Originally posted by neil67d
Our constitution (you are American, right?) informs our citizenry of the limited powers which we have bestowed upon the governing bodies.
Going off-topic here (and the thread is already all over the place) a genuine question from a non-American.
You are justly proud of the tradition of the founding fathers and your constitution. So why do so many Americans think that 'seperation of church and state' is communistic and/or atheistic?
Because the original intent of the phrase (not in the Constitution, by the way) as used even by Jefferson wasn't intended to convey anything nefarious toward religion--- certainly not in the sense that it has become in the past few decades. Think of the overall mores of the society in which both the First Amendment and Jefferson's eventually-famous phrase was introduced: these were decidedly and emphatically Christian people. Any form of government to which they were willing to submit--- for which they willing risked and sacrificed hearth and home--- would necessarily require a safe harbor for their beliefs.
The modern-day iteration of these concepts, i.e., all mention of God must be removed, is so contrary to the ideas first put forth as to be, well, laughable.
Now, to your posting dilemmas...
Cut the portion to which you wish to respond.
Paste the portion in your "Post" box.
At the beginning of the newly pasted portion, type a [ then a 'b,' and finally another ].
At the end of the newly pasted portion, type a [, then a '/,' followed by another 'b,' and then a final ].
This combo turns the bold on and then turns it off. The same works for italicizing, which utilizes the letter 'i,' and the same format.
If you want to get super fancy, you can use that same [] [/] format with the word 'quote.'