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Author Topic: Are americans LOUD, stupid and ignorant?
foreignluvr
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Tootifrooti,

To answer your question "Are Americans LOUD, stupid, and ignorant?" "Well are they?"

The answer is NO, not the majority of them...

--------------------
"And in the end, the love we take will be equal to the love we make."
~The Beatles~

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*tigerman*
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quote:
Originally posted by sin-dee:
Tootifrooti,

To answer your question "Are Americans LOUD, stupid, and ignorant?" "Well are they?"

The answer is NO, not the majority of them...

Best answer..I read so far..
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LiveItUp
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Hear, Hear, or is it HEre, Here! Egyptian Guy I second that! That's exactly what's wrong with this world. Nice idea you have..I think thats' their problems not enough LOVING..
I am really tiring of reading all of this American Prejudice.

No bodies perfect- let me see one pure, generous, never insulting , un prejudiced person! Then I guess we would have peace.

Stay positive in 2006 and stop this insanity.

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I am not going to attack anyone, or insult anyone, but, am going to tell you the truth and what I have seen and experienced:
I left Egypt in 1978 to the USA. In Egypt, as an Egyptian, I was treated as a 2nd class citizen, no rights, no personal freedom, no good career or future, and the list goes on. I came to the US with only $200 dollars in my pocket, got my green card legally, and then became a US Citizen. In my entire 27 years in this country, no one ever told me go back to where you came from, or ever mistreated me because I was different. I went to school, and built a wonderful career, and now am a business owner, and live in an upper class neighborhood with lots of money and success. My children were all born here, and are treated everywhere with dignity and respect.

This country has given me home, full rights, religious freedom, career, and wealth for me, my wife, and children. Today, the US is my home because it has given me everything a human can ask for. I can go on and on about how wonderful my experience has been living in the US. I am proud to be an American, and will always be because I found out the truth “Home is where you live with dignity and respect as a human being”. Yes, there are jerks everywhere you go, they live here, in Egypt, and everywhere, but, it’s not the general rule. I have been dealing with Americans in business and in day to day life, and I can tell you, they are very generous and compassionate people. The reason I am telling this story is to educate the young people in Egypt on what the real America is all about, it’s not the America you hear about through the Egyptian propaganda machine on TV and Newspapers. America is not the great Satan as you hear, America feeds most of the world, the poor, and the hungry, and without it, the world could have been much worse. In fact, without the American aid, Egypt and many countries could have starved. Why do we ignore the truth and run after deception that serves no purpose but hate?

The bad things you hear are a result of lots of jealousy because everyone wants to have what America has. They don’t want to work hard for it like the Americans do, but, they want it anyway. I have been in many other countries, and I have heard it all. I tell you brothers, even after the 9/11 deal, am still living and being treated with respect and dignity, enjoying full rights like any American who was born here. No one ever said to me something nasty, or even gave me a dirty look. Imagine, if this happened somewhere else in the world. I assure you, we would have seen massive deportation. You have just heard the word of truth form an Egyptian who still loves Egypt and its people despite the many unpleasant things I experienced which forced me to leave. I know some people are not going to like what I posted and will call me a trader, but, this is the truth. Now, you make the call, and please are honest with yourself.

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daria1975
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You go, Watchdog!

I personally love hearing stories about people who love both their new country and their old one. [Smile]

I wish we could fix the bad in both countries...

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Thanks Snoozin, Sometimes it takes real life experiences to reach the truth, and we all have different experiences, sometimes good, and sometimes bad. The key is to go beyond that and do not generalize. There is good and bad everywhere.
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*tigerman*
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Watchdog33 ...My feeling exactly...Nicely said..

--------------------
PEACE

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LiveItUp
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I am so glad you had a positive experience and shared it with everyone. I also agree that the Eg. young need to know that we are not the big corrupt, sin city as seen on fictional movies or t.v. as well as USA people do not have ample documentaries, or t.v. spots or what have you on Egyptian life...it's a shame we don't know but what we hear from media or disgruntled people speak louder...if we haven't experienced it first hand.
Much success and happiness to you.

