The perpetual calendar

On Mar 9, 6:18*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 04:34:37 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"





wrote:
On Mar 8, 6:45*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:34:30 +0100, James Hogg
wrote:

Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 12:11:11 -0800, "Skitt"
wrote:

snip

It would be impossible for an atheist to be elected to political office in
the USA, I think.

That is, IMO, a sad commentary on the flexibility of American thought,
if it is true.

Can you imagine someone ending every speech with "Nothing bless America"?

No, but I can imagine politicians ending their speeches, at some
distant date, with "Let us be thankful for our fine educational
system", for without it, they'll be thinking, if I am right, people
would still be clinging to religious superstition.

The "God bless America" tag goes back no further than Reagan -- the
first divorced president, a nominal Roman Catholic.

IINM, there are references to God in the Constitution and in the
Declaration of Independence, both written well before the Gipper's
day.

The texts are easily available on line.

The closest you can come is "Creator."

And the prohibitions of a religious test, and of establishment.

And you won't find a president ending a speech -- let alone every
public appearance -- with "God bless America" before Reagan. (When did
the Irving Berlin tune become ubiquitous?)

On Mar 9, 11:36*am, Evan Kirshenbaum wrote:
"Peter T. Daniels" writes:





On Mar 9, 6:18*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 04:34:37 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"

wrote:
On Mar 8, 6:45*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:34:30 +0100, James Hogg
wrote:

Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 12:11:11 -0800, "Skitt"
wrote:

snip

It would be impossible for an atheist to be elected to
political office in the USA, I think.

That is, IMO, a sad commentary on the flexibility of American
thought, if it is true.

Can you imagine someone ending every speech with "Nothing bless
America"?
No, but I can imagine politicians ending their speeches, at some
distant date, with "Let us be thankful for our fine educational
system", for without it, they'll be thinking, if I am right,
people would still be clinging to religious superstition.

The "God bless America" tag goes back no further than Reagan -- the
first divorced president, a nominal Roman Catholic.

IINM, there are references to God in the Constitution and in the
Declaration of Independence, both written well before the Gipper's
day.

The texts are easily available on line.

The closest you can come is "Creator."

And the prohibitions of a religious test, and of establishment.

And you won't find a president ending a speech -- let alone every
public appearance -- with "God bless America" before Reagan. (When did
the Irving Berlin tune become ubiquitous?)

Actually, wasn't Reagan's tag typically "God bless the United States
of America"?

You may be right that nobody before Reagan used that particular
phrasing, but that's only because he made formulaic what had been more
creative. *From the inaugural addresses:

Ironically, Carter, 1977, didn't mention God other than in a Bible
quotation near the beginning of the speech. *But nobody questioned his
religiosity. *Others have tended to end with it (and sprinkle it
inside):

* * Let us go forward from here confident in hope, strong in our faith
* * in one another, sustained by our faith in God who created us, and
* * striving always to serve His purpose. *[Nixon, 1973]

* * ... let us go forward, firm in our faith, steadfast in our
* * purpose, cautious of the dangers; but sustained by our confidence
* * in the will of God and the promise of man. [Nixon, 1969]

Johnson, 1965, doesn't end with a reference to God but mentions "God"
three times.

* * With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the
* * final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we
* * love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on
* * earth God's work must truly be our own. [Kennedy, 1963]

Eisenhower, 1957, doesn't end with a reference to God, but says

* * Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the
* * blessings of Almighty God.

* * This is the hope that beckons us onward in this century of
* * trial. This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with
* * bravery, with charity, and with prayer to Almighty
* * God. [Eisenhower, 1953]

* * Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance toward a
* * world where man's freedom is secure. *To that end we will devote
* * our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. With
* * God's help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of
* * justice, harmony, and peace. [Truman, 1949]

* * The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given
* * our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike
* * mighty blows for freedom and truth. He has given to our country a
* * faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished
* * world. *So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way
* * clearly--to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves
* * and for all our fellow men--to the achievement of His will to peace
* * on earth. [Roosevelt, 1945]

* * *As Americans, we go forward, in the service of our country, by
* * the will of God. *[Roosevelt, 1941]

* * While this duty rests upon me I shall do my utmost to speak their
* * purpose and to do their will, seeking Divine guidance to help us
* * each and every one to give light to them that sit in darkness and
* * to guide our feet into the way of peace. [Roosevelt, 1937]

* * In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of
* * God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in
* * the days to come. *[Roosevelt, 1933]

* * I ask the help of Almighty God in this service to my country to
* * which you have called me. *[Hoover, 1929]

* * The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind
* * is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose
* * save to merit the favor of Almighty God. *[Coolidge, 1925]

* * I accept my part with single-mindedness of purpose and humility of
* * spirit, and implore the favor and guidance of God in His
* * Heaven. With these I am unafraid, and confidently face the future..
* * I have taken the solemn oath of office on that passage of Holy
* * Writ wherein it is asked: "What doth the Lord require of thee but
* * to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
* * This I plight to God and country. *[Harding, 1921]

Wilson, 1917, doesn't end with a reference to God but mentions "God"
twice.

