1. READ "THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE' IT MENTIONS A CREATOR OF MEN, NATURE'S GOD AND A SUPREME JUDGE! I DO BELIEVE THAT A PERSON IS FREE TO WORSHIP OR NOT WORSHIP GOD ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF THIER HEART, AND CHRISTIANS SHOULD REALIZE THIS. NO ONE SHOULD BE PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH. HOWEVER,OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE THEIST OF ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE. WHEN NONE CHRISTIANS TRY TO CHANGE A CHRISTIAN HOLIDAY LIKE CHRISTMAS TO FIT THEIR BELIEFS THEY ARE OUT OF LINE. GO CREATE YOUR OWN HOLIDAY THAT'S FINE WITH ME. I WOULD NEVER TRY TO CHANGE YOUR HOLIDAY TO FIT MY CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.

Brandon at 10:09PM on Dec 19th 2007

2. Where Muslims are in the majority they do not tolerate any other religion or life style that does not conform to their beliefs or customs. Saudi Arabia is a good example.Try to go there and propose building a church,a synagogue or even a Shia Mosque in a Sunni area. Why should a religion that preaches zero tolerance be tolerated in our society? Where Islamic Law is in force freedom ceases to exist. I have never heard a right wing Christian propose the establishment of a body of religious police to enforce their beliefs and lifestyle on everyone else. Perhaps Muslims in the West are more moderate in their views but knowing what transpires in Muslim nations around the world it would be naive to not be at least a little suspicious of their true motives.

JIM at 10:08PM on Dec 19th 2007

3. I have no doubt Muslims are American,but I doubt you are an American,Mr Skank. I also note that you omitted Jews. Are they Americans? What do you think Mr Skank?

IRONBLUEEYES at 10:13PM on Dec 19th 2007

4. How did you twist this issue into whether or not Muslims are American? I have never heard a Christian say that, because Muslims do not practice Christianity, they are not Americans.
Christians are the majority, and the government is elected by the majority to serve the majority. In 2008 we might be singing to a different tune.

The fact that their are not Muslim political adds in no way means that Christians believe that Muslims are somehow not American.

JIM, Comparisons are odious, America should not have to defend itself by saying, "well they do it back in the Middle East". When we lower our standards to that extent we will lose all of what makes us American.

Parker at 10:20PM on Dec 19th 2007

5. K, first of all, the founding fathers wrote the declaration of independance as a foreign policy document (not stating our rights). Many of them were deists-as far as I know only Ben Franklin was an atheist. All that stuff about a god in the declaration was so that the other memebers would agree to it. Look to the constitution (and the bill of rights) when you want to see our rights. Yes, i agree that it is wrong for christians to advertise and campaign publicizing christianity for federal office. However, the fact that if someone of another religion did a similar thing that it would be highly criticized not only shows human nature, it shows how biased our country is. Unfortunatly, the majority of the people in the US are Christian (that was not anything against Christians, just a comment on the makeup of US society). All I can say is, if Congress called to amend the first bill of rights on the constitution, there is a high probability that they would change it so that Congress could declare a state religion. And then we are back where we started before the revolution, and many people (Jews, Muslims, etc.) might leave.

Rachel at 10:34PM on Dec 19th 2007

6. Maybe if all of your blogs weren't so vehemently anti-American it would be easier to believe your comment "Christians don't own this place. They need to stop treating the rest of us as renters." To be honest, based on what I read here, you never seem particularly proud to be American...only ashamed.

April at 10:46PM on Dec 19th 2007

7. En Buyuk Turkiye baska biri yok.

Berna at 11:19PM on Dec 19th 2007

8. And why is it that scho0l is closed for Christmas and Jewish holidays and a lot of other holidays but it's not closed for Ramazan? what the hell is that about?

Berna at 11:31PM on Dec 19th 2007

9. Muslims are 100% American?? LOL. asked to attempt to assimulate into our society in any fashion, as every other culture has, its no way, its against my religion, and you must change for us or Jihad!!!!!!!!!!.
The Youg Turks show there misconceptions and ignorance every week in there show. Now its almost laughable.
Not all Muslims are terrorist, but 99% of terrorist are Muslim.

ltcurry at 12:22AM on Dec 20th 2007

10. As long as Muslims support English as the language of the country, put the USA first in their national alliegance, and accept other religions as being valid; I have no problem with accepting them as Americans.

houchens at 12:23AM on Dec 20th 2007

11. The thing is Big Guy, the name "George Thompson"
is only half as scary as the name "Mohamed Abdullah".

Willet at 12:30AM on Dec 20th 2007

12. Well said, Rachel!
And Brandon, you are mistaken. Our founding father made it very clear that they wanted religion out of government. Here are some pretty obvious quotes for you:

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the Common Law."
Thomas Jefferson-letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, 1814

"I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works ... I mean real good works ... not holy-day keeping, sermon-hearing ... or making long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments despised by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity."
Bejamin Franklin

"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."
James Madison-1803 letter objecting use of gov. land for churches

"This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it."
John Adams

"The study of theology, as it stands in the Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authority; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and it admits of no conclusion."
Thomas Paine

"Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.
Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by the difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought most to be depreciated. I was in hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy, which has marked the present age, would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see the religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of society."
George Washington - letter to Edward Newenham, 1792

Yes, most of them were deists, but they used common sense and they knew that religion would cause conflict beyond what common sense could resolve. I am sure TYT would have no problem with Christianity if it followed those same principles of reason. When this country was founded, a citizen was not defined by his appearance or religious beliefs, so I have to agree that the discrimination in today's America is, indeed, un-American.

emma at 1:46AM on Dec 20th 2007

13. muzzslimes are free to pack their camels and leave anytime they want....

Dave at 2:11AM on Dec 20th 2007

14. Shortly after 9/11, my church had an "elder" from a mosque give a talk about Islam. He was originally from Pakistan. Now, despite the fact that he had been a bridge engineer with the Illinois Dept. of Transportation for over 20 years, he felt that the U.S. was wrong to have separation of church and state, and that the U.S. would be better off if church leaders had far more say in how the government was run.

He also said that he was angry that the U.S. sent his tax money to a largest supporter of state-sponsored terrorism, Israel.

As an attorney, I once represented a native of Pakistan in an eviction. He was the landlord. He told me after the court hearing that he was ashamed to have to go to court to get deadbeat tenants, who were also Muslim, evicted.

Apparently in Pakistan, people having a legal dispute can go before an imam and have him decide the case. If the losing party refuses to follow the judgment of the imam, then the winning party can have the police enforce the judgment, which has the same legal weight as a decision handed down by a judge.

I explained to my client that Americans almost relish the chance to go to court and obtain justice.

Now, can you think of a predominantly-Christian country that allows its clergy to have so much say in the affairs of government?

Obviously, all Muslims aren't like the people I've described, but it's disconcerting to see how many immigrants don't buy into the separation of church and state.

And Cenk, if you read your history, you will find that many of the Founding Fathers felt that fighting the Revolution and creating a democracy was doing God's work. George Washington felt that the ease in which his troops beat the Hessians at Trenton, with no deaths among the Continentals, was a sign of Providence.

Kent at 2:21AM on Dec 20th 2007

15. I am an Orthodox Christian priest, so please spare me the "godless liberal" comments. The ONLY protection that we,as Christians, have is the absolute separation of Church and State and the government neutrality towards religion --- neither approving it nor disapproving it --- whatever that religion may be. The reason this is essential for Christians as well as Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, and atheists or agnostics is very simple. There is NO "Christian religion." There are many different interpretatons of Christianity and many Christian sects. If we call America a "Christian nation," and begin to behave as a "Christian nation," which sect's belief system are we going to follow? Do we put icons in every classroom? How about a crucifix? Are 7th Day Adventists Christian? What about Mormons? How about Roman Catholics? Presbyterians? Who is to say? Inevitably, making Christianity a state religion winds up with one sect's beliefs being the state religion. So we won't wind up with a "Christian nation," but, rather, a Presbyterian nation or a Catholic nation or a Jehovah's Witness nation, or whatever. And Christians might not always BE the majority. What happens if Muslims become the majority? Or Jews? Or Sikhs? Or Atheists? No, the only protection for all of us to freely worship as we wish is for America to be completely neutral towards every religion, neither favoring one nor denying another. And let's not forget that Muslims, Jews, etc. all pay taxes, too. WHY do the right wingnut "Christians" insist on cramming our holidays and our beliefs down everyone's throat? Jesus said to go and TEACH all nations, not forcibly "convert" them. Finally, whenever religion has been joined with the coercive power of the State, it has resulted in absolute disaster, persecution, bigotry and strife. God forbid we ever take down that essential wall of separation between Church and State. The State must be secular, the Church as a separate witness to Jesus' love, not the hatred and bigotry of the right wingnuts. Cenk is correct.

Father John at 2:42AM on Dec 20th 2007