At this end of summer 2025, the days slide by in a relentless slurry of desktop impressions involving the defense of western civilization, liberalism, and modern Christian compassion, reason, and tolerance. Here I will let the critics of Trumpian authoritarianism (his malign narcissistic pursuit of power) and nominally “Christian” power-seeking zealots have their say.
I’ve noticed on X that my pointed responses to the insults launched at my nation by dumb Donald’s melange of thoughtless bigots, Christian zealots, corrupt and Greedy Old Pigs (GOP) and creepy trolls without real names appear to place a dozen posts beneath their targets thus minimizing their views. That’s a form of modern X-based attack “from above”, i.e., from Elon’s coding zombies.
Why play along with the bigot and lout from South Africa?
He’ll lose X sooner or later for proving a traitor (along with so many of Trump’s cowardly or unprincipled ass kissers) to his adopted — and targeted — American homeland.
AI on Religious Coercion, Corruption, and Tyranny
The Founding Fathers strongly opposed any form of religious coercion, including undemocratic actions by Christians, because they believed it would lead to tyranny and corruption. Influential founders like James Madison and Thomas Jefferson had witnessed firsthand the persecution of religious minorities in the colonies and viewed the separation of church and state as the best way to protect both individual liberty and the integrity of religion. [1, 2, 3]
Religious freedom as a safeguard against tyranny
The founders viewed religious freedom as an inalienable right of conscience that government should never infringe upon. They believed that forcing religious views or practices on others was a misuse of power.
- James Madison argued that forcing individuals to support a religion they did not believe in was a form of tyranny. He considered religious coercion a “dangerous abuse of power” because if the government could establish Christianity, it could favor one Christian sect over another.
- Madison, who witnessed Baptist preachers being jailed for their beliefs in Virginia, believed that the state should not have any jurisdiction over religious matters. He wrote that “Religion is wholly exempt from its cognizance”.
- Thomas Jefferson shared this view, arguing that “the legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.” He concluded, “But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg”.
- Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) established that no one could be compelled to support any religious worship or be penalized for their religious opinions. This law protected the rights of “the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination”. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Separation of church and state to protect religion
Many founders believed that an established state church would corrupt religion. They felt that state support made clergy and laity indolent, while competition in a free marketplace of ideas produced more virtuous religious practice.
- James Madison observed that where religious establishments existed, they bred “pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution”.
- He later reflected that separating church and state led to an increase in “the number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood,” as well as “the devotion of the people”.
- In his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, Thomas Jefferson described the First Amendment as building “a wall of separation between Church & State”. He was concerned that allowing religion to interfere in governance would create a polarizing environment and lead to oppression. [1, 2, 9, 10, 11]
The founders’ mistrust of religious politics
The founders’ concern with undemocratic, manipulative religious actors was not merely theoretical. Their political opponents often wielded Christianity as a weapon, which hardened their resolve to prevent religious factionalism from entering politics.
- During the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson was accused of being an “arch-infidel” for his views on religious freedom. He was convinced that this rhetoric came from “pseudo-priests” and “charlatanerie” who sought to manipulate the public.
- Jefferson explicitly rejected the idea that a secular government was a “slander” on religion, but rather a necessary condition for it to flourish free of manipulation by ambitious clergy.
- In 1790, George Washington wrote to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, assuring them that the U.S. government “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance”. This sentiment reflected the founding generation’s rejection of religious persecution that had defined much of Europe’s history. [2, 6, 12, 13, 14]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/groups/463786557152746/posts/2765626433635402/
[2] https://www.bridgew.edu/stories/2023/doctrine-separation-church-and-state
[3] https://firstliberty.org/news/james-madison-mastermind-of-religious-freedom/
[4] https://constitutioncenter.org/museum/historic-document-library/detail/james-madison-memorial-and-remonstrance-against-religious-assessments-1785
[5] https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson-and-religious-freedom/
[6] https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson-and-religious-freedom/
[7] https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/jefferson-memorial-education-religious-freedom.htm
[8] https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/memorial-and-remonstrance/
[9] https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/james-madison-and-religious-liberty
[10] https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/memorial-and-remonstrance/
[11] https://hc.edu/news-and-events/2020/02/26/the-war-on-religious-liberty/6/
[12] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/
[13] https://www.reddit.com/r/Presidents/comments/1dj1q7p/the_founding_fathers_on_religion_and_the/
[14] https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jefferson-thomas-and-religion/
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