gonna get back also does this whole religion thing it's its
a I'm frankly very concerned I a nationally when Supreme Court's came out
and so that's just tradition you know that the senate opens with a prayer
what's the big deal
my first response was yeah I know
what's the big deal but once you start breaking down the lines
you know it's the old to get the camel's nose in the air the edge in the tent
better for i'm concerned.
that and in fact I i think frankly we we pass this
way back during the bush senior administration
when bush junior negotiated deals
actually was during the reagan the second year the second rating Reagan's
second term
and Bush junior was the layers on between is daddy's
upcoming presidential campaign and the fundamentalist Christian community
and they started doing these Facebook
faith-based initiatives that became george bush seniors thousand points of
light
where it's like basically let's give government money to religious groups
and jerry falwell was there with his hands out any became a multimillionaire
in the process and pat robertson's now a billionaire
and I mean you've got all these religious guys got really really rich of
the snow a lot it was government money
and continues to be and now we're giving money to
to to secular air to religious church schools
onto to give religious indoctrination in education a kid's
and adjusted it's going on on on gay bigger and bigger and bigger and bill
clinton continue to by the way
and in fact expanded the program because hey
you know votes and then George W Bush put on super steroids
and Obama has inherited and hasn't done anything to stop it and so
why I think that we have a problem
here in this country and like I started to say my
in my a discussion with the bishop Jefferson was constantly worried that
that the priests were gonna get inside the government
in fact he you know the
I I've told the story before but it is so worth repeating
I live about a 20-minute walk
from the Jefferson Memorial I
Louise I live on a in a boat a little cabin
no 1986 chris-craft cabin cruiser on the
on the awash in channel in the wash in channel the wash in channel dead ends
into this
pond in front of his pool in front of the Jefferson Memorial
and so on a nice weekend day-lewis I was walk down there
as jefferson Memorial
you know and there and if you ever
you know I ever make it to DC it's really worth going to see and
there's this little circular say no Jefferson
edged into the dome above this giant fifteen foot statue of Thomas Jefferson
in the middle memorial
and it says and a sec wrong page
it says I have sworn upon the altar of God
eternal hostility against every form of tyranny up
imposed upon the mind of man as all sets
now you would think you know in and it's obviously a call from jefferson and you
would think that basically what he's saying is I'm a bible thumping Christian
and I've sworn in for on the altar of God hostility against anything it's
gonna
be a tyranny over the mind Zimmer context
is everything my friends let me read you the actual letter from which that quote
com
its this was
in 1800 Thomas Jefferson was vice president at the states he was
challenging John Adams to become president Adams want to run for a second
term
Jefferson ran against him he was vice president Jefferson beat him
there's a book coming out this fall called the revolution is 1800 by Dan
sisson
and with a little help from me mostly dancers and he's a brilliant historian
your love this book we will be talking about a lot this fall
and the revolution 1800 was the election thomas jefferson
so years
here is this and so Ben Ben rush was a good friend of jefferson's he was a
doctor
position any was a deist he was not a Christian E
he he he was a DST believed that you know something
some incredible intelligence started it all
and establish the the laws of nature in it major just been
rolling along ever since then
and so Jefferson a couple months before the election just two months before the
election
1800 so be like September
have 1800 writes this note this letter to ban rush
and in it he asks am too hot let anybody see this letter
his letter didn't come on till Jefferson was dead
and here it is remember the quote
thats at the top of the Jefferson Memorial I have sworn upon the altar
up God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny imposed upon the mind of
man
okay that's the quote here is the letter
dear sir I promised you a letter on Christianity which I have not forgotten
I do not know that it would reconcile the genus
irritable vadim which is Latin for the
species have angry priests
who are all in arms against me
their hostility isn't too interesting aground to be softened
the delusion on the clause of the Constitution is talking about the first
amendment
the delusion on the clause in the Constitution which while it secure the
freedom of the press covered also the freedom of religion
has given to the clergy a very favorite hope
obtaining an establishment a particular form of Christianity throughout the
United States
and as every sect believes its own form
the one true one everyone perhaps hoped for his own
but especially the episcopalians in the Congregationalists
and then he turns to his been elected
he refers to that is the returning but since our country
if he gets elected you concede the referred to
John Adams presidency is the time of which is you'll recall
and he says the returning good sense a far country
threatens abortion to their hopes
priests
and the preacher's believe that any portion up power confided in me such as
been elected president will be exerted in opposition
to their schemes and they believe rightly
for I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man
but this is all they have to fear from me and enough to
in their opinion and a quote
the context rather changes the quote is it not
I can't tell you how many right-wingers ago on the strong America is a Christian
nation jumpings Christian he's a swore on my older brothers because tortillas
turning over the binary the charity he was talking about was religion
he went on he was so this was in his autobiography
quoting from jefferson's autobiographies is where the preamble to the Virginia
statute for religious freedom which is by the way
one of the three things on his tombstone that he was most proud of that he was
the author of
that the creation of the University Virginia
and the Declaration of Independence doesn't even say that this guy was
president
I'm and now back to his autobiography
is where the preamble to the Virginia statute for religious freedom declares
the coercion
is a departure from the plan the Holy author of our
religion and a member was proposed by inserting the word Jesus Christ
so it should read a departure from the plan to Jesus Christ the Holy author of
our religion
the insertion is a story about the debate before the Virginia House of
Burgesses
and this is on the verge Virginia resolution for religious liberty in
other words the
government should not interfere with religion he said the insertion of Jesus
Christ was rejected by a great majority in proof that they meant to comprehend
within the mantle
up its protection the Virginia statute for religious freedom
with it within the man to love its protection the Juno and the Gentile the
Christian
and the Mohammed TN the Hindu
and the infidel up every denomination
this is from his autobiography from notes on Virginia it is legitimate
powers to govern extender such actions as
only are are injurious to others it does me no injury for my neighbors say there
are twenty gods or no God
neither picks my pocket a bright spot
I could go on but I won't I just want them I it
really concerns me when the Supreme Court
and the preacher resolve America are conspiring together
as as Jefferson site intrudes the alliance between church and state in
england has ever made their judges accomplices in the frauds
the clergy