties. To which Jefferson made full use of.

In the election of 2012, which started in 2010 I saw something I had never seen before. There were three candidates running on the republican side who made it difficult to tell if they running for President for their party or they were barnstorming, preaching, religious leaders trying to start a new Billy Sunday crusade.

This was Santorum, Bachmann, and Perry.

I understand some people have strong convictions for their religion. I respect that. But let's remember that religion has NOTHING to do with government.

 If that is not understood, go visit the Middle East. There you will see religion in charge of many governments and see how truly dreadful that is. Can you imagine how screwed up this country would be with some religious gang in charge here?

The United States Constitution was written without religion in mind. The founders knew that religion would spoil the water. It always does. People will do and say stupid and wicked things when they are under the spell of religion.  They can also do dreadful things in the name of religion.  Marriage has nothing to do with religion, abortion has nothing to do with religion either. It is a issue with the government. The madness that is the Christian group who says that God hates fags, and they go and act like madmen at military funerals. Or nutcases like Jerry Falwell who said that the 9-11 attacks were because of and I will quote this windbag......"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"

This is why you do not want to have religion in charge or a part of government. 

The founders of this country were too smart to allow such foolishness. Washington, Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, and many others at that time were Deists at best. Therefore their work and understanding of life, government and religion were looked at from that point of view.

The Constitution was written with the direct influence of all of these men and many others. Jefferson and Adams were not even there. But, their influence was very strong indeed.  But what was their influence? We will shortly see.

The Constitution allowed anyone to worship or not as they like, but it was beyond the control of government to control it either way. One thing was very plain and clear. Religion had nothing to do with the United States Government.

Therefore religion took a very back seat in the formation of the United States. They would not even allow a morning prayer to be said. But there were many debates in which religion was used as a strong tool.

Now what is very important, is the fact that each of these men  involved in the formation of the country were political. They also knew that they needed to use religion to reach the less intelligent.

 It worked well for Washington. People still believe he was religious. Even that notorious notion of him praying at Valley Forge.  Remember that was another fairy tale from Parson Weems. He is also the guy who made up the  cherry tree story.

Madison was not at all religious.

Jefferson hated religion and felt it was foolish. He even rewrote the New Testament and took out all he felt useless, foolish and lastly just unbelievable.  It is called the Jefferson Bible.  Lincoln was an ardent follower of this part of Jefferson's ideals.

Hamilton was a little religious. But he never let that stop the many affairs he had and the blackmailing he was doing. He was also on the receiving end of blackmail as well cause he couldn't keep his pants on.. Martha Washington, when ever she saw a tom cat roaming around would call it Alexander Hamilton. His reputation was that bad.   But he was a Christian.

Religion did get involved in government a little in the 1820's through the early part 1861. It was the God given right as stated in the Bible to have slaves.

 So most of the religious of the south and many in the north too, stepped up to the plate to fight for the religious freedom that was theirs, to enslave others.

See what I mean when I say that religion could make people say and do wicked and very stupid things.  This would be learned also with women, minorities, and gays.  For you see the founders were not perfect. They were not at all concerned with who was sleeping with who. Or for that matter who married who. They were concerned to start a new country with a new slant and idea. One that would work like the great republics of history. To put it bluntly, they were not hampered by narrow thinking and foolish ancient  fairy tales. They started the ball rolling. They expected like minded people to continue to improve the process.

If you think for a moment a civilization as advanced as ancient Greece was concerned with the narrow minded things that these religious folks are upset about. You need to study more.

Abraham Lincoln was not at all religious. But, being keenly intelligent, he understood the power of religious prose. Through his writings he would always quote biblical text. This is how he could reach the common man and the not too intelligent. Besides how can he be a bad guy, he knows the bible.
 He was a master of this. There are times Lincoln comes across sounding like a  Biblical Prophet. But he knew what he was doing and what he did.........worked.

 One has to remember that he did a similar thing to Jefferson and made a whole comedic satire of the Bible. However, advisers said burn it. It is a pity it did not survive as it would have driven those who think Lincoln was divinely inspired, absolutely crazy.

But now what has happened to the poor Republican party? It is under attack by some really bizarre people who are under the spell of this or that religion. Mainly the born again crowd which is frightening.  The sad part is that religion will finally kill the republican party. For religion requires you not to think,  or to even dare question it. That will sadly create a legion of the obedient, and clueless.

What is more bizarre is they are against most of what the founders were for.  Odd huh?



 In fact if by some amazing chance the people who seem to be in control of the Republican party had the chance to meet Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton, Adams, and just for fun, Lincoln....

 They probably would not like them and I would think the feeling would be mutual.

Because the founders hated the problems caused by religion and would first off say so.

They would tell them they have no rights to inflict religious views on people, that people have rights to do as they wish without religious guidelines. That their lives were their own. That they were endowed by their creator with these rights. One of them was to just not to deal with religion. If they so chose. But those who favored religion could enjoy it, but not force their morals on those who thought it was stupid. Therefore they would say that there is no reason to have any religious exercise in a school. Why force someone there to deal with that, if they think it is just ancient Egyptian  fairy tales.  That is what the founders would think and say.

 That they have no power to inflict their narrow views on who is good and who is bad. It is not right to judge others on religious grounds, it is on legal grounds and only legal grounds in which they can be judged.. While the religious believe only God can judge, the founders said only the government can.

Lastly, the founders were very well versed on Greek and Roman and many Eastern philosophies.    Much of that, was the basis of the the work on the United States Government and it's governing documents.

 But the group from the past would be amazed how uneducated the people were. Specially those who would be in charge. That they would rally round their bibles but have hardly an understanding of major Greek philosophers that were the moral basis for man's understanding.  Long before their texts of the New Testament were written.  The code of goodness and civility comes from that philosophy, not the religious texts.
 But sadly these people do not know this. They will blindly quote from their books what morality is. They are like circus elephants holding on to the tail of the other and go round and round in clueless religious circles. Always thinking they are right, and being rather snobbish about their point of view. Like it is pre-ordained. That reason does not work with religion. That they see only what they wish to see.  But the founders would take one more try to convince them to drop off this air of religion and use common sense..

 And the founders would find out and learn as we have......


It would fall on deaf ears.