“The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scripture ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evil men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

I love this quote reminds me of where our nation is headed but at the same time it tells us how we as a nation can return to greatness once again.

Wouldn't it be great if the "religious right" took this quote to heart? Oh wait, that would pretty much wipe out the whole basis of the Republican party.

We are so blind...

this is religious bigotry and rubbish - does anyone really think that the christian religion has a right to denigrate all other religions and systems of morality

This is so true.

Yes, anonymous, you are so blind. And don, in London, stay in London; you are too illiterate to allow in America. You suppose denigration? Are you saying, therefore, that only Christianity has correct moral values? Since the denigration you suppose appears nowhere in the quote? Or are you just extremely confused? Or all of the above?

No, Christianity does not have a right to "denigrate all other religions". Every founding father, including Thomas Jefferson who is commonly known as a "deist", said that the Christian theocracy of peace and love to fellowman is the greatest of any religion. In true Christianity is found the greatest amount of acceptance and tolerance than any other religion. Thieves of the Christian faith have gone on holy crusades to force their fellowman into forced virtue, however, while doing so, have violated the very framework of the gospel they say they are proclaiming. Such is a sad truth. However, thus said, America was established as a "Christian Nation" -- and why is this so bad? If I were to go to another country and see their government based upon their dominant religion I wouldn't be concerned or felt that my own religion was being intruded upon. Atheism claims to be a religion that doesn't believe in a surpreme being, and if so, they really should't care what anyone else believes... however this is not the case... Atheism is not passive in it's belief in no diety but active in its attack on what others believe. If America was based upon principles of Christianity, so what? So long as another man is safe in his ability to worship his own God according to the dictates of his own conscience, where's the problem?

To the "thumbs down" crew... I give you Proverbs 18:2.

I guess it's not enough that most wars have been fought in the name of some ideology or other ("precepts contained in the Bible" being among the foremost in recent history). More people have been killed in 'HIS' name than under any other banner. It's OK though because 'god' is on our side (always true for all 'sides').

Au contraire, Logan. A-theism does NOT claim to be a religion but, as the name itself designates, it is the absence of a religious belief. People can believe what they want. NEWSFLASH! - The belief doesn't make it so.

Webster got it right!!!

One really should note the differences between the gospel taught by Christ and the doctrine that evil men proclaim to justify their evil. Just because someone wears a cross or speaks at a pulpit does not make them a Christian and no one who has murdered, looted or oppressed has acted in the name of Christ for Christ taught none of that..

What a great quote, really bad things happen all the time and people try to blame god for it. Moreover, in reality we bring most of the trouble on ourselves, how ironic.

I have explained ad infinitum the definition of religion (used legal dictionaries, Webster's dictionary, other dictionaries, court decisions, biblical references, etc., etc. etc.; a god may or may not be helpful in the demonstration of a religion). Christianity, in and of itself, is not a religion. Atheism, in and of itself, is not a religion. Religion is the ethical, moral, values or orientation of correctness / enlightenment beliefs, held sufficiently conventional and sacrosanct, that moves one to self obligated pursuits and devoted interests. The Atheist religionists pursuits to eliminate all competing religions from their church (government) is an example of religious bigotry. It is religious persuasion that has caused and does cause so much pain and suffering. The atheists Mao and Stalin are examples of such religious pursuits.

Religion is also the greatest motivator for prospering and advancing the human family. Webster's here quote is an extremely accurate example of that. If a person stands on tires in a garage, uses some oil (maybe in his hair) and yells honk - honk, does that make him a Chevy ? NO ! ! ! To call oneself a Democrat or Republican is a vague and very general nomenclature. To say one follows after a specific ideology with a very narrowly stated doctrine is another thing. The same is true of the morals and principles here referenced by Webster. Christ related truths are: "Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men" (Matt: 22:16) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Act: 10:34) (in context, all are loved and each individual sovereign heir is equal). And in the words of Jesus himself: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Mark 12:31) and "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matt 5:44) Is the person calling himself a Christian committing atrocities (standing on tires in the garage) or is he following the moral / principled teachings of Jesus the Christ ? To any of the thumbs down commentators here, what political mores or principles of Christ's teachings do you disagree with ? What moral or principled doctrine would limit you or cause a nation to go to war ?

Sharia Law - I like it.

Webster was abolitionist and the great men of the Old Testament owned many slaves. Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Yes any constitution based on the truth and human values held in the bible will have deep commitment to love his brethren which is the basis of humanity. For if I have love for my brethren then I will be ready to give myself for my people and any fellow human being created in the Image of God. In doing this I will answer all the questions of humanity, free will, etc.. for Love is the fulfillment of the Law , any law that goes beyond the Law of in the bible isnot human law but as God gives us free will to choose between good and evil , that law which is not based on the values of humanity will not benefit us .........like the recent laws approving evil things …………as holy. And even enforcing people to accept as a normal life style

When people tell me that religion is the cause of most wars I tell them that that is a good thing. If religion trys to give people a moral basis for living and war has a moral basis, that is right. However, i believe most wars are fought for a different god and that is money, one tribe trying to subjugate another for it's own material gain..

The moral precepts of the old Testament leave a lot to be desired and if you followed them you'd end up in jail, and rightfully so.

Religion is a very individualistic thing. When taking over cities after leaving Egypt, the released Israelite slaves rejected God as their law giver by taking on the defeated cities' laws, complete with slavery. At the time of Samuel the Prophet, the Elders came to the Prophet and wanted to change the common law form of government to a government of kings. The word from God was that they had rejected God as their law giver. Again and again, when man leaves the principles, morals and laws reveled by the Biblical God, society denigrates (there was much history given in the Bible that was of a people that had rejected Abraham, Issac and Israel's God and His principles,morals and laws). Most of the U.S.A. founders understood natural law, its source and the consequences of varying therefrom. Basing the Constitution and form of government on Biblical principles, morals and law, even when considering the Ten Commandments, government was limited to Life, Liberty and Property (that secular that relates to a third person). Now that the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land has so sufficiently rejected those Biblical morals, principles and laws (by way of example: implementation of compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity [income / property / life taxes, funny money, etc.], rejection of inalienable rights, a return to a form of social / society slavery, continual wars and rumors of wars, torturing and murdering to fulfill carnal leader's desires, etc., etc., etc.) how goes the advancement or man's progression in love, charity, truth, freedom or liberty ?

Very well said Mike !