Originally Posted by roachboy

fill me in please on what possible difference the religious persuasions of the "founders" can possible make to anyone who is not a historian of colonial-period america in 2004?

if these folk had been interested in imprinting their personal belief system on the institutional design they set up, they would not have opted for things like a precedent-based legal system, which is the basis for such adaptability (and continued relevance) as the american legal system has.

i suspect the relevance of this matter is of a piece with the "original intent" mode of trying to interpret the constitution--a mode that is wholly absurd conceptually, practically, etc. but outside of that, i cannot see why the question of what and how jefferson of anyone else understood the question of religion is interesting or important.


also, a side note--i think it was already stated above--i do not know how the actual numbers in the election can be understood by anyone as a "massive defeat" in any way. maybe someone could fill me in on how 3% can be understood as "massive"...