My friend Paris got this chain email from his dad....and he got irritated enough to respond to it.  It's a kick ass response too, I've made it bold so you can see where the email ends and his words begin...

DID YOU KNOW? As you walk up the steps to thebuilding which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view  ... it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments! 
 

    DID YOU KNOW? 
     As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.  
 
 

    DID YOU KNOW? 
    As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall,    right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments! 
 

     DID YOU KNOW? 
 
     There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C. 
 
      DID YOU KNOW? 
      James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement:  

     "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." 
 
      DID YOU KNOW? 
     Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said: 

     "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ". 
  
     DID YOU KNOW? 
      Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777. 
 
 

     DID YOU KNOW? 
      Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies. 
 
      DID YOU KNOW? 
      Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law an oligarchy  the rule of few over many. 
 
      DID YOU KNOW? 
 

     The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay,said: 
    
      "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers." 
 
 
     How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?      . 
 

     Lets put it around the world and let the world see and remember what this great country was built on. 
 
            
    I was asked to send this on if I agreed or delete if I didn't.   Now it is your turn...      It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, it is very hard to understand why there is such a mess about having the Ten Commandments on display or "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Why don't we just tell the other 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!!       If you agree, pass this on.

the�oc�ra�cy  n. pl. the�oc�ra�cies
 
 
 
 1. A government ruled by or subject to religious
 
 authority.
 
 
 
 de�moc�ra�cy  n. pl. de�moc�ra�cies
 
 
 
 1. Government by the people exercised either directly
 
 or through elected representatives.
 
 
 
 I know I wasn't supposed to reply to this email if I
 
 didn't agree with it. I know that todays America only
 
 allows for two points of view: the right and the
 
 wrong, good or evil, us or them. But it hurts me to
 
 see this happening to our country.
 
 
 
 Sure this country was founded by Christians. This
 
 country was also founded by slave owners. It took a
 
 while for us to live up to the ideal of equality for
 
 all men (and women), I guess it will take us a little
 
 while longer to live up to the promise of freedom to
 
 practice the religion of your choice.
 
 
 
 Our legal system was influenced by many cultures and
 
 religions. 
 
 
 
 Did you know?
 
 The very idea of democracy originated with the Greeks.
 
 
 
 
 
 Did you know?
 
 The supreme court building (along with most of the
 
 other capital buildings) was designed to look like
 
 Greek architecture? Architecture originally designed
 
 to honor pagan gods?
 
 
 
 Did you know? 
 
 The phrase "under god" wasn't in the original pledge
 
 of allegiance? It was added in 1954.
 
 
 
 But the semantics of our currency and the decorations
 
 on our buildings are beside the point. 86% of
 
 Americans may believe in God, but a successful
 
 democracy depends on a balance between serving the
 
 majority while protecting the rights of the minority.
 
 It's not easy, but it is necessary. That's why we have
 
 the bill of rights, and the courts to protect those
 
 rights. Inalienable rights. Rights that cannot be
 
 taken away no matter how large the majority. 
 
 
 
 I don't appose anyone�s right to believe in God. I
 
 don't appose anyone's right to seek guidance through
 
 prayer. I don't appose anyone's right to following the
 
 laws of their religion. Unless, of course, by doing so
 
 they are infringing upon someone else�s rights. We are
 
 all in this together folks. 
 
 
 
 Ask yourself this... would you forward an email on
 
 that suggested we post Islamic laws in the court
 
 rooms?, Buddhist?...
 
 
 
 Please don't cheapen this democracy by pretending
 
 there is only one religion worthy of protection, and
 
 please don't cheapen the practice of religion by
 
 letting politicians decide how it should be practiced.
 
 Remember political climates change fast. Do you really
 
 want a government elected by the majority showing
 
 preference to one religious belief when you are in the
 
 majority? Or will you be looking to the courts to
 
 protect your rights then.
 
 
 
 Let's encourage real debate again in this country.
 
 America wouldn't exist if our pioneering forefathers
 
 had simply followed the majority opinion.
 
 
 
 Please reply if you don't agree with this email.
 
 
 
 sincerely
 
 
 
 Paris