Thomas Jefferson's classical liberalism is the basis of all of the current progressive, conservative, libertarian, and neoliberal ideas in this country. Yes, by today's standards he was a rapist and pedophile. Despite the brutalities of some of his failed ideas, like the subjugation of the African slaves, that the west was filled with wooly mammoths and salt mountains, and and how awesome guns are, he did have a lot of good ideas.
This idea that as long as someone's religion or lack thereof doesn't hurt anyone, so why should he care is one of those good ideas.
Too bad Christianists today have forgotten this idea.
Today, people use religion to bludgeon people. From Fox News and their "War on Christmas" to the gay pizza debacle, people are turning their back on this Jeffersonian idea.
Which is why I'm for another Jeffersonian idea, the dismantling of organized religion in this nation. Scum bags like Creflo Dollar and the Duggar family have picked the pockets of and broken the legs of (And in the case of the Duggars, actually raped) the American people.
Jefferson said:
The successful experiment made under the prevalence of that delusion on the clause of the constitution, which, while it secured the freedom of the press, covered also the freedom of religion, had given to the clergy a very favorite hope of obtaining an establishment of a particular form of Christianity thro' the U. S.; and as every sect believes its own form the true one, every one perhaps hoped for his own, but especially the Episcopalians & Congregationalists. The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
To translate, those who wish to impose religion on this nation are tyrants and it is our duty to tear them down. Let's start by making religious organizations stop stealing from the American people. As
James Garfield said "The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no Church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt from equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization (school), to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community."
This tax exemption has created a fascist voting block in the south, an area in this country with a long history of using religion to enforce slavery, segregation, and now anti-gay laws. Gore Vidal said, "Nonprofit status is what created the Bible Belt. The tax code brought religion back to this country."
I have no problem with people being religious. That is their personal choice. However, when they are crooks like Creflo Dollar or bullies like the Duggars, and do so by hiding from the tax code, that does injure me and pick my pockets. Because the church is not taxed, we have to raise taxes and fees in this country which hurts the middle class and poor. That's before we get into the insane things religion believes some times.
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