[JamesP81]

Separation of Church and State in the 1st Amendment is yet another of the lies we so easily believe.

[NonValueAdded]

"The SS ... used pagan symbology and desecrated Christian wayside shrines on their axis of advance much the way ACLU tyrants do in America today."

Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark.

[The_Republican]

I strongly believe in the 'Separation of Church and State'.

I believe, Liberals should take their Church of Devil worship, out of my State.

[MamaTexan]

Let me reiterate this- the Bill of Rights- Amendments I-X- were written expressly to limit Federal authority.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This concept is almost impossible for modern Americans to understand. Generations of being told differently (by the government) has convinced them the Constitution covers the entire country in all things and at all times.

In fact, it rarely covers the physical world at all!

There is a reason the Founders used the words 'national' and 'federal'. The meanings are NOT the same, so they are NOT interchangeable.

-----

Hugo Black and his fellow eight FDR appointees began this Leftist Judicial tradition by imposing Stalin's laws on us. And THAT is the true origin of Separation of Church and State in Modern America.

separation of church and State = denial of unalienable rights

IMHO, the separation lie, whether by the Left or by government itself, has been perpetuated for a single purpose.... to deny Americans their inalienable rights bestowed by their Creator.

Without a Creator, there is no source of natural, unalienable rights, and GOVERNMENT becomes the ultimate authority and giver of all laws.

-----

Washington, January 1, 1802

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert E. Bergh, ed. (Washington, D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States, 1904), Vol. XVI, pp. 281-282.

Danbury Baptist Letter to Thomas Jefferson (and his Reply)

[tpaine]

--- the Establishment Clause forbids the Federal Government from engaging in any question of religion in the states.
If the Federal Courts get involved, it is a violation of the I Amendment. But if the XIV Amendment allows the Court to violate the I Amendment by getting involved, then the I Amendment no longer stands, and by what basis do you use the Establishment Clause?
Either way the Establishment Clause cannot be applied to a state or locality.

Article VI clearly says that: "-- This Constitution, ---- shall be the supreme Law of the Land; ---- any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding. --"
Thus, if a States law "respects an establishment of religion", -- or contradicts any other provision of the constitution, -- it can be found unconstitutional under Article VI.

The fact that Congress is expressly forbidden in the 1st from "respecting an establishment of religion" does not allow State or local government [legislative] officials to violate their own oaths to "-- support this Constitution --" by writing laws "respecting an establishment of religion". ----- Just as they can't write valid laws infringing on our right to keep and bear arms.

This same principle applies to all levels of gov't in the USA. -- None of them can write infringements on our supreme Law of the Land.

[Dazedcat]

Great post, thanks.

[Clemenza]

I'm still waiting for an amendment for the separation of SCHOOL AND STATE!

[Mazda3Fan]

As long as nobody expects me to become a Christian, I don't care how many times they mention God in government. Let's just let people have the freedom to practice their religion and those of us who are non believers be left alone as well.

[MamaTexan]

Sincere apologies for failing to thank you for the excellent post, and profound apologies for hogging it!

:-)

[tpaine]

Good references on historical sources you might use:



Clarence Thomas' Use of Historical Sources

Address:http://www.princeton.edu/~lawjourn/Spring97/schmidt.html

[tpaine]

U.S. Constitution limits states' rights and powers

Following is the fifth in a series of columns by members of the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform.

By W.S. Dixon


Several articles in the Constitution of the United States (especially Article IV) as well as several of the amendments to the Constitution (especially the 14th Amendment) apply to the state governments.

In fact the following provision of the 14th Amendment reaches back and makes the 1st Amendment apply to the states:

"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction of the equal protection of the laws."

This then makes the five freedoms guaranteed in the 1st Amendment --- religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition --- apply in the states.

If the Supreme Court of the United States had not made this interpretation of the above clauses in the 14th Amendment, the states would have been free to restrict religious freedom and even establish a particular religion as the official state religion, to prohibit any desired variety of speech, to limit or prohibit the printing or disseminating of any information the state decided was not allowed, to prohibit or restrict meetings of any kind as the legislature desired, and to prohibit or restrict access to state public officials.

Other restrictions on the states are specifically stated in the U.S. Constitution in Article I Section 10.

In addition, because of the powers assigned to the Congress, the states cannot regulate commerce with foreign countries nor with other states, nor can they naturalize citizens, fix standards of weights and measures, declare war, nor raise or support an army or navy.

Although we refer to the states within the United States by that designation, they do not meet the criterion of sovereign states because they do not have the power to provide protection from outside interference as indicated by the restrictions listed above.

State constitutions are limited, in part as a result of these restrictions. States do, however, have the ability to regulate all other levels of government situated within their territory ----

U.S. Constitution limits states' rights and powers
Address:http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/other/050410.shtml


Another opinion you might find interesting.

[MuddyWaters2006]

It is true that the phrase "Separation of Church and State" is nowhere to be found in the US Constitution. However, some would say that the U. S. Government acts under a constitution of limited and enumerated powers that assigns the federal government no express or implied power over religion; and that a system of government where the government has no jurisdiction over religion is one established on a "Separation of Church and State."