For folks who want to make America a Christian nation, a good start would be canonizing the Beatitudes into law instead of swinging the corpse of Jesus around as a weapon to batter those who are in less fortunate circumstances.

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For folks who want to make America a Christian nation, a good start would be canonizing the Beatitudes into law instead of swinging the corpse of Jesus around as a weapon to batter those who are in less fortunate circumstances.

Besides, any Christian who believes in the words of the Beatitudes would take these admonitions as Divine Law, anyway. And they don't conflict with any other religion.

An expanded understanding of the meaning of "blessed" could mean "and protected by law." It already certainly is understood to mean "protected by God's law," so this would extend that to humankind's law.

We can get an idea of how this might work by just adding "and protected by law" to the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:1-12

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed (and protected by law) are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed (and protected by law) are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

Blessed (and protected by law) are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed (and protected by law) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed (and protected by law) are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed (and protected by law) are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

Blessed (and protected by law) are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed (and protected by law) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed (and protected by law) are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(Image above: The Sermon of Jesus on the mount, fresco by Franz Xaver Kirchebner in the Parish church of St. Ulrich in Gröden-it:Ortisei)

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.