As promised yesterday...
John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Republican mouthpieces like Michelle Bachmann seem fond of tossing the words "patriot" and "patriotism" around as if they own them. Nevermind that the very party that considers itself the patriotism police is running a VP candidate with ties to an Alaskan secessionist group, and is about as ignorant on American History as I am on chemical engineering:
Question: Are you offended by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?
Sarah Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.
Even ignoring the facts that the Founding Fathers had nothing to do with the Pledge of Allegiance, which was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister, and that the Founding Fathers would've considered themselves to fit the job description of community organizers, which Palin openly mocks; what they would've found truly offensive is the McCain/Palin tickets attempts to infuse religion into every aspect of government.
Let's take a look back at the real Founding Fathers' opinions on religion and government.
From Thomas Jefferson:
"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity."
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787
I concur with you strictly in your opinion of the comparative merits of atheism and demonism, and really see nothing but the latter in the being worshipped by many who think themselves Christians.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Richard Price, Jan. 8, 1789
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and 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.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT., Jan. 1, 1802
Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814
In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814
Priests...dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820
From John Adams:
The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?
-John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 20, 1815
The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.
-John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America"
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, letter to Dr. Price, April 8, 1785, quoted from Albert Menendez and Edd Doerr, The Great Quotations on Religious Freedom (1991)
God is an essence that we know nothing of. Until this awful blasphemy is got rid of, there never will be any liberal science in the world.
-John Adams
From George Washington:
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
- George Washington
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
-George Washington
Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.
- George Washington
From Ben Franklin:
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."
-Benjamin Franklin, in "Toward The Mystery"
"The way to see by Faith is to shut the eye of Reason."
-Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard, 1758
"Think how great a proportion of Mankind consists of weak and ignorant Men and Women, and of inexperienc'd Youth of both Sexes, who have need of the Motives of Religion to restrain them from Vice, to support their Virtue, and retain them in the Practice of it till it becomes habitual, which is the great Point for its Security."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1757, in Edwin S. Gaustad, Faith of Our Fathers: Religion and the New Nation
"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments."
-Benjamin Franklin
"Indeed, when religious people quarrel about religion, or hungry people quarrel about victuals, it looks as if they had not much of either among them."
-Benjamin Franklin