Guess who.

This kind of stuff is really sickening for a couple reasons.

First, there's the whole religion business but I'll accept for now that the majority of Americans are religious and believe in an imaginary friend.

Secondly, and more importantly (to everyone in the US, I would think) is the fact that McCain is either horribly, horribly misinformed on basic knowledge of how the country was founded or he's a complete and utter liar.

As has been said before here, by myself and others, as well in any adequate history text book across the country, the US was in no way founded on Christianity. Right there in the first amendment it explicitly states (way back when in 1791) "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" and then 5yrs later in 1796 the Treaty of Tripoli states "Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;"

Also, as is known among people who care enough know, "In God We Trust" as a national motto was established in the 50's, 1956 to be exact. The saying was on coins before then (thank you, Civil War), but it still didn't appear on currency in the US until about 80yrs after the Declaration of Independence.

So, going by some simple math here, McCain (having been born in 1936) was 20yrs old in 1956 and in the US Naval Academy at that time. I don't mean to sound like a jerk in this next part, but maybe if he wasn't 894th out of the 899 graduating students in his class he would've learned a thing or two about the country he was willing to die for.

EDIT: Yes, the video is edited and jumps around but this very clearly isn't a case of putting words in his mouth. Mostly because he's said uninformed stuff like this before, but even going with just this video he makes his points perfectly clear in each uninterrupted segment.

that's all I need.

Basically it's one of those two options. I'm guessing the latter as McCain needs to pander to his base over in right-wing crazy town.

Btw, as further and emphatic proof, there is the the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli, which states in no uncertain terms:

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;

Too many people are misinformed on this. Sure most of our founders were religious, but they didn't want government involved in religion or vice versa. They saw the evils of the Church of England and wanted that not to happen in the U.S. They believed in tolerance and this dates back to William Penn and Roger Williams both who preached that.

It's bad enough when they claim that the US is a Christian nation, but when they claim the Constitution, it's differnt -- there is no mention of God anywhere in the Constitution; the only mention to religion talks about how the government is to stay out of it. It's a short document, easy to read, easy to understand. Where do they get this claim?

Even that is a bit of a stretch. Many of the founding fathers were Deists. This was the enlightenment and the age of reason. Deists do not believe in a personal god. They believe in a creator that basically started the universe and then left it alone. And incidentally, this would be the same creator referred to in the Declaration of Independence - which is why they never refer to Jesus Christ or get any more specific than that.

Many were Masonic as well and some were Quakers who woudl be appalled at a religous state.

Well, not all were Deists sure Jefferson, Madison, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, and several others were definitely deists. Adams was a Unitarian and I think there were more of them in that group than any other faith. Adams would even be appalled at the thought that this country would be a religions state. He was a proudly religious person, but didn't think the religion should be that overreach in the government.

I don't think there's any question that any of them would be appalled at the religious right and its influence. It is the direct antithesis of the kind of government they wanted.