Re: My take on the State of the Union

> "The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable and it is not carried 
> forward by our power alone. We can trust in that greater power who guides the 
> unfolding of the years. And in all that is to come, we can know that his 
> purposes are just and true."
> 
> separation of Church and State isn't such a priority anymore, it seems. that 
> is simultaneously scary and wrong. it also seems that "freedom" means 
> something different to GWB than it does to most others on this planet.

   Separation of Church and State never existed (at least in the modern
understanding of the term). 

   "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." -- U.S. Bill of Rights,
Amendment I.

    This does not prohibit the president from being religious or talking
religiously. It simply prohibits congress from creating "The Church of
America" (or some such). Someone did a survey a few years back, and they
found that only 3 or 4 of the founding fathers were not orthodox
Christians.

   I think the Declaration of Independence, which leans on the
understanding of a personal Creator, shows there real intent. Not to
remove all traces of religion from government, but to insure the
government didn't interfere with the free practice of religion and
didn't force anyone to pay for a church they didn't agree with. 

> i've watched my freedoms and the freedoms of my fellow humans on this planet 
> decrease year after year after year. look at the legislation that has been 
> passed in the US, Canada and elsewhere with regards to informational 
> freedoms, as just one small example. look at the wars and the political chaos 
> that exists and which we only work to reinforce through further shows of 
> unecessary bloodshed (aka might) and global economic extortion. you mentioned 
> the US PATRIOT act in your piece, yet somehow still maintain the ability to 
> latch onto the "increasing freedom" line.

   The USA PATRIOT Act is a terrible thing, but it is just one of many
things that has happened and is happening. Overall, I'd say the Bush
administration has increased freedom across the world.

> "We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a 
> democratic peace a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and 
> woman."
> 
> to force your definition of governance and peace upon others is to dominate.

  I suspect this was more in response to the suggestion that we
personally wish to control the world.

> governance is not bad. power is not bad. being a "go-getter" is not bad. we 
> have just let a lot of very bad people take governance, power and "go-get" us 
> ever deeper ........

  Certainly, our leadership today isn't the best its ever been, however,
I don't see it as bad either.

   -Tim

-- 
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Timothy R. Butler       Universal Networks      www.uninet.info
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