When America Was *More Christian*
There is always great talk amongst Christian conservatives about a time when America was more Christian. Much more talk indeed about returning to our Christian values and heritage, or some other such nonsense. Such nice talk and pleasant memories about a time no one has experienced.
It is always good to remember that when America was more Christian
- Salem copied Europe's remedies for witchcraft (it appears the founding fathers had great reason for separation of church and state and freedom of speech - Europe was still under the great rule of the Catholic and various Protestant sects, and you could be arrested, tortured, tried, and put to death for saying such things as: 'I am not a witch', 'There is no God', or 'The earth revolves around the sun')
- domestic violence was legal as evidenced by the rule of thumb laws (the astute reader can ponder what type of situation arose to pass a law requiring sticks to be no wider than their thumb)
- slavery was institutionalized, and blacks were legally less than whites (three-fifth compromise)
- killing the native population for their land was legal, as was great swindling, false contracts, and bio warfare (small pox blankets)
- some states made it illegal to teach natives to read or write in English
- Columbus, in the name of Spain and Catholicism, committed great atrocities upon the natives and others made great profits selling native women for rape in the sex trade
- some states had state sanctioned churches that by law you were required to attend service
- in time of dire hunger, eating the dead was deemed necessary in both robbing the native and the settlers graves
- states passed laws limiting to which degree a cousin one can marry (the astute reader will once again ponder the situation that arose for such laws to become necessary)
- black men gained the right to vote before white women
- women were not allowed to speak in church or address congregations of large audiences, particularly male
- women had no real legal rights so to speak of until the woman's rights movement and were denied access to jobs on principle
- drinking was prevalent (the whiskey rebellion started by trying to tax whiskey, and George Washington was called out to quell the masses)
- prohibition against alcohol gave rise to great corruption and helped fuel the development of La Cosa Nostra
- the KKK arose as a christian organization, and to this day, insists that it is one (no one from this organization or any like it has ever attempted to explain why defending slavery, their peculiar institution, was essential to their way of life)
- white southerners would dress up like they were going to church and lynch blacks from trees or burn them. The calm, pleasant expression on the faces of the Christian white southerners says more than I ever could
- empire building began and to this day, America has troops stationed in at least 150 sovereign countries - no other nation comes close.
It appears the appeal to back to better, more wholesome family minded, Christian lifestyle is an appeal to a lack of thinking. Back then, you were told what to do, and people did it, and most people were ok with that. The clergy, accustomed to telling the laity what to do, has always been ok with that. Since time memorial, many people have always been ok with the status quo or back when times were easier. If you were a white male, times were indeed quite easy.... not the same for anyone else.
It is always good to remember that when America was more Christian
- Salem copied Europe's remedies for witchcraft (it appears the founding fathers had great reason for separation of church and state and freedom of speech - Europe was still under the great rule of the Catholic and various Protestant sects, and you could be arrested, tortured, tried, and put to death for saying such things as: 'I am not a witch', 'There is no God', or 'The earth revolves around the sun')
- domestic violence was legal as evidenced by the rule of thumb laws (the astute reader can ponder what type of situation arose to pass a law requiring sticks to be no wider than their thumb)
- slavery was institutionalized, and blacks were legally less than whites (three-fifth compromise)
- killing the native population for their land was legal, as was great swindling, false contracts, and bio warfare (small pox blankets)
- some states made it illegal to teach natives to read or write in English
- Columbus, in the name of Spain and Catholicism, committed great atrocities upon the natives and others made great profits selling native women for rape in the sex trade
- some states had state sanctioned churches that by law you were required to attend service
- in time of dire hunger, eating the dead was deemed necessary in both robbing the native and the settlers graves
- states passed laws limiting to which degree a cousin one can marry (the astute reader will once again ponder the situation that arose for such laws to become necessary)
- black men gained the right to vote before white women
- women were not allowed to speak in church or address congregations of large audiences, particularly male
- women had no real legal rights so to speak of until the woman's rights movement and were denied access to jobs on principle
- drinking was prevalent (the whiskey rebellion started by trying to tax whiskey, and George Washington was called out to quell the masses)
- prohibition against alcohol gave rise to great corruption and helped fuel the development of La Cosa Nostra
- the KKK arose as a christian organization, and to this day, insists that it is one (no one from this organization or any like it has ever attempted to explain why defending slavery, their peculiar institution, was essential to their way of life)
- white southerners would dress up like they were going to church and lynch blacks from trees or burn them. The calm, pleasant expression on the faces of the Christian white southerners says more than I ever could
- empire building began and to this day, America has troops stationed in at least 150 sovereign countries - no other nation comes close.
It appears the appeal to back to better, more wholesome family minded, Christian lifestyle is an appeal to a lack of thinking. Back then, you were told what to do, and people did it, and most people were ok with that. The clergy, accustomed to telling the laity what to do, has always been ok with that. Since time memorial, many people have always been ok with the status quo or back when times were easier. If you were a white male, times were indeed quite easy.... not the same for anyone else.
posted by rain at 1:37 AM
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