John Adams on Public Education

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by noonereal

Gee, I wonder if Twodogs is ok with polacks

As long as large groups of them are still just screwing in lightbulbs for a living.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by finnbow

As long as large groups of them are still just screwing in lightbulbs for a living.

lol

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I figured you guys were yanking 'our' chains....

I am not a dogmatic Christian. Salvation is a gift from God, not dogma. Christians are people too and sin. It doesn't mean they're not Christians! John Adams, not a Christian?

Although there are plenty of folks who believe Unitarians are going to hell. I'm not so sure I know better than God.

"The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite....And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: . . . Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System."

John Adams - Lester J. Capon, ed., The Adams-Jefferson Letters 2 vols. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1959), 2:339-40

"The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue equity and humanity…"

John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, Ed., (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856) III:421, dairy entry for July 26, 1796.

That odd fact I keep coming across in various arguments is that most Founders weren't 'real' Christians. Interesting argument! Heck, they all went to church.

Pete

When did I say he wasn't a Christian? Matter of fact, looking back at my post, I think I stated to contrary. I just stated that the book I am reading, (so far), hasn't gone deep into his spiritual beliefs.

Dave

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Heck, they taught the Bible in public schools!

Anyway, don't mean to threadjack, I'll bow out (as gracefully as a Polack can).

Pete

I've known many a fine Ohio Polack. Good people, but "gracefull" is not the word I would use to describe.

Dave

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by noonereal

lol

X2 lol!

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

When did I say he wasn't a Christian? Matter of fact, looking back at my post, I think I stated to contrary. I just stated that the book I am reading, (so far), hasn't gone deep into his spiritual beliefs.

Dave

I stand corrected.

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I've known many a fine Ohio Polack. Good people, but "gracefull" is not the word I would use to describe.

Dave

You should see us dancing ballet.

Pete

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

You should see us dancing ballet.

Pete

One of my best friends in highschool came from a big Polish family. They had his graduation party at the local Catholic Church, St. Michaels. That was easily the most fun I had ever had. The beer, the food and watching the older crowd "Polka". I was amazed that those old farts could still move like that.
I guess once you have a belly full of beer, the arthritis doesn't bother you so much.

The Polish know how to party, I'll give'm that!

Dave

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

They still do in highschool where I live, and kids are graded on it. Alot of places probly don't I'm sure, but here you'd be hard pressed to find a parent that would vote no to Bible teaching in school. Until more non believers move in on us, we should be safe to carry on for a while. I remember my sons 9'th grade teacher standing before his class the last day of school before Christmas break. He told the class that the school was informed they could no longer wish kids a Merry Christmas and are sposed to be saying Happy Hollidays. He said, '' I'd like to take this time to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ''. Now, my question is, why can't other schools show some balls?

That's great! And the founders would've been on your side.

They wouldn't DARE do that up here, the State would just cut their funding.

Originally Posted by merrylander

Really? Was this the same religion that mounted the Crusades and pillaged the Holy Land? Not to mention the Jews they slaughtered on the way to Jerusalem.

Hey, original sin pervades us all. But compared to everyone else, overall it certainly is. Look at the fruits - Christianity = the West, and the regimes in the M.E. and China.

Pete

[BlueStreak]

From the "Treaty of Tripoli, 1797", unanimously adopted by the senate and signed into law by the President of the United States--John Adams.

"The United States is no more a Christian Nation than it is a Jewish Nation or a Mohammedan Nation."

Regards,
Dave

[Fast_Eddie]

"We should begin by setting conscience free. When all men of all religions ... shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and power ... we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society."
-- John Adams

"As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?"
-- John Adams

[Fast_Eddie]

Here's an interesting one:

"We have now, it Seems a National Bible Society, to propagate King James's Bible, through all Nations. Would it not be better to apply these pious Subscriptions, to purify Christendom from the Corruptions of Christianity; than to propagate those Corruptions in Europe Asia, Africa and America! ... Conclude not from all this, that I have renounced the Christian religion, or that I agree with Dupuis in all his Sentiments. Far from it. I see in every Page, Something to recommend Christianity in its Purity and Something to discredit its Corruptions. ... The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount contain my Religion."
-John Adams

I agree with him there. The Sermon on the Mount is in my opinion one of the most amazing passages in the Bible. I've read entire books about it and for me (and Adams as well, it seems) it really does sum up much of what religion should be.