On Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:42:33 -0500, GuzzisRule
wrote:

Are y'all anti-all religions, or only Christianity?

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I don't think this was directed at me but allow me to chip in my 2
cents worth. I'm not anti religious at all, not yours, nor anyone
else, but I am a *really* strong proponent of the separation of church
and state. The founders of this great country were all too familiar
with state sponsored religion and wanted no part of it here, and for
really good reasons. The first amendment did not happen by accident.

There is no place for Sharia law in this country, not the Papal
version, not the Islamic version, or any other version. It is my
personal opinion that any church which tries to influence legislation
or any other governmental process should have their tax exemption
revoked. The subversion of the Republican Party by religious zealots
will ultimately lead to its downfall, and what a pity that will be.
Where else will we find fiscal responsibility?

From Wikipedia and Thomas Jefferson regarding separation of church and
state:

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In the United States, the term is an offshoot of the phrase, "wall of
separation between church and state", as written in Thomas Jefferson's
letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. The original text
reads: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely
between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his
faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach
actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence
that act of the whole American people which declared that their
legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a
wall of separation between Church and State." Jefferson reflected his
frequent speaking theme that the government is not to interfere with
religion.[7] The phrase was quoted by the United States Supreme Court
first in 1878, and then in a series of cases starting in 1947.[8] The
phrase "separation of church and state" itself does not appear in the
United States Constitution. The First Amendment states that "Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
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