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The 1797 Treaty With Tripoly proves that the USA Is NOT intended to be a Christian Nation.
The fact that the one unambiguous statement in the US Constitution on religion--the First Amendment--specifically prohibits the establishment of a state religion, is not enough for fundamentalists, who continue to erroneously assert that America is a Christian nation.
In 1797, President John Adams signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary. Known today as the Treaty With Tripoli, this document had been negotiated in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the plundering of US ships by pirates from the Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, and Tripoli (Libya today).
Article 11 of the Treaty With Tripoli reads as follows:
"AS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT IN ANY SENSE FOUNDED ON THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims], and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan [Mohammedan) nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religions opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
Of course, maybe Pat Robertson and the others feels they're more qualified to define our Constitution than John Adams.....
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Gimme That Old Time Religion - PAGAN FOR LIFE!
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