Crusty, my post simply said and meant to indicate Congress (the Government body of Congress) authorized for the 20,000 Bibles in English to be procured and then distributed to the people. They were not forcing people to take them or become Christians, they didn't tell them they had to be Baptist, Methodist etc. The act of authorizing them to be imported and then approving that authorization, on Sept 11, 1777 was done fully expecting that they would be purchased. So in their minds, when they AUTHORIZED it to be done they approved the purchase of them, for that purpose. The fact that they were not purchased meant things changed, conditions changed but what did not change was the reason they wanted to import them. They were also never purchased because they changed their mind deeming it to be a violation of Church and State.
I know you are intelligent enough to realize that had the same wording, exact same thing, been done today it would be soundly opposed and voted down claiming it was a violation of separation of Church and State. If it was passed as it was then, by Congress, you know the ACLU would have it in front of a Court and it would be judged to be in violation of the First Amendment. You surely cannot say that would not be the case. Surely you also realize that by authorizing the Bibles to be imported, had they been purchased and imported then they would indeed have been paid or purchased by Congress and our Government.
I don't care if Government changes and today they decided not to purchase Bibles but don't say that the founders, the authors of the Constitution and drafters of the First Amendment would not have done so. Don't try and convince me that the interpretation of the First Amendment hasn't been changed over the years. Just honestly answer whether or not the exact same action that was fully legal then would not be judged illegal today based upon the First Amendment interpretation. Things like putting up a nativity scene on government property, display of the ten commandments if a judge so wants to. First Amendment hasn't changed from the way the original people put it but the way it's interpreted has changed.
Once more, also, I don't say and haven't said we are and were a Christian Nation, only for Christians, but I do say we were a NATION OF CHRISTIANS, founded by Christians fleeing from a government that had become a theocracy. They knew what a theocracy was and what it was to be forced to believe a certain way without provision for personal beliefs or interpretation and therefore they wanted to insure our country's government would not transform into such. I fully believe, and always will, that they never meant to write God out of Government. IF that was the case there never would have been "IN God We Trust" imprinted on each designed money piece of the Government. It would have been defeated then and there. It may be deemed unconstitutional by some advocate judge in the future but only because they, personally, changed the meaning and intent of the Constitution in order to get the ruling they desired. No one wanted the government to force religion on anyone but the government was to PROTECT everyone's right to worship as they wished.
As was said by someone, maybe you, in another post. If it had been a nation of Muslims at that time it would have been the Koran and we'd be bowing toward Mecca. That ought to prove it was a nation of Christians, with faith in God, the Christian God that was responsible for our laws and Constitution and freedoms. The desire for freedom to worship as they wanted morphed into the Freedoms that we all enjoy today. If it had been Muslims I very much would wager you that we would not be having this conversation today. I wager that women would not have the vote and Freedom would still be a desire in many people's heart. God believing and Christian people were responsible for what became America and our Constitution. TODAY though because so many people reject God, don't believe in God we are to Change the intent and meaning of the Constitution to something that it was never meant to do. That's my sincere opinion and belief.