The method for determining what the framers of the constitution meant are really quite simple. Use their actions measured with their words. Re; Dam S post above , When the constitution was enacted and for quite a few years after there we no restrictions on firearm ownership. Some towns restricted carrying firearms inside the city but there was no restriction on ownership. So it is reasonable to assume that the founders meant we could all own firearms, as many and as varied in type as we deemed right for ourselves. Second the separation of church and state issue. There was a church in the halls of congress that was regularly attended by many of the framers on the constitution. Again it would be reasonable to assume that the framers had no issue with this because it was not state sponsored it was created and attended by individuals of their own free will. The problem with SCOTUS opinions as the litmus test for interpretation is political influence. Remember when the constitution was written the intent was not to have political parties because of their influence on the process. That dream only lasted a few months however.

I'll leave that one alone

"A well regulated militia"

They were all old farts with white hair. Well regulated meant lot's of prune juice.

Thanks!

I actually looked up the period definition of militia, circa 1770, a while back. It was loosley worded as any able bodied man of military service age.

Able bodied man, you say?

Well, wimmen shouldn't be sportin' a shootin' iron anyway.

Able bodied being over 5 feet 4 inches tall....

BD, perhaps you need a refresher on U.S. history and our founding fathers. If you think that somewhere in the constitution it says that Christianity belongs in government, you are (thankfully) mistaken. Our founding fathers were deists, not fundamentalist Christians as they are often portrayed by right-wingers. They were too smart and too successful of businessmen to worry about trivial things like religion (specifically Christianity).

Why in the world would non-Christians say that it's OK for Christianity to have a place in a fledgling democracy? They didn't, because they knew it would lead to problems. If you want religion in your government, move to Iran and tell us how it's working out for you.

I provide for you some links for light reading:

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

http://www.earlyamericanhistory.net/founding_fathers.htm

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/farrell_till/myth.html

http://vftonline.org/TestOath/deism.htm

There are a million more. You could spend an entire day reading these things. Actually reading about history could provide you and your teabag buddies some enlightenment rather than acting like you know what people in the 1700s wanted and knew.

Gee, a host of links that are the left wing equivelent of Fox news, and Ann Coulters blogs. You'll have to excuse me if I dismiss them. I wish you had laid off the pot and paid attention in High school Civics class.
http://www.adherents.com/gov/Founding_Fathers_Religion.html

Religious Affiliation
of U.S. Founding Fathers # of
Founding
Fathers % of
Founding
Fathers
Episcopalian/Anglican 88 54.7%
Presbyterian 30 18.6%
Congregationalist 27 16.8%
Quaker 7 4.3%
Dutch Reformed/German Reformed 6 3.7%
Lutheran 5 3.1%
Catholic 3 1.9%
Huguenot 3 1.9%
Unitarian 3 1.9%
Methodist 2 1.2%
Calvinist 1 0.6%
TOTAL 204  
but I suppose we could trade links all night, we will never agree and you'll still be wrong.... Lol

Perhaps the Constitution (or whatever is left of it) doesn't allow for it, but make no mistake, good or bad, there has always been and likely will always be a marriage of Church and State, no matter where you live. Elected and dictatorial officials have seen to that. Have you ever known Congress to let "constitutionality" stand in their way of doing anything? They just amend the parts that would hold them back.

The Constitution is scarcely a shell of what it once was. That's why we need a group of highly specialized attorneys whose sole purpose is to stay abreast of its modern interpretations. The very fact that it is open to interpretation has facilitated the dismissal of all the rights and freedoms we Americans have lost through the years.

"None of the Founding Fathers were atheists. Most of the Founders were Deists, which is to say they thought the universe had a creator, but that he does not concern himself with the daily lives of humans, and does not directly communicate with humans, either by revelation or by sacred books. They spoke often of God, (Nature's God or the God of Nature), but this was not the God of the bible. They did not deny that there was a person called Jesus, and praised him for his benevolent teachings, but they flatly denied his divinity. Some people speculate that if Charles Darwin had lived a century earlier, the Founding Fathers would have had a basis for accepting naturalistic origins of life, and they would have been atheists. Most of them were stoutly opposed to the bible, and the teachings of Christianity in particular."

