Michael Flynn - US must have only one religion

[Occams Barber]

That's right. The thread is meant for only some readers.

But if we reject Flynn's thinking--although he has as much right to hold that view as anyone who adheres instead to Buddhism or Universalism or Judaism or whatever--what about those simply ridiculous, over the top, gratuitous claims made by the people who rushed to condemn him for anything and everything that must have seemed handy at the moment? Yikes!

@Aldebaran @Albion

Whether or not you believe Flynn was disgraced is beside the point unless you believe his state of (arguable) disgrace justifies his comments.

Your opinions on the specifics of his statement about one God would be interesting.

Do you agree with him?

OB

 

[Hans Blaster]

Psst. Those Protestants were of the same religion as the people and rulers they left behind.

If you mean the first English colony in Virginia, then you are absolutely correct.

 

[Albion]

...minus the Free Exercise clause.

The point was that Flynn was speaking of something much broader than the knee-jerk critics were willing to give him credit for.

He not only didn't say anything about forcing some religion or other on anybody, but he also didn't refer to any denomination being preferred.

 

[Albion]

@Aldebaran @Albion

Whether or not you believe Flynn was disgraced is beside the point...

I agree. But then again, what was achieved by throwing that into the post in the first place? Twice.

Do you agree with him?

No. But neither do I sympathize with the impulse to throw the kitchen sink at him, insult-wise. Rejecting what he actually said would have been good enough.

 

[Sabertooth]

Your opinions on the specifics of his statement about one God would be interesting.

As defined by the Nicene Creed, all Christians believe that there is only one Triune God.
None can claim infallibility in His definition (beyond that), however.

Christian theology is not expected to be uniform [1 Corinthians 13:12], only convergent [1 John 3:2].

 

[Albion]

Seriously, any Christian that thinks it should become the state religion doesn't know their own Christian history.

I can't find anywhere in the report where Flynn said that either.

 

[Aldebaran]

@Aldebaran @Albion

Whether or not you believe Flynn was disgraced is beside the point unless you believe his state of (arguable) disgrace justifies his comments.

Your opinions on the specifics of his statement about one God would be interesting.

Do you agree with him?

OB

I notice how the video gets edited right after his comment where it sounds like he was about to elaborate. I guess the Tweeter who posted it didn't want that included.

 

[Aldebaran]

I can't find anywhere in the report where Flynn said that either.

They're just making up accusations as they go along. Just wait until page 10 of this thread to see which new ones they came up with by that time.

 

[Sabertooth]

...but he also didn't refer to any denomination being preferred.

Then the phrase "one religion" is a malapropism.

 

[Occams Barber]

I agree. But then again, what was achieved by throwing that into the post in the first place? Twice.

The OP was a direct (unedited but shortened) quote from the article.

No. But neither do I sympathize with the impulse to throw the kitchen sink at him, insult-wise. Rejecting what he actually said would have been good enough.

In a country which boasts separation of church and state as a central tenet of its constitution, 'throwing the kitchen sink' is hardly surprising.

What is surprising is your apparent attempt to minimise his comments given you are, presumably, a patriotic believer in the US Constitution.

OB

 

[Albion]

They're just making up accusations as they go along. Just wait until page 10 of this thread to see which new ones they came up with by that time.

Probably so, but I'm becoming aware, and not just because of this particular thread, of how many people generalize when reading or hearing anything.

The ability to appreciate different ideas expressed in the same report or any fine points of distinction, even when they're critically important ones, seems to be a lost art these days.

 

[Aldebaran]

The OP was a direct (unedited but shortened) quote from the article.

OB

Then the article you quoted contains false information.

 

[Albion]

Then the phrase "one religion" is a malapropism.

You don't know the difference between a religion and a denomination, huh?

 

[Occams Barber]

As defined by the Nicene Creed, all Christians believe that there is only one Triune God.
None can claim infallibility in His definition (beyond that), however.

Christian theology is not expected to be uniform [1 Corinthians 13:12], only convergent [1 John 3:2].

Sorry - I should have said his comments about one religion in the US.

OB

 

[public hermit]

I can't find anywhere in the report where Flynn said that either.

“If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion," he said.

"One nation under God, and one religion under God."

Do you think he meant we should ramp up our efforts with some camp meetings and revivals? No, of course not, you know exactly what he means. One nation under one God + one religion under one God = one nation with one religion under one God. Guess what nation he has in mind?

 

[Sabertooth]

You don't know the difference between a religion and a denomination, huh?

Some use them interchangeably.

 

[Albion]

The OP was a direct (unedited but shortened) quote from the article.

Yes, I know, but although you say here that you shortened the wording, you made sure not to leave that rather superfluous part out.

.
In a country which boasts separation of church and state as a central tenet of its constitution, 'throwing the kitchen sink' is hardly surprising.

That's really quite a disconnect. Why would it be necessary to accuse the guy of the Holocaust (!) if the idea was to remind him of the Constitutional right we have to the religion of our choosing?

 

[Albion]

“If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion," he said.

"One nation under God, and one religion under God."

Do you think he meant we should ramp up our efforts with some camp meetings and revivals? No, of course not, you know exactly what he means.

He apparently meant that we'd be better off if we were truly "one nation under God" rather than that being just something recited as part of the pledge without much thought being given to it.

 

[Albion]

Some use them interchangeably.

Not those who know what they mean. And especially not when lambasting some public figure for using one or the other of them in public!

 

[Occams Barber]

Then the article you quoted contains false information.

The statement about one religion was presented as a direct quote, from Flynn, in the article I quoted. Here's a Slate report containing the same quote:

Former Trump adviser Michael Flynn: U.S. should “have one religion.” (slate.com)
Michael Flynn, who was briefly national security adviser under former President Donald Trump, said the United States should have a single religion. “If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion,” Flynn said during a speech at the “Reawaken America” conference in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday night. “One nation under God, and one religion under God.” ​

Where and what is this 'false information?

OB