“The Treaty of Tripoli (Treaty of Peace
and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of
Tripoli of Barbary) was the first treaty concluded between the United States of
America and Tripolitania, signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796 and at Algiers
(for a third-party witness) on January 3, 1797. It was submitted to the Senate
by President John Adams, receiving ratification unanimously from the U.S.
Senate on June 7, 1797 and signed by Adams, taking effect as the law of the
land on June 10, 1797.
Art. 11.
As the Government of the United States of
America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in
itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of
Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act
of hostility against any Mahometan [Muslim] nation, it is declared by the
parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an
interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. George
Washington First President !!!!”
My response:
Our issues at that time were with the pirates of the Barbary
Coast and not the Muslim nations or Tripoli. As Adams stated, it is true, we are not a theocracy, as many
of the Muslim countries were at that time and if we had been they would have
not wanted to make treaty with the US.
Because we signed this treaty does not mean that our country is not
founded on Judeo-Christian values as evidenced throughout the symbology of our
early currency, structures and symbols. And innumerable quotes of the early
Founders. The citizens of the United States at that time were overwhelmingly Christian, so he obviously wasn't referring to that either.
To try to use these words of John Adams from a treaty with
Tripoli as proof that our country is without Christian roots is a weak argument.
John Adams also said the
following:
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence
were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed,
and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal
and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. “ (Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson
(Washington D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), Vol. XIII,
p. 292-294. In a letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813)
My paintings do not promote that we are a theocracy or even
a Christian government. My paintings
promote that our Constitution was divinely inspired. I believe in the literal interpretation of the First Amendment--government should keep its nose out of religion. (Not protect the people from being offended by religion.) You can choose to accept or reject that as you wish.
Excellent Response Jon!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Jon. Well said indeed!
ReplyDeleteVery well said!
ReplyDeleteI do believe that's what is called "you schooled them." ☺
ReplyDeleteArticle 11 did not exist in the original treaty, which was in Arabic. The text in that article were part of a private letter from one Muslim ruler to another that somehow got mixed up with the treaty and translated as being part of it. When the Treaty of Tripoli was renegotiated a few years later Article 11 was not included. It seems that Senators in the early 19th century didn't like reading the documents before signing them any more than Senators do today.
ReplyDeleteMost polticians need to be replaced because they are not living up to the laws of this land.
DeleteOn August 28, 1811, John Adams wrote:
ReplyDelete"Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not only of republicanism and of all free goverment, but of social felicity under all goverments and in all combinations of human society." (The Works of John Adams-Second President of the United States pub 1854)
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ReplyDeleteWas the white Christians slaughter of my people, the Indian nations, also divinely inspired?
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure he can bend any type of document around so that it justifies his personal beliefs. And why shouldn't you focus on the past? That's all they seem to do here. @Matthew Christensen: do you have any idea what European settlers and early Americans did to the native peoples here? Your ignorance is astounding. The atrocities continue into the last century where until the 1970s Native American children were forcibly taken from their homes and placed with "Christian" families. Most tribal lands are infertile and the schools are poorly funded. But you're right. Drew should just move on because the oppression of his people happened hundreds of years ago and they're just savages who fought each other anyway. And, hey. War happens. If whole races are decimated...well more land for the white Christians.
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ReplyDelete@Matthew Are you trying to say that injustices done in the past are excuses of future injustices? Are you trying to say that robbing an entire continent of people of their land is justified because it has been done before? Those are not words of a true Christian.
ReplyDeleteIs. 10:1-3. Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights.
I will admit that you are very talented technically and I wish that I could paint as well as you do, but to call this "ART" is a stretch.
ReplyDeleteYour work is little more than political cartoons. These paintings are everything that real art is not supposed to be; puerile, blunt and superficial and they appeal to people who are equally so.
That being said I do not begrudge your ability to make a living. You have found a niche and a void that people respond to and I applaud you for that. All of us aspire to find something we love and be compensated for doing it. Good for you.
I just hope you can strike while the iron is hot because this shallow, pedantic work will certainly not be remembered in the annals of art history.
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