McCain blasted over religious remarks

[ck4829]

Several Jewish organizations criticized John McCain on Monday after the Republican candidate said he would prefer a Christian president over someone of a different faith.

In an interview with Beliefnet, a multi-denominational Web site that covers religion and spirituality, the White House hopeful was asked if a Muslim candidate could be a good president.

"I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles ... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith," McCain said. "But that doesn't mean that I'm sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president."

Later, McCain said, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values." He added that "the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."

...

The American Jewish Committee, an international think tank and advocacy organization based in New York, issued a statement criticizing the Arizona senator, arguing that McCain should know that the United States is a democratic society without a religious test for public office.

"To argue that America is a Christian nation, or that persons of a particular faith should by reason of their faith not seek high office, puts the very character of our country at stake," Jeffrey Sinensky, the group's general counsel, said Monday in a statement.

A partisan organization, the National Jewish Democratic Council, also called McCain's comments repugnant.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_religion

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. WHICH constitution "established the United States of America as a Christian nation?"

Certainly NOT the one he swore to defend while in the military and which he swore to uphold as a Senator.

Can we call it treason yet?

[LiberalFighter]

5. He has one of those constitutions that only republicans know about.

It has the secret words creating the US as a god country.

[Cha]

8. bushits are way past Treason..it's

the corporatemediawhores who have to be held accountable for lying and covering up their treason.

If you're a mainstreamer..who the hell knows what's really going on? It's so bad that it's oozed out of the cover-up but this country needs a free press like humans need air to breath.

[Richardo]

2. McCain the Pander Bear

That transparent 'play-to-the-base' crap will always bite back. Those who play tend to forget that there's another 65% of the country they're not pandering to at that moment. Idiot.

[golddigger]

3. McCain needs to...

Read the Treaty of Tripoli.

Jackass!!!





:wtf:

[sandnsea]

4. He needs to read the Constitution

This is the second time I've heard this nonsense in the last few days. Where are these people getting this idea, it's crazy.

[LiberalFighter]

7. He was brainwashed by the Vietnamese

[TwilightGardener]

6. All right, in all honesty, I do believe this country was primarily founded

on Christian principles--it was founded by Christians. There's no arguing that. But when did the Constitution establish an official U.S. religion? Uh, it didn't.

[Odin2005]

9. Most of the founding fathers weren't Christians, they were Deists.

They believed in a "God the Engineer" that didn't interfere in human affairs.

[Trillo]

10. "is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion"

"is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion"

quote from:
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/barbary/bar1796t.htm

[TwilightGardener]

11. That's a really nice treaty there, but I still believe that America was

founded on Christian principles--I never said it was founded on the religion itself. I am willing to bet that most of the founders of this country either belonged to, or were heavily influenced by, Christianity. That in no way defends what McCain said.

[Trillo]

13. They most certainly were influenced by it.

They were trying to get away from The Church of England, a Authoritarian belief system that was used by the King to control the population, and it was a Christian belief system.

Frankly, it looks to me like many of our founders were Pagans, with such words as "Laws of Nature" and "Creator" included in the founding documents, or perhaps some were deists, others perhaps atheists. I believe Jefferson was sometimes called "the atheist".

The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a government religion. (like the Church of England) It also keeps government from prohibiting any religion.

You of course are allowed to believe anything you wish. What is at issue, is whether McCain is competent enough to be a senator.

[Union Yes]

12. 1st Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Mccain is for an establishment of religion, make that his religion.