This article is reprinted by permission. – Oscar Y. Harward
By Chuck Sproull
I have done a lot of research into Jefferson's intended meaning of the "wall of separation of church and state" and it's relation to our 1st Amendment rights. That "wall of separation" was supposed to:
(1) Separate the administration of government and religion, and prevent establishment of a Protestant denomination from becoming an official State religion (this also applies to catholic, Islam and pagan religions).
(2) Protect American citizens from tyrannical government-controlled religion, and from religion-controlled government like the ones that existed in England and Rome, and that our Bible-believing Founders came here to get away from.
This could even include protection from “sharia law” that Islamics (a tyrannical political-religious group) are trying to impose on America, like they have in other countries and in the Detroit area.
(3) Allow all American citizens freedom to express their Bible-based religious convictions; whether public employees, in uniform or private citizens, regardless of Protestant sect, while on government property or on their own private property.
There are no exception clauses in the 1st Amendment that state or imply freedom of expression; except if it offends a minority of non-believers or disagrees with beliefs of personnel in higher positions.
Also, that wall has a door that:
(4) Allows God's righteous influence (honesty, unselfishness, morality) in, to guide our individual Government leaders’ decision-making and spending of our tax-money; and
(5) Allows outward personal expressions of their faith in God.
In fact, this “Wall” actually protects us from the very things subversive groups like ACLU are trying to do. They are trying to separate our Government leaders and public school students from God’s beneficial (civil) influences.
As long as we have a 1st Amendment and a Congress to protect our freedoms, who needs the ACLU? They are an organization of Atheists, Communists, Liberals, Un-constitutionalists; using our tax money to do what our Constitution prohibits our Congress from doing. Regarding their ability to comprehend our Constitution and free enterprise capitalistic society, they haven’t a clue (A-CLU). They must be de-funded.
Our Constitution cannot be used by anyone to justify being offended by our Bible-based beliefs, or to restrict our freedom of expression. Freedom for both religious and non-religious Americans is enhanced by Government staying totally uninvolved, without positive or negative regulations.
Chuck Sproull, Springville IN,
2/7/2011
812-797-3627
4 comments:
As a Christian historian, I am saddened that you so dislike America's foundational principles and religious heritage.
Church state separation is central to America's founding principles and faith heritage. In 1644, Baptist Roger Williams (persecuted by "Christian" colonial theocrats, who considered Baptists heretical) called for a "wall of separation" between church and state. Baptists' "wall of separation" would prevent government from interfering with the free exercise of religion, and prevent government from incorporating religion into governance.
Generations of Baptists were persecuted, and shed blood, in the fight (against colonial theocracies) to separate church and state. Their triumph finally came in the enactment of the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, establishing the Baptist vision of a "wall of separation" between church and state.
Deniers of church state separation often respond that the phrase "wall of separation" is not in the U. S. Constitution. Well, neither is the word "Trinity" in the Bible, but most deniers of church state separation probably believe in the Trinity.
More importantly, Christians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries clearly understood that the First Amendment wording - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" - separated church from state. Their testimony bears much more weight than the fabricated history loved by many modern conservative Christians and politicians.
Make no mistake: denying church state separation mocks our nation's founding principles and faith heritage. Church state separation was good for America in 1791, and it is good for America now. To see the problems of merging church and state, look to the Middle East, where conservative religious law (Sharia Law, based on the biblical Old Testament) rules.
Church state separation is a liberal, and American, moral value of which we all can be proud.
Bruce Gourley
Director
Baptist History & Heritage Society
www.baptisthistory.org
www.wallofseparation.us
Your understanding of the principle of separation of church and state seems somewhat "off." Wake Forest University recently published a short, objective Q&A primer on the current law of separation of church and state–as applied by the courts rather than as caricatured in the blogosphere. I commend it to you. http://tiny.cc/6nnnx
Doug, I'm quite familiar with the WFU Joint Statement; it's been out for quite some time now.
It is a good statement. Do you have a problem with it?
Bruce,
Sorry about the confusion. My comment was aimed at Chuck.
I heartily agree with your comment--though wonder about your passing characterization of separation of church and state as a "liberal" value. With so much leftie-rightie rhetoric confounding political dialogue nowadays, those labels often seem detract more than they add to understanding and communication.
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