* * God helping me, I will not fail them, if they will but counsel and
* * sustain me! *[Wilson, 1913]

* * I invoke the considerate sympathy and support of my fellow-
* * citizens and the aid of the Almighty God in the discharge of my
* * responsible duties. *[Taft, 1909]

Theodore Roosevelt, 1905 was the last president who didn't actually
mention God by name in his inaugural address, though he did make a
reference to

* * the Giver of Good who has blessed us with the conditions which
* * have enabled us to achieve so large a measure of well-being and of
* * happiness.

and so on back to

* * Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been
* * awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my
* * present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign
* * Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has
* * been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for
* * deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for
* * deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for
* * the security of their union and the advancement of their
* * happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally _conspicuous_ in
* * the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise
* * measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
* * [Washington, 1789]

Regardless of personal feelings, pretty much everybody's felt it
prudent to give religious people something that allows them to say
"He's one of us."

My god you have a lot of free time to waste.

How does the fact that presidents have always invoked the Christian
God alter the fact that it was only the hypocrite Reagan who made the
invocation formulaic and obligatory?

Can you imagine what their enemies would have said if Clinton or Obama
failed to include the formula?

Do you not remember the "flag pin" flap? Is it not ironic that it
gathered momentum just after PBS preceded the NYPO's concert in
Pyongyang with a mini-documentary on North Korea that highlighted the
ubiquity and obligatoriness of patriotic lapel pins there?

Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:

But there was no Year 0. 1 BCE was immediately followed by 1 CE.

Yes there was. 0 CE preceeded 1 CE.

The concept of zero was unknown to Dionysius Exiguus (or to anyone
else) when he devised the system.

Dionysius Exiguus didn't devise any year system named "CE". (Pop quiz:
What were the initials of the name of the system that Dionysius Exiguus
did invent?)

DE?

Marvin J. Mooney wrote:
Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote:

But there was no Year 0. 1 BCE was immediately followed by 1 CE.

Yes there was. 0 CE preceeded 1 CE.

The concept of zero was unknown to Dionysius Exiguus (or to anyone
else) when he devised the system.

Dionysius Exiguus didn't devise any year system named "CE". (Pop
quiz: What were the initials of the name of the system that
Dionysius Exiguus did invent?)

Annus Dionysiexigui.

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:08:51 +0000, Chuck Riggs
wrote:

On 8 Mar 2010 11:13:37 -0800, R H Draney wrote:

Chuck Riggs filted:

instead of the bog-standard "God bless you".

That may be our first Russian-English bilingual pun....r

Is a pun a pun if not intended?

Sometimes that's the best kind...

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:18:18 +0000, Chuck Riggs
wrote:

On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 04:34:37 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
wrote:

On Mar 8, 6:45*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:34:30 +0100, James Hogg
wrote:

Chuck Riggs wrote:
On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 12:11:11 -0800, "Skitt"
wrote:

snip

It would be impossible for an atheist to be elected to political office in
the USA, I think.

That is, IMO, a sad commentary on the flexibility of American thought,
if it is true.

Can you imagine someone ending every speech with "Nothing bless America"?

No, but I can imagine politicians ending their speeches, at some
distant date, with "Let us be thankful for our fine educational
system", for without it, they'll be thinking, if I am right, people
would still be clinging to religious superstition.

The "God bless America" tag goes back no further than Reagan -- the
first divorced president, a nominal Roman Catholic.

IINM, there are references to God in the Constitution and in the
Declaration of Independence, both written well before the Gipper's
day.

I don't believe there is a single mention of God in the US
Constitution. In the DOI it's kind of a glancing mention in the
preamble (so to speak):

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for
one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected
them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth,
the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of
nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation."

And that's it.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Tue, 9 Mar 2010 04:48:34 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
wrote:

On Mar 9, 6:18*am, Chuck Riggs wrote:

IINM, there are references to God in the Constitution and in the
Declaration of Independence, both written well before the Gipper's
day.

The texts are easily available on line.

The closest you can come is "Creator."

And the prohibitions of a religious test, and of establishment.

And you won't find a president ending a speech -- let alone every
public appearance -- with "God bless America" before Reagan. (When did
the Irving Berlin tune become ubiquitous?)

During World War II, as sung by Kate Smith.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

In sci.astro message
ooglegroups.com, Mon, 8 Mar 2010 20:18:50, Peter T. Daniels
posted:

The people who put dates on cornerstones these days (since "CE" was
invented, that is) don't generally provide any era designation.

The dates on cornerstones are necessarily AD, if presumed to be on the
Julian or Gregorian Calendars, because BC had already ceased when those
were invented. AD, AH, AM can only mean Christian, Muslim, Jewish (or a
rarity).

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(c) John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v6.05 MIME.
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.
Proper = 4-line sig. separator as above, a line exactly "-- " (RFCs 5536/7)
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Dr J R Stockton wrote:
In sci.astro message
ooglegroups.com, Mon, 8 Mar 2010 20:18:50, Peter T. Daniels
posted:

The people who put dates on cornerstones these days (since "CE" was
invented, that is) don't generally provide any era designation.

The dates on cornerstones are necessarily AD, if presumed to be on the
Julian or Gregorian Calendars, because BC had already ceased when those
were invented.

Peter clearly thinks we all need to write CE now and there's something
wrong with AD.

Andrew Usher

On Tue, 9 Mar 2010 16:16:33 -0800 (PST), Andrew Usher
wrote:

Dr J R Stockton wrote:
In sci.astro message
ooglegroups.com, Mon, 8 Mar 2010 20:18:50, Peter T. Daniels
posted:

The people who put dates on cornerstones these days (since "CE" was
invented, that is) don't generally provide any era designation.

The dates on cornerstones are necessarily AD, if presumed to be on the
Julian or Gregorian Calendars, because BC had already ceased when those
were invented.

Peter clearly thinks we all need to write CE now and there's something
wrong with AD.

Since AD - Anno Domini, I think there's something wrong with AD.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *