Edward Gibbon in his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire� (1776) hints that Constantine’s elevation of Christianity in the 4th century of Rome aided in the decline of that civilization.
Compare this with today’s fall of American Democracy. The last truly great presidents that our nation has had are Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. That leaves us a hiatus of more than half-of a century of mediocrity, the latter end of which has been the dismal parade of wannabes tilting for the office as the least dismal alternative. Why? In the last half century the religion card has been played more and more proving the emotional gullibility and ignorance of the masses."The theologian may indulge the pleasing task of describing Religion as she descended from Heaven, arrayed in her native purity. A more melancholy duty is imposed on the historian. He must discover the inevitable mixture of error and corruption which she contracted in a long residence upon Earth, among a weak and degenerate race of beings."
"... life is the great object of religion, we may hear without surprise or scandal that the introduction, or least the abuse, of Christianity had some influence on the decline and fall of the Roman empire. The clergy successfully preached the doctrines of patience and pusillanimity; the active virtues of society were discouraged; and the last remains of military spirit were buried in the cloister. A large portion of public and private wealth were consecrated to the specious demands of charity and devotion, and the soldiers' pay was lavished on the useless multitudes of both sexes who could only plead the merits of abstinence and chastity. Faith, zeal, curiosity, and more earthly passions of malice and ambition kindled the flame of theological factions, whose conflicts were sometimes bloody and always implacable; the attention of the emperors was diverted from camps to synods; the Roman world was oppressed by a new species of tyranny, and the persecuted sects became the secret enemies of the country."
The above passages are open to being contrasted with a previous, pagan, situation where "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher; as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful." Gibbon suggests that "Toleration produced not only a mutual indulgence, but even religious concord."
Two further volumes of the Decline and Fall, which bring to an end the period of the Western Empire (to about AD 480) appeared in April 1781 and these also sold well.
Gibbon summed up the Fall of the Roman Empire in the west as "the triumph of barbarism and religion!!!" from: age-of-the-sage.org
Today, religion is a necessity for the office – but not just any religion. Protestant Christianity is preferred but Catholics are somewhat tolerated. Jews and Muslims need not apply, including all of the eastern “cults.� Atheists, since they are not banned from our shores, are still held in even less esteem. Again, why? Most if not every religious person is convinced that all other religions are dangerous, unholy cults; most Americans are of some form of nearly 40,000 varieties of Protestantism. Make any sense? Sure: “We are a Christiun nation – Atheists are evil ‘cause they don’t believe in God.�
I truly believe that Democracy is floundering because of the singular inanity of requiring Christianity as a pre-requisite for the office of the President. Look at today’s candidates: both professing deep religious faith (Christian of course) yet calling each other crooks and liars (and to a large intent, they are both right). Speaking as an Atheist, I KNOW my wife would be morally MUCH MORE SUPERIOR to either of them (she wouldn’t know the ins and outs of government like Hillary does nor the tax laws and their loopholes as Donald does).
I say morally because to be an atheist one must confront the god notion – a very brave and honest thing to do (honest in that my wife’s and my soul is on the block so to speak – we refuse to live a lie that “God� has control or can control our lives). For 17 years I have never caught her in a lie, nor has she found me in a lie (and we play board games every night). We do not lie or take advantage of our neighbors and our friends.
In short and in conclusion I think for the Democratic process to REALLY SUCCEED, THE RELIGION CARD MUST BE ELIMINATED FROM THE ELECTORAL DECK!!! Most of the founding fathers had no problem with the likes of Thomas Paine, as well as the free thinking of Madison and Jefferson, all stellar contributors to our founding. Let’s not sully it now so that we may continue in their spirit.
