Second American Revolution: George Grant (4 of 7)

Question: How did Christian philosophy influence our form of civil government?

George Grant: The words covenant, compact and constitution are all closely related terms. They are all derived from one another, covenant being the foundation, compact being the fruit, and then constitution being the declaration of covenant to a broader body. There is in the American Constitution the idea of democracy in the House of Representatives. The people were to gather together as they did in the day of Moses and appoint those who would represent them in groups of fifties, hundreds, thousands and so forth. The Senate is a covenantal body that was to be elected from out of the state legislatures. This is a type of ogligarchy. The executive and judicial branches are a form of aristocracy or even monarchy derived from biblical precedents of the king and the heads of the families.

Episcopalian, Congregational and Presbyterian forms of government reflect the diversity of authorities of both the Old and the New Testaments and the Founding Fathers sought to mirror that rule. Congregational rule is a kind of democracy, a bottom up affirming of natural leadership from within the congregation. Episcopal forms of government are appointive, along the lines of a monarch. Presbyterian forms are representative. The Founding Fathers drew on all of these as they attempted to create constitutional standards for this country.

Reformational thought and Puritan thought has influenced our form of government and the nature of our culture in every way imaginable. The way in which we present our debates: the rules are ordered according to the standards of church councils and general assemblies. Robert's Rules of Order emerged from Puritan ethics. The architecture of our public buildings and the invocation of prayer at the beginning and end of every session of our legislature are derived from Reformational and Puritan thought, life, culture and practice.

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[whoo689]

Christianity didn't play as a basis for American gov't! That's NONSENSE! It's revisionist history. The Native Indian tribal forms of gov't, Rome and Greece, among others, including Enlightenment thinking, are what helped give us the Constitution and the post-1789 gov't. The bible?? come on... The Bible's leaders were KINGS and oligarchs! Ancient Israel was a theocracy!

Our 1st Amendment specifically prohibts establishment of religion.

[jcr4runner]

The earliest basis for constitutional Government is the Bible -- Israel was a nation based on laws -- not on man.

The only successful Constitutional democracies are Christian in nature because only Christians can be successfully ruled by law and not tyrants.

[sentryclothes]

what caused evolution?

[jcr4runner]

It depends on what you mean by a "completely separate DNA profile."

You and I have a completely different DNA profile. So do a dog and a cat. And in many ways we share the same DNA.

The question is whether humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) and Neanderthal man (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) were a separate species or a variation of the same species that could interbreed.

Some think Neanderthal should be classified as Homo neanderthalensis -- a separate species.

This has not been concluded.

[whoo689]

Have you even done the research? Taken a biology course or Biological Anthro?? There's 150 years of evidence!! You can't just dismiss it b/c "it doesn't sound right." Evolution is all but proven! Deal with it.

[theTrenchantObdurate]

No they were not! Neanderthals had a completely seperate DNA profile and are not "genetically men" where did you go to school again the same place Kent Hovind did.

Thou shalt not lie. Setting a really good example .

[theTrenchantObdurate]

Here, here!

[billy2bob]

RANKALOT:

Yes it does, if you are logical. An image has nothing to do with essence or physicality. A mirror may bear the image of a man, and yet it does not necessitate the man bear the essence or even likeness of a mirror. Nor does man, being made in the image of God, necessitate that God share the essence of man.

Are you keeping up with me?

[billy2bob]

If Americans had followed the Bible, there would be no usury to begin with.

Exodus 22:25 "If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest."

Free Market Capitalism has it's roots in Protestant Christianity. Do some homework.

[jaymthegenius]

If America keeps up the fundamentalist bullshit I hope China collects the money their owed from lending to America with interest.