Oh shit, what's this on the Chicago suburbs shooter's arm? Now where have we seen that before?? Link in coms
(media.greatawakening.win)
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Not to escape a "Catholic Theocracy" but to prevent hostile takeover of the de facto and official state churches in the colonies, by the Crown attempting to force the Anglican Church as the official state church throughout the whole Empire, including the colonies. Most American Colonists were quite pleased with their established Congregationalist churches, or their lack of a specific established sect but official state support of general Christianity.
The point is that a government can't marry a religion. Look what the Popes did to real Christians in the crusades and inquisitions.
The initial Crusades were wholly just and righteous to go to the defense of Christians in the Holy Land who were being attacked by Muslim aggressors. Unfortunately later Popes abused and exploited many people by convincing them that their fighting in the wars would count as acts of penance to get them out of "purgatory" (heresy) sooner. Though the wars were still just causes, the motivation given to the soldiers and people to support them was based on false theology (a la "God wills it!"). Had the motivation instead been "it is noble to come to the aid of your brothers and sisters and that should be cause enough" then there's not much of a problem.
The inquisition on the other hand, and the persecution of Protestant Reformers who merely aimed to curb the abuses of Rome... now that was pure evil.
That goes with my main point, that a government can't be ruled by a religion. The real faith works in each individual and then individuals of faith participate in the government. It can't be legislated and maintain, it will be abused
Indeed, freedom of religious thought and practice, insofar as such practice does not violate universal natural law. Legislation of morality, or more correctly enforcing moral law, is quite literally why all government (civil and even ecclesiastical) exists. As Madison aptly acknowledged, if men were angels, we'd have no need for government at all... but alas, such is fallen human nature. True religion is to support good civil government.... SUPPORT. Not a strict separation, not a top down theocracy, but rather a partnership. That was the general belief of the Founders as a collective entity, what they envisioned this country would be, and did everything within their power to make it so. Unfortunately over the past 100 years, much has been done to undo their noble work, and directly coincides with the utter moral decline of our society. It is a refreshing and uplifting thing to see SCOTUS and good legislators and executives (at least at many state levels) balancing church-state relations back to their intended separate yet closely cooperating realms. All is not lost