Okay. After watching the first of three parts of the Jonathan Miller program A History of Disbelief last night on TPT-2, I decided to dig up some of the great quotes provided throughout the program. A great one from Victor Hugo was "There is in every village a torch: the schoolteacher, and an extinguisher: the priest." And how about this profound outlook on death by the Greek philosopher Epicurus: Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which cannot exist when I do? Hmmmm...

A part I found particularly interesting and highly pertinent today was the examination of atheism and the founding of the United States. Was this country not established to harbor a society in which the church had no place in government? I thought so... but alas! Apparently that is no longer true...

"The United States is a Christian nation founded upon Christian principles and beliefs."
-Pres. George W. Bush

"The government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian Religion."
-Pres. George Washington

Looks like someone is either ignorant, failed American History 1001 or just thinks he can spoon feed fabrications to the people to coerce them to accept his agenda. One would think this was why there is a constitution, ammendments and such and this was the premis upon which our nation exists... Discuss amongst yourselves.

And just for good measure, here are how a small contingent of other Presidents felt about religion:

"God is an essence we know nothing of. Until this awful blasphemy is got rid of there will never be any liberal science in the world"
-John Adams

"The clergy believe that any power confided in me will be used in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly"
-Thomas Jefferson

"I have seldom met an intelligent person whose views were not narrowed and distorted by religion"
-James Buchanan

"We admit of no government by divine right....The only legitimate
right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed"
-William Henry Harrison

"I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature."
-Thomas Jefferson

"The Bible is not my book, nor Christianity my religion."
-Abraham Lincoln

"I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end... where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice."
-John F. Kennedy

Thanks to Toxic Thought Waste Site and secularsites.freeuk.com for help with the quotes. Check out their pages for even more quotes from the show.