Enemy of God=enemy of America

Congratulations!
This is the best sentence I heard today. You made my day!

It is such a shame America has come this far to think that we are still, today fighting over religion and our religions practices.

It is a shame, isn't it Gilbert.

the First Amendment is supposed to protect the church from the gov't, not the other way around

Yes it is and of course this is always turned around to cause fighting within the masses....it is all my design...

The churches used to exert their power through the government. The First Amendment protects the people from the churches.

You did King Henry VIII an injustice.

Put yourself in is position. For over 60 years the War of the Roses threw England into civil war over the issue of who should be king. The wars came to an end when King Henry VIII father, Henry VII, defeated Richard III on the battlefield, and married Elizabeth of York, thus uniting the families.

For several years during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII England had relative peace. Up to that time England had never had a woman monarch, and it was uncertain that a Queen would be accepted by the public. Henry VIII needed a male heir, or England could find itself back in civil war. Henry's wife, Catherine of Aragon, had five pregnancy but due to miscarriages only produced one child: A girl. Catherine was too old to bare more children. Henry petitioned the Pope to grant a divorce.

However, Catherine of Aragon was a Hapsburg. The most powerful family in Europe. Catherines brother sat on the Spanish throne, while her uncle held the title of Holy Roman Emperor. To make it worse, the City of Rome had recently fallen under the control of the Holy Roman Emperor.

Previous Popes had granted royal divorces before, and there was no reason for the Pope to refuse now, but the Pope was not about to oppose the Hapsburgs.

Henry VIII saw himself with the choice of leaving his country at the risk of civil war, or splitting with Rome.

At a later period in his life Henry received head and leg injuries while jousting. It is believed that this accident resulted in a change in his personality which transformed him into the over eating tyrant which we picture him as today.

Henry VIII was a devout Catholic and did little to change the doctrines and ceremonies of the church he took over. It was during the six year reign of Henry's son, the boy king Edward VI, that the English Regents transformed England into a Protestant country, but that just the beginning of English religious turmoil.

My goodness Richard, you really know a LOT about England's history. Are you a history buff? War of the Roses, like the Rosicrucians? Are you a history teacher Richard? If not,you should be...

Thank you Monica. I am only a history buff, not a historian, or history teacher. The Wars of the Roses was a dispute over the rightful heirs to the English throne. The house of York was known as "the White Rose," and the house of Lancaster was "the Red Rose." The period is too complex for me, and I avoid it.

It is the Tuder dynasty with King Henry VIII, Mary I ("Bloody Mary"), Elizabeth I ("Sweet Beth") the so many books and movies are made about.

However, the Tuders were succeeded by the Stuarts. That was a period of religious and political conflicts generated the political thought that shaped today's British government and influenced the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

The Turdors, like that HBO television show. I have watched reruns of this show. Of course, HBO shows all the sexual escapades King Henry VIII had and how he did want to control over the catholic church. I am not catholic, non denominational, so that part of England's history, I am totally at a loss for.

But WOW, England, and it's "rulers" really are a crazy bunch of people. No wonder the 'subjects' wanted to leave England...LOL

But now America is turning into Germany...

We are repeating history Richard...(The Lionhearted???)....

Oops...Tudors...my bad...

The Tudor period is interesting. But it was the Stuart period (1603-1714 c.e.) which saw the settlement of North America and the flight of religious refugees looking towards the new world for a place to worship.

The first Stuart king was James I. He took oppressive measures against both Puritans and Catholics. Although he was also king of Scotland, he attempted to force the Scottish church to conform to Anglican traditions. Yet he is best remembered for authorizing a translation of the Bible which is today known as the King James Version.

Charles I considered himself the Divine Right King. He was in constant opposition to Parliament, and attempted to force religious reforms upon Scotland. Parliament fell under Puritan rule, and Charles dissolved Parliament and ruled without its consent. This resulted in the English Civil War and Charles own execution. Which brought in the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. Even the Puritans abandoned Cromwell.

After Cromwell's death, Parliament invited the son of Charles I to become king. Charles II advocated religious toleration, but Parliament was now in Anglican hands and advanced the authority of the Church of England.

Upon the death of Charles II, his brother James II became king. The problem was that this James was a Catholic, and he produced a Catholic heir. This resulted in Parliament inviting William of Orange (son-in-law and nephew of Charles) to become king. Thus ending Stuart rule.

The outcome of this period was the establishment of Parliament as supreme, the development of political theory, religious freedom and human rights. The period also saw Shakespeare and Isaac Newton.

Oh goodness Richard!!! This is just so confusing...all these King I, II, III and Henry I, Charles II, et al. I still do not get these numbers after their names, especially if they are going out of sync..I am reading several sample books about England and these people, in power, were very decedant and they still are today. See, religion really does seem to be a big part in our everyday lives. Well, I am not religious at all. I do, on the otherhand, have a personal relationship with Jesus.. And, sooner than you think, worshiping my God will be cause for persecution as well...especially with this individual in the white house....so help me God...

It is confusing. It was a period when political leaders held strong religious beliefs. It was those beliefs which put England in turmoil. Henry VIII was successful in separating the English church from Rome. He daughter Mary was Catholic, and when she ascended to the throne she re-established England's connection with Rome. To do that she had to execute several Protestants, therefore she is known as "Bloody Mary."

Mary's younger sister became Elizabeth I. She moved England back to protestantism. To do that she had to execute several Catholics, therefore she is known as "Sweet Beth."

Like her sister Mary, Elizabeth I had no children, therefore the next in line to the throne was her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Unfortunately, Mary Queen of Scots was Catholic. Scotland itself was Presbyterian, and they wouldn't accept a Catholic Queen. Mary Queen of Scots had to give up her baby and flee to England for safety. Elizabeth I knew that upon her own death Mary Queen of Scots would become Queen of England, which would result in more executions. Therefore Elizabeth did the only thing she could do: She had Mary Queen of Scots beheaded. That left Mary's son James, who was brought up as a protestant, as heir to the throne.

Of course, as I demonstrated in the previous comment, having a Protestant king did not bring peace because there was now conflicts between Anglican, Presbyterian, and Puritan fractions besides the ever present Catholics.

Religion is not the answer. More frequently, religion is the problem. Our founding fathers knew that.

Romans 13:1 states that the ruling authorities were established by God. The Preamble to the Constitution says that it was established by "We the People." That is a big difference. God is never mentioned in the Constitution.

Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution says, "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." In other words, the President does not have to be a Christian. Some of our greatest presidents were non-Christians.

Religion is not a part of the government, and they do not get special considerations. They are allowed to discriminate in hiring when it involves church doctrine and teaching, but otherwise they must follow the same laws any other business follows. If they hire employees, those employees are entitled to the same benefits that employees of other businesses are entitled to. If the church is providing a service which is open to the public, then they must follow the same rules that others follow, and they cannot discriminate against part of the public for religious reasons. This is only fair.