"...Because of the rural nature of early America, many in colonial times chose churches based on convenience. Where they went to church regularly may not be a perfect indicator of what faith they considered themselves. Thomas Jefferson, for example, was raised Episcopalian, donated a significant amount of money to building Episcopalian churches, attended a Episcopalian church, and yet is not considered an orthodox Episcopalian by any historian of note. His views would be considered heretical by today's orthodox standards."

FYI, this is not a left-wing conspiracy. Yes, they belonged to some sort of a denomination. If you had read any links I posted for you, you would have understood that while they may have attended church or claimed a denomination, they were NOT religious.

These were smart men and were not so weak-minded as to be swayed by some dude in a robe asking them for their money.

Yes, you can keep quoting the same site over and over, your still wrong. Let's face it, we can both quote links that "prove" we're right, but it's not going to change your mind, my mind or the opinion of any reader.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence were a profoundly intelligent, religious and ethically-minded group. Four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were current or former full-time preachers, and many more were the sons of clergymen. Other professions held by signers include lawyers, merchants, doctors and educators. These individuals, too, were for the most part active churchgoers and many contributed significantly to their churches both with contributions as well as their service as lay leaders. The signers were members of religious denominations at a rate that was significantly higher than average for the American Colonies during the late 1700s.

These signers have long inspired deep admiration among both secularists (who appreciate the non-denominational nature of the Declaration) and by traditional religionists (who appreciate the Declaration's recognition of God as the source of the rights enumerated by the document). Lossing's seminal 1848 collection of biographies of the signers of the Declaration of Independence echoed widely held sentiments held then and now that there was divine intent or inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence. Lossing matter-of-factly identified the signers as "instruments of Providence" who have "gone to receive their reward in the Spirit Land."

From: B. J. Lossing, Signers of the Declaration of Independence, George F. Cooledge & Brother: New York (1848) [reprinted in Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, WallBuilder Press: Aledo, Texas (1995)], pages 7-12:

This link even sites sources, but it won't change your mind either.

Why is it so hard for you to understand that they were deists? Why do teabaggers hate America so much for what it was founded on?

Uhhh, maybe because they were not deists? Why is it so hard for you to believe they were Christians? Why do you left wing idiots hate America for what it was founded on, Christianity?

I tend to lean right on most financial issues, left on most social issues, but should a candidate start spouting off about how holy they are, they lose my vote.

Religion is a personal thing, like sexuality. Keep it to yourself. I don't care what you do when you practice either, and I wish you the best at each endeavor, but I really don't need to know about it.

There is an exception to this rule, if you happen to be a hot lesbian, where you are free to share videos and a point by point timeline of your last encounter.

Why do you hate America so much?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deists

You did not just site wikipedia as a factual source did you?? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! No, I'm not laughing with you......

"perhaps you need a refresher on U.S. history and our founding fathers."

"Why is it so hard for you to understand that they were deists? "

Thomas Jefferson was a deist but he is the only one I am aware of and it is documented in his letters. As a refresher on your history, he basically washed his hands of the constitution after many of his ideas were pushed aside by political bickering. Jefferson was also the first Republican president, a true republican not like the liberal republicans of today. He would not have stood for the federal government inserting itself in states rights issues and would not objected if a sate allowed a Christmas celebration on its capitol grounds.

Prove it. You already referenced the founding documents; so show us where within those documents it states this nation was founded with the intent of worshiping Christ.

Don't let something like facts get in the way of a good argument. There have been SCADS of fact-checking expeditions to see how Wikipedia compares to other sources of information. You might want to read some of those studies before you run your mouth.

Or just return to watching your "Fair and Balanced" news.