#armystrong
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2013
- Messages
- 29
Offering a conditional statement and then parenthetically agreeing with it does not raise it to the level of fact. Just so we're on the same page, here's the first amendment to the Constitution:
"Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The following is from the 1802 Military Peace Act passed by Congress and signed by President Jefferson which created the USMA.
Statute I, March 16, 1802.
An Act fixing the military peace establishment of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the military peace establishment of the United States from and after the first of June next, shall be composed of one Regiment of artillerists and two regiments of infantry, with such officers, military agents, and engineers, as are herein after mentioned....
Sec. 26. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized and empowered, when he shall deem it expedient, to organize and establish a corps of engineers, to consist of one engineer, with the pay, rank and emoluments of a major ; two assistant engineers, with the pay, rank and emoluments of captains ; two other assistant engineers, with the pay, rank and emoluments of first lieutenants ; two other assistant engineers, with the pay, rank and emoluments of second lieutenants; and ten cadets, with the pay of sixteen dollars per month, and two rations per day: and the President of the United States is, in like manner, authorized, when he shall deem it proper, to make such promotions in the said corps, with a view to particular merit, and without regard to rank, so as not to exceed one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, four captains, four first lieutenants, four second lieutenants, and so as that the number of the whole corps shall, at no time, exceed twenty officers and cadets.
Sec. 27. And be it further enacted. That the said corps, when so organized, shall be stationed at West Point in the state of New York, and shall constitute a military academy ; and the engineers, assistant engineers, and cadets of the said corps, shall be subject, at all times, to do duty in such places, and on such service, as the President of the United States shall direct.
Sec. 28. And be it further enacted. That the principal engineer, and in his absence the next in rank, shall have the superintendence of the said military academy, under the direction of the President of the United States ; and the Secretary of War is hereby authorized, at the public expense, under such regulations as shall be directed by the President of the United States, to procure the necessary, books, implements and apparatus for the use and benefit of the said institution.
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Approved, March 16, 1802.
What point are you trying to make. It's obvious intent was to be a military academy, but it was founded partially on Christianity. Jefferson(as an anti-federalist) founded West Point in an attempt to mitigate Federal power. After the federalist gained power and support(they believed in less state power and more federal power) Jefferson sought support for West Point (as a means to kinda even the playing field) and train an officer corps to have the same view in states rights. Now how does this relate to Christianity. Jefferson expressed Christian beliefs and it can be seen in the most prominent feature at West Point, the church(You know that huge building that overlooks everything). Yeah, so try to prove to me how Christianity was not an influence(an indirect influence) on the making of West Point...