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tootifrooti
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Thank you all very much for your diverse comments. The reason I started this thread? Well, I am a newcomer to this forum. Internationally it is well known true or untrue that americans are Loud. I can only go on my opinion, and my experiences. I have lived in the US, many states, I have many american friends, and I have many american colleagues. Yes it is true, that we should not judge a nation as a whole, BUT!! I find time and time again on this forum, Just casually scrolling through looking for information, that some of the posters here are so typical of the american steroetype. What can I say? I cannot stand the horrible way in which some posters!! denigrate the egyptian people. These people instigated my post, I wanted to see the reaction when the shoe was placed on the other foot. All of my experiences are true 100%. Its strange that the Sonomod has been very quiet on this post. Why is this? I have to agree with Erasmus that from what I have seen of many of her posts that she is foul and obtuse. Maybe this posting has made her think how people feel when she posts such venomous replies. Maybe she has made her New Years resolution to try very hard to be nice to people and give constructive advice to their queries. She is not alone however. It seems to a new onlooker that there are a small group of Americans who seem to get off on this. Please please find another forum if you recognise yourself here.
It's just that you are living up perfectly to your image. Yes I am from the UK, yes I can take criticism, yes I know the weaknesses of my countrymen, and yes I can admit to it. I dont have this problem. If the americans feel they are constantly under attack, as we in the UK are now beginning to feel, due to our close ties with the US, try to think why you feel this way. Maybe you are too loud, too opinionated, not widely travelled enough to make such EXPERT comments on the people of egypt. Also remember that your country is very young, egypt gave us civilization. Most of your population came from europe, Africa etc etc etc etc etc. So look back a little in your family trees and discover you may actually be Italian, German, African!!!
To the egyptians..............Ignore all the horrible comments, to the women around the world with egyptian men ( no matter what your age, or financial status!!!!!) dont take too much notice of all the negative stuff here. Snapdragon .............words fail me !!!

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You are 100% right. The American media is as responsible as the foreign media. They only report the negatives that paint an ugly picture of America in the world. They say, good news don't make news, so they report the bad stuff. Sometime I wish we restrict what we report like other countries, but, we can't, that's what differentiates us from others, "absolute free speech". Thanks for the kind words everyone and best wishes to all of you as well.
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Dalia
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quote:
Originally posted by Watchdog33:
The bad things you hear are a result of lots of jealousy because everyone wants to have what America has.

I agree with your post except for this part.

I have lived in the States and I liked it there very much, yet I criticize many things about the US in general and the current administration in particular. I also criticize many things about my homecountry, for that matter.

Not every criticism is born out of jealousy. [Smile]

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sonomod
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quote:
Originally posted by tootifrooti:
Thank you all very much for your diverse comments. The reason I started this thread? Well, I am a newcomer to this forum. Internationally it is well known true or untrue that americans are Loud. I can only go on my opinion, and my experiences. I have lived in the US, many states, I have many american friends, and I have many american colleagues. Yes it is true, that we should not judge a nation as a whole, BUT!! I find time and time again on this forum, Just casually scrolling through looking for information, that some of the posters here are so typical of the american steroetype. What can I say? I cannot stand the horrible way in which some posters!! denigrate the egyptian people. These people instigated my post, I wanted to see the reaction when the shoe was placed on the other foot. All of my experiences are true 100%. Its strange that the Sonomod has been very quiet on this post. Why is this? I have to agree with Erasmus that from what I have seen of many of her posts that she is foul and obtuse. Maybe this posting has made her think how people feel when she posts such venomous replies. Maybe she has made her New Years resolution to try very hard to be nice to people and give constructive advice to their queries. She is not alone however. It seems to a new onlooker that there are a small group of Americans who seem to get off on this. Please please find another forum if you recognise yourself here.
It's just that you are living up perfectly to your image. Yes I am from the UK, yes I can take criticism, yes I know the weaknesses of my countrymen, and yes I can admit to it. I dont have this problem. If the americans feel they are constantly under attack, as we in the UK are now beginning to feel, due to our close ties with the US, try to think why you feel this way. Maybe you are too loud, too opinionated, not widely travelled enough to make such EXPERT comments on the people of egypt. Also remember that your country is very young, egypt gave us civilization. Most of your population came from europe, Africa etc etc etc etc etc. So look back a little in your family trees and discover you may actually be Italian, German, African!!!
To the egyptians..............Ignore all the horrible comments, to the women around the world with egyptian men ( no matter what your age, or financial status!!!!!) dont take too much notice of all the negative stuff here. Snapdragon .............words fail me !!!

I think you tootifrooti, and that other username erasmus are old Egy-board members with new usernames.

And to be quite frank, I haven't spent enough time digging up dirt on European sex tourism to give you my annual slam.

Yeah I enjoyed watching you old ugly low-income sugar-mamas squirm as the truth low and be told was sketched out in a "rough guide" on Egypt by a fellow brit.

I give my deepest apology for not being on the offensive this year, or even giving a damn.

But the effect of "SEX TOURISM FOR CHRISTMAS" thread last year still rings true, I can see it now, yous sitting alone, used and unwanted in a foreign land while your young gigilo husbands rebute every attempt of yours to share the season's spirit with you. Alone and afraid you reach for that bottle of gin the last sugar-mama left you when she stayed at your rental flats.

My what a pitiful existance! [Big Grin]

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Dalia:
As I said there are good and bad everywhere, also, we are talking about the people in general. You may not agree with the current administration, so as many Americans here as well, and that's Ok, the government actions do not always represent the majority, and sometimes they may not be popular. The good thing is; in America, you can stand up on TV and accuse your president of lying to the people without fear over your life or what could happen to your family. As far as the jealousy part, it's what I have experienced when I traveled to other countries and what I see per their actions. Many people envy the Americans for what they have, and they don’t like them for it. They say that America got it all, power, money, strong economy, freedom, and so on. They all want to have what America has, but, they don’t realize that it did not come easy. Americans worked very hard to have this life style and such system in place, it did not just land on their heads from heaven. This is the point I was trying to make.

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sonomod
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And we don't have major skin-head parties as actual political parties.

I have been doing some reading on Muslim life in Europe. Not quite shocked, I knew it was worse for Muslims in Europe. What shocks me is how little Europeans discuss these movements.

And how little Muslims in Europe rebute against it, until a riot ensues.......

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Watchdog with all due respect, what KIND of life style you are talking about? Having a well-paid job, a nice home, two cars and the own children will go off to college one day?

Look how many million people are unemployed within the US, how many holding two to three jobs to make ends meet, how much crime comes with it, especially how many African-Americans live in the Southern States, how rassism is so much around there too, and what about the lack of an adequate public schooling system which differs in different parts of the US and medical care?

I live here in Germany with thousands of American citizens around me, "longterm tourists", most of them are not happy to be abroad, after all they are here for a reason (deployment) and not for enjoying themselves.

Everyone says you shouldn't judge the people of America on their President and government. But face it these are the same people who elected them.

America is not greatest place in the world, it really depends in which part you live and most important is your social status. I've seen more than enough horrible things f. e. in Georgia and Alabama that I thought to myself these places look like third world country.

And its also really sad to see 17-year-olds working in MacDonald's because they can't afford college and they weren't lucky and qualified enough for a scholarship.

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Dalia
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quote:
Originally posted by Watchdog33:
As far as the jealousy part, it's what I have experienced when I traveled to other countries and what I see per their actions. Many people envy the Americans for what they have, and they don’t like them for it. They say that America got it all, power, money, strong economy, freedom, and so on. They all want to have what America has, but, they don’t realize that it did not come easy. Americans worked very hard to have this life style and such system in place, it did not just land on their heads from heaven. This is the point I was trying to make.

What bothers me about the jealousy-argument is that it is usually brought into the discussion in order to shut people up when they are voicing criticism (I'm not referring to you here) and there's usually a very arrogant supremacist attitude behind it, suggesting everyone is simply jealous of the great American lifestyle.

I know for a fact that many Germans, for example, are very critical of the US, but definitely not out of jealousy.
[Cool]

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sonomod
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalia:

I know for a fact that many Germans, for example, are very critical of the US, but definitely not out of jealousy.
[Cool]

Agreed, their criticisms isn't out of jealousy. THough many Germans don't realize or won't accept is the fact that Americans actually do criticize their own system and governmental leaders.

I have met quite a few Germans that didn't realize that the ACLU was actually founded and continues to be based in America.

Like every institution that works for justice, civil rights, and peace is European!

How cheeky is that?

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auntie
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having travelled widely I try very hard not to stereotype and would certainly not champion one country over another, It really is a question as to how lucky we have been with our birth , upbringing and current personal circumstance..every country can look greener if one can finance oneself to the lifestyle portayed by the media. I personnally I so fortunate materially but there is much more to life..that I also know.
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Tigerlily: Thanks for replying, I was waiting for someone to disagree with me and am glad, that’s what this is is all about. If having a well paid job, nice home, two cars, and your children going to college is not enough, and what is?. This is what many decent people in the world live, wish, and work hard for. Now, as far as the jobs deal, I agree with you, there are many people who are working hard to make ends meet, but there are reasons for that. The American dream allowed us to grow, and seek prosperity if you want. The more you buy, the more you are deeper in debt, which means, you must work harder, in some cases 2 jobs.
Also, there are those who struggle with minimum pay jobs as you mentioned, but, the field is wide open for them to improve themselves through education and skill development, unlike other countries. What I am trying to say is; it is all available for you and you make your own destiny, unlike other places in the world. I truly believe in this because I lived it. As I mentioned in my post, I cam to this country with nothing, I did not speak fluent English, I did not know anything about America, and no one given me any directions on where to go or what to do, and I made it through hard work. If I can make it, then why many people who were born in the US can’t? they need to ask themselves this question. I am not an unusual case, America is full of successful immigrants, in fact, it is built on this concept.
As far as the Afro-American issue, it is an issue; the world we live in is not perfect. People discriminate in every country over race, color, religion, in some cases they will even discriminate against their own people who are from a different city, or state. The question is; would you let this control your life? I personally know many successful African-American friends who have refused to become part of this racial trap. There is no perfect world or a perfect system unless you are in heaven, or must be smoking something, but, out of the many systems that exist on earth, with all its problems, it’s still the best. That’s my experience and my opinion overall. God bless you.

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*tigerman*
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quote:
Originally posted by Karah_Mia:

Ps. Do you like blowjobs? If u do, there are plenty available in America, often buy one get one free. [Wink] [Big Grin]

[Embarrassed] [Embarrassed] Realy ? Where ? [Big Grin] [Big Grin] [Big Grin]
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sonomod
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quote:
Originally posted by Tigerman:
quote:
Originally posted by Karah_Mia:

Ps. Do you like blowjobs? If u do, there are plenty available in America, often buy one get one free. [Wink] [Big Grin]

[Embarrassed] [Embarrassed] Realy ? Where ? [Big Grin] [Big Grin] [Big Grin]
Well at least our hoes are generous! [Roll Eyes]
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jarvis
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It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

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loborules
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And a round for blow jobs for the politicians, Now don't you think there were numerous politicians that were secretly jealous of Bill? and in the dark corridors of the religious right thinking, if he can get a bj, and saying why can't it be me? while trying to portray a holier than thou attitude?
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*tigerman*
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quote:
Originally posted by jarvis:
It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; ...........................
...............................
..........................
Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

the best security for the duration of free governments. Specially if this Government is Born again Christian .... Forget about the seperation between the religion and the state ..while we are trying to teach it to others.....

Lets practice what we preach....

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sonomod
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quote:
Originally posted by jarvis:
It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Obviously you weren't in history class or your history instructor was a whack nutcase.

Our early political leaders and authors of the constitution, and federalist papers were agnostic deists.

Ben Franklin made a number of comments that enforced a "atheist" agenda.

America wasn't founded on Christianity, but deism.

You really need to relearn your American history. [Roll Eyes]

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jarvis
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“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798


http://www.caledonianfire.org/caledonianfire/Boettner/history/c7.html

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daria1975
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quote:
Originally posted by jarvis:

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

I work for this government you call moral. Trust me, morality is relative and depends on the size of the campaign contribution. I've watched some highly esteemed legislators sell their souls a la Dr. Faustus during an election year. [Frown]

Ours is much better than many governments, but I wouldn't hold them up as some great moral beings, because they aren't.

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jarvis
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quote:
Originally posted by Snoozin:
quote:
Originally posted by jarvis:

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments.

I work for this government you call moral. Trust me, morality is relative and depends on the size of the campaign contribution. I've watched some highly esteemed legislators sell their souls a la Dr. Faustus during an election year. [Frown]

Ours is much better than many governments, but I wouldn't hold them up as some great moral beings, because they aren't.

I agree, the farther we get from our Christain roots, the worse it becomes...very good point...

Many people today reject the notion that the Bible should be used as a basis for law. "Narrow minded and outdated!" they say. Ideas have consequences. Let's examine the implications if the Bible is or is not the standard for society and its legal system.
Without an objective standard of truth upon which to base society, the result is that whoever gains the most political power will dominate. Christians believe that the Bible offers ultimate,
objective, and absolute truth—as opposed to relative "truth" (i.e., arbitrary "absolutes"). There was a general consensus on this point in America from the earliest settlers until only recently.
So it was natural for the early Americans to turn to the Bible for guidance as to how to make civil law. This was the standard for law beginning with the Mayflower Compact all the way through the constitutions of all 50 states.
For example, the first state constitution was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639). You may read this document at http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/orders.html. The framers of this document desired that every aspect of it be based on the Bible. This document was a model for other constitutions including the U.S. Consitution which followed. The above table outlines the wide spread influence of biblical thought on America's legal system.
Biblical absolutes enshrined into law offered a consensus that meant freedom without chaos. One aspect of this is that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, there exist "unalienable rights" of men. Rights were unalienable because they were given by God. This is very significant because in most societies up until that time (and indeed even today), rights are only conferred by whoever is in power at the time.
Because the American consensus was that the Bible was TRUTH, the tyranny of a few or even the tyranny of the majority could be overcome by one person standing up and appealing to the Bible. The freedom of expression in general in America is a result of our biblical system. Those people who feel free today to condemn the Bible are, ironically, among those who benefit most by the freedoms inherant in our biblical system!
Another aspect of our system of government is that it is based on the Rule of Law. This concept is a direct descendant of Hebrew law and the Ten Commandments. Together with the concept of unalienable rights from God, these concepts helped ensure a way of life that respected the dignity of every individual.
It is helpful to compare and contrast the American Revolution of 1776 with the French Revolution of 1789. While the American revolution began with an appeal to the sovereinty of God, the French Revolution was founded on the sovereignty of man. The French movement was a product of Voltaire's philosophy which specifically attempted to replace biblical Christianity with man's reason as the ultimate standard.
But the French revolution was a disaster. Anarchy and tyranny reigned with 40,000 people being murdered, the favorite method being the guillotine. Their new constitution only lasted 2 years. Indeed, France has had 7 constitutions during the time that America has only had one.
France even tried to rid itself of every vestige of biblical structure by eliminating the 7-day work week. Alas, the structure of 6 days of work and 1 day of rest is not only biblical, it reflects an important cycle of things that God implemented for man's good. The biblical week had to be re-instituted.
Another important aspect to America's constitution is that it has as its basis the distinctly Christian idea that man is basically sinful. Every one of our founding fathers understood this truth. It has been said that the 16th century Protestant reformer John Calvin, who is the theologian most associated with the biblical doctrine of man's "depravity," was the single most influential person to our Constitution. The result was that the founders built into the Constitution an elaborate system of checks and balances. This is evident in the horizontal plane of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. It is also evident in the vertical plane of federalism—states' powers versus federal powers.
Again, let's look at the evidence by contrasting the American system with other systems. Other systems are based on the idea that man is basically good, or at least perfectable by law and education. This is the basis for communism as well as the religious states of Islam. But states based on these utopian ideas are always failures and particularly repressive to their citizens. These governments end up as a police state and take away rights of the citizens.
It has been said that America has never been a Christian nation. But consider the facts. Every single American president has referenced God in his inaugural address. Every one of the 50 state constitutions call on God for support. The Supreme Court, in 1892 (Trinity Decision) after a an exhaustive 10-year study of the matter, said: "This is a relgious people. This is a Christian nation." Even today, the Supreme Court opens each session with the verbal declaration, "God save the United States of America."
There are, however, two areas in which the American system failed— (1) racial slavery and (2) compassionateless wealth. But both of these flaws are failures to implement biblical Chrsitianity, rather than being caused by it.
A few comments about slavery are important because so many people throw it in the face of Christians. Racial slavery is not a biblical ethic. Yes, a form of slavery—indentured servitude— is condoned in the Bible. But this was a method in which people could pay off debts and was not what we think of as racial slavery. In fact, the Bible specifically condemns the slave trade (1 Timothy 1:10). The Bible offers a unique framework for people as being equals: We were all are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and we are all equal in God's sight (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28). Race, interestingly, is never even mentioned in the Bible.
Professing Christians who held slaves prostituted the Bible by letting culture influence their faith. Yet, the abolition movement was primarily a Christian movement. Slavery was stopped in England largely as a result of the tireless efforts of an evangelical Christian by the name of William Wilburforce. Through his work in Parliament, England stopped the slave trade in 1807 and abolished slavery totally in 1833. Unfortunately, there was no such early dynamic abolitionist leader in America.
The other problem in western culture has been unredistributed wealth. The industrialization of the West brought great wealth to a few, while many were victimized. The working class was victimized to a degree in the early days of the industrial revolution, and even women and children suffered. Fortunately, laws are now in place that protect the worker. And we have child labor laws.
But again, the flaws are not in biblical Christianity, but the failure to implement it. If the compassion of Christ were to dominate society, poverty would disappear and the workplace would offer dignity for all. But the solution is not forced redistribution of wealth, which is tantamount to stealing. The solution is public emphasis on biblical ethics.
Somewhat related to these other problems, is unrestrained capitalism. Later in our history, America instituted anti-trust laws. These laws can be seen as consistent with biblical capitalism as opposed to darwinian capitalism. Instead of capitalism based soley on the survival of the fittest, modern American capitalism uses law to make the playing field more equal while still enouraging entrepeneurism..
In summary, let's refer to our nation's creed—The Pledge of Allegiance—which sums up our way of life. It is a based on a three-legged stool of God, liberty, and justice. All three must be there. If God is not there, ethics and rights are defined by whoever has the most power. And in order to have liberty, we must have justice. The first role of government is to prevent evil (Romans 13:1-5, 1 Peter 2:13-17) so that the rest of society can live in peace. Evil is only meaningful within a biblical context.
Liberty also demands ethical obligation. We must have a common understanding of moral absolutes, or as John Adams said, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Does all this mean that Christians want a theocracy, as secularists claim? Absolutely not! In fact, the concept of separation of church and state, while not ever mentioned in the Constitution, is a biblical concept. God established a priestly class, the Levites, separate from the rest of Israel and the kingly line of David (book of Numbers, etc.) But the biblical priests had great influence on the workings of government and the secular authorities. It seems clear that the framers of the Constitution wanted a similar relationship in our society.
The concept of the separation of church and state must be properly understood. The state is not to concern itself with church government nor administer the sacraments. And it is not the role of the church to run our court system (Romans 13:1-5). On the other hand, the separation of church and state does not mean the separation of God and government. The state has the duty to acknowledge God as the source of law, of truth, and human rights. The church, on the other hand, has the right and duty to influence the state and its laws, while not being given the authority to make law.
Thus the First Amendment to the US Constitution limits the power of the federal government to interfere in matters of the church, but it does not limit the church from working to influence the state. It says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The limitation is on Congress, not on the individual states nor on the church. It is a one-way mirror!
The warning for Americans is that there is no longer a consensus that biblical ethics are truly absolute. Our liberties are eroding as big government tries to take over where our biblical consensus left off. Tyranny is the logical result unless we reverse this trend.

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daria1975
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I agree that our country was founded on Christian principles....because the founders were Christian and/or came from a Christian culture.

But the morals that we hold are ones I consider to be part of the Abrahamic faith and therefore compatible with Christianity, Judaism, and Islam at their basic levels. In fact, if you look at the basic principles of any religion, they are pretty much the same. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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jarvis
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quote:
Originally posted by Snoozin:
I agree that our country was founded on Christian principles....because the founders were Christian and/or came from a Christian culture.

But the morals that we hold are ones I consider to be part of the Abrahamic faith and therefore compatible with Christianity, Judaism, and Islam at their basic levels. In fact, if you look at the basic principles of any religion, they are pretty much the same. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I would not tell an eygption man he could'nt date a Christain women, if his intentions were according to God's plan...

yet a muslim will tell a Christain man, nay will threaten a Christain man with violence if he wanted to date a muslim women...

thus hipocracy is in full affect for muslims.

I would not tell a muslim they could'nt expess their religion, yet muslims everyday persicute Christains for practiceing their religion..

thus again hypocracy is in full affect for muslims...

and thats ok...you know why? because God is watching..thats why...and someday muslims will have to stand before Christ and explain, why they have rejected him and his followers...

[Cool]

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