…how would education and social services qualify as (a) civil society? It would seem to me that since both receive government money -- both state and national -- we have here a case of: "He who pays the piper calls the dance."
The Constitution does not allow the federal government to provide social services or to maintain a compulsory educational system. These are properly the venue of civil society, not government.
government regulations that control its own activities have the effect of law on non- government organizations... In what? In regard to what? Are these aformention regulation effects deliberate? Inadvertent?
Government regulations typically cover activities under the direct control of the government. There are many examples, however, of organizations outside the domain of the government that are nonetheless impacted by government regulations. Regulations have a way of trickling down into the private sector.
But through all times and places it has always been in the interest of government and the governing -- however it is defined -- to "see to" the religion(s) effecting, molding, restraining, re-channeling, civilizing, call it what you will, its citizens… I believe it was Cicero who said, "Where ever I go, there (this place) is Rome to me." So we can say, "Where ever I go, there is my government --its laws, its restrictions, my inalienable right -- to me."
You have nailed the meaning of cultural religion. Aquinas described quite another role for the church, that of the church militant. In this view the church stands against society, judging it and setting a standard that emanates from God, not man.
Our contemporary government and church seek to uphold a cultural ideal, not a spiritual one.
Having failed to quash religious sentiment, the government will now try to swallow up religion. The geniuses who wrote the Constitution have something to say about that as well.
A society that will be patron to our wants and needs; that will seek to promote our happiness positively by uniting our affections and by encouraging societal intercourse (no wisecracