Peter the Believer wrote:

“The New American Colonies adopted the principles of the English Constitution, and the United States is the only successful republic, with over 200 years of successful self government.”

Europe had been torn by religious wars. Those who wrote the Constitution sought to avoid that in the United States by erecting a wall between church and state. The Constitution does not mention God, Christ or Christianity. The only mentions of religion in the Constitution are:

Article VI

…. no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ….

The First Amendment has been interpreted by the US Supreme Court to mandate separation of church and state and prohibit government funding for religious schools or allowing any religious observances in the public schools. Religious bodies may get tax exemption but such exemption can be removed if those bodies engage in partisan politics.

The father of the current president was a Muslim and the current vice-president is a Catholic. The Democratic candidate for vice-president of the United States in 2000 was an orthodox Jew.

The Treaty of Tripoli was signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796 and at Algiers (for a third-party witness) on January 3, 1797, finally receiving ratification from the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797 and signed by President John Adams on June 10, 1797.

The Treaty of Tripoli officially denied that the United States was a Christian state.

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America 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 Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

President Obama in his inaugural address this year characterised the United States as a nation composed of “Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and unbelievers.”

In so doing he included most religionists and those who believed in no religion. The government should neither encourage nor discourage religion. Neither is the business of the United States government.

Peter the Believer wrote:

“The only time Jesus Christ exhibited extreme anger, was when he plaited a whip and drove the merchants out of the Temple.”

Jesus drove the moneychangers from the Temple courtyard. In that he did the community a disservice. People came from many places with different coinages to worship at the Temple. Like others who came from foreign lands they needed to get local currency so they could get food and lodging. The moneychangers provided a needed service.

Jesus’ action made as much sense as a contemporary expulsion of the moneychangers from the Sydney International airport. He should have saved his anger to condemn social ills such as slavery. There is no record in the New Testament of Jesus or any of his followers condemning slavery.

Jesus’ anger, like that of contemporary Christians who try to set up a nanny state to censor free speech on the Internet, was misplaced.

as we are drawing a wide bow i will wade in...jesus drove the money changers from the temple...for the prime reason of the money changers having taken supreeem control over the temple tokens...these tokens were a nessesity to gain acces to the services of the temple

to put it in proportion in our hindsite is difficult...but we have the clues...that the tokens the money changers established monopoly positions over were as money itself is a token...and that jesus had to pay a temple tax...

despite...peters response that the tax was for..'others'..it can be presumed..no tax coin../.no temple acces...sort of an early form of pay for indulgences...even having temple coins..to cover animal sacrifices

thus he finds the ursurors selling cattle/sheep/dove indulgenges in the temple...talk about a divided house..for they had turned our fathers house into a market...

naturally the priests asked for a sign...[to which jesus reveals the concept of rebirth of spirit..''destroy this temple]]..ie..[his proof of authority would come with his reserection,..that should have destroyed the lie of judgment day...spirits waiting for reserection..[how absurd]

its interesting to note the feast parrable gets inserted...'for many are invited,but few chosen...followed again by the question..is it right to pay taxes...followed by give to caeser..and give that of god to god

this gets followed by the parrable of the ten servants...more shall be given...

regarding the giving of graces and then giving increase..where some took their grace and multiplied it 10 fold,..and one fool just burried his grace...

but im just muddie-ing the waters

but the temple he had spoken of was his body[john2;21]

john2;23..then at 24/25,..an other hand muddies the waters...[and what was meant to be an end..gets lost in a new beginning..[..or revision]-ism...timing it seems is everything

I don't care what your name is, nobody walks on the water when I'm fishing!

If the fisherman who is scared of footprints scaring the fish away, was familiar with his Bible he would know that on two occasions Jesus came on the scene when no fish were being caught. After giving some instructions the fish caught were so numerous they nearly broke the nets. The first time was at the beginning when He told the fisherman, to come fish for men, and the second time was after he had been crucified, the disciples were crestfallen and depressed, and had gone fishing, tried all night, and caught nothing. When Jesus turned up, he said Cast your net on the other side. The record shows they caught 135 big fish, but he already had some cooked fish on the beach. That was the first men’s breakfast where men met in Jesus name. We still do this.

The reference to the plaited whip and driving the money changers out of the temple, is really relevant. When Martin Luther got annoyed at Popey Wopey, selling indulgences to rich criminals, and giving them get out of jail free card, he started the Lutheran Church, which is still the biggest Protestant Christian Church in the world. Why, because they keep their members.

Some of you are making a big thing of S 116 Constitution. There was to be no State required Religious test for public office. That meant Roman Catholics could take public office, because before 1900, if you were out of favor with the local Anglican Bishop, or Presbyterian or Methodist Minister, you could not be a Justice or Justice of the Peace. Judges were banned in 1900, and had to get consent in writing to sit without a jury. Two justices could sit without a jury, in minor cases but as soon property was involved, they had to step aside and the matter had to be tried with a jury. This stopped the selling of indulgences, and lawyers who traditionally traded in indulgences were really annoyed at the way they could no longer coin money. Examine our present system because indulgences are being sold today throughout the Commonwealth

Peter the Believer wrote:

"...he started the Lutheran Church, which is still the biggest Protestant Christian Church in the world. Why, because they keep their members."

Since they kept their members they can use them to produce more Lutherans.