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Originally posted by MAKWAY:
Jefferson said "endowed by their Creator (captial C) with unalienable rights". Nature can't endow rights.


Says you. Talk to some Native Americans or some Wiccan, or some Pagans (not making the two the same).

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Furthermore, this "Nature's Creator" entitles things to man (equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God (Capital G) entitled them.


Laws of nature? Seems like Nature CAN endow rights.

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Even if you don't believe he's talking about the Judeo/Christian God, you must admit he's talking about a creator - a being who created nature and endows man with rights.


Never said he didn't believe in a creator.

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Besides, if Jefferson openly mocked religion, it's interesting that when he wrote for the Continental Congress (aka the Dec of Independance), that he included God. Perhaps this shows the fact that he never could have convinced the rest of the fathers (or the states) to vote for something that didn't include God.


Interesting you should mention that. There was a motion to put Christianity in the Constitution. It was voted down.

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It keeps coming back to the fact that religion is protected by the Consitution (approved by the Constitutional convention and the states) and idea of the seperation of church and state was never mentioned in any document which required any more vlidation than a postage stamp.
But Madison, who wrote that First Amendment...he explained later what it meant. That much is clear.
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"Nature has constituted utility to man the standard and test of virtue. Men living in different countries, under different circumstances, different habits and regimens, may have different utilities; the same act, therefore, may be useful and consequently virtuous in one country which is injurious and vicious in another differently circumstanced" - Thomas Jefferson, moral relativist