this idea that the bible was a significant influence on the constitution is obviously widespread but i've always been struck by insane it is. not that evidence matters to these people but if there's anything we know for certain about the 1787 convention it's that the bible had nothing to do with it.
I always imagine a room of drunk frat boys work- shopping democracy where they still come come out on top. That's the constitutional convention for ya.
they all seemed pretty specific on that "we're not ruled by religion" thing
and the thing is, we know a LOT about the 1787 Convention! A bunch of people wrote about it at various degrees of remove and revisions after the fact who were there, or talked about it and their recollections were recorded. If anyone had cited biblical text directly, we'd know it, probably!
What exhausting people
This is one of those things where in a sane world I'd argue that, yes, there are biblical influences across European/US political theory and thus on the Constitution...but in this world it's much more important to point out that the bible->Constitution stuff is just a lie.
This is easily my least favorite bit of American mythology.
“….uniformity in delivery…” 🤨
Yes. Also these people appear to have a limited understsnding of whats actually in the Bible. These kinds of people have banned books with less racy content - polygamy, incest, murder, etc. But it's not really about what's inside. It's totemic.
In my more Machiavellian moments, I sometimes think we should be trying to encourage the formation of a German-style Christian-center movement to eat the non-crazy Republican constituencies. Stuff like this would unwittingly feed it, for sure.