Posted on 11/10/2004 3:00:51 PM PST by Conservative Coulter Fan
Congress is the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government. The establishment of religion is a reference to national religion and clearly free exercise includes public expression, which the founding fathers themselves expressed.
The Founding Fathers and Deism
The Myth Behind "Separation of Church and State"
America: Our Christian Heritage, Our History and Faith in God
Easy come, easy go.
Bump!
"[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."(Source: John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co. 1854), Vol. IX, p. 229, October 11, 1798.)
Thanks for the historically accurate, if somewhat esoteric, post on the widely misunderstood notions about "separation of church and state". The current problem with respect to the establishment clause is that the radical secularists, nihilists really, seek to "establish" their belief in "no God", a nullity, as the state religion. For them, it is not enough to prevent collusion or preference by any one denomination and the government. They insist on elevating their own belief, their deity if you will, in the form of a big zero, a nothing. By this ruse, a logical fallacy, they establish a nullity as the preferred entity. Belief in nothing must reign supreme. The only acceptable spiritual position then becomes a self-absorbed, navel gazing paen to the temporal and secular.
I agree with absolutely everything you said, but more to the point it should be emphasized that the public is inundated time and again with this erroneous phrase, separation of church and state and often it goes relatively unchallenged.
This is an awesome Post! I love that "they" quote the "wall of separation," phrase that is NO WHERE in our legal founding documents...
As Christians we are perfectly free in this country to express our faith. When storm troopers star busting into churches, draging congregants away and burning bibles, then there will be something to complain about.
Prayer in Congress, prayer and Bible studies in schools were accepted and were a normal part of American culture. Totalitarian secular humanism is a misinterpretation of what the establishment clause was about. And a pretty stupid misinterpretation. Jefferson's "wall of separation" metaphor reflects his own opinion and is not in the U.S. Constitution. It has no legal status or force of law.
I think it is better to take a stand now before it comes to that.
I think it is better to take a stand now before it comes to that.
I would say it will never come to that, but given the times we live in, who knows. I don't think it's likely, still it pays to be viligent.
He wasn't talking about Buddhism or Islam. And the "Providence" in question certainly had nothing in common with the meaninglessness, materialism, moral relativism, and hedonism of liberal secular humanism as promoted today by the wacky Dems.
George Washington's Farewell Address contained a similar statement: "With slight shades of difference, you have the same Religeon, Manners, Habits & political Principles."
We need to replace "Separation of Church and State" with a more accurate phrase. I suggest "Non-establishment of Religion."
In case you haven't noticed, attacks upon 'expression of faith' in this nation are real, current, on-going and determined! As in:
Official on leave over Ten Commandments
Kentucky's Senator Bunning Deflects Commandments Charge
The Ten Commandments: New Legal Battle
Judge requests religion-neutral oaths
'In God We Trust' Posters Finding Way Into Schools-ACLU: Posters Violate Separation Of Church&State
Thanks CCF for an infomative, thought provoking post. The PC Culture of anti-Christian bias is spreading. We now have school boards that fight against having manger displays for Christmas. We have court houses that are having the 10 Commandments removed from their walls by the ACLU. This is not how our founding fathers envisioned our "fredom of religion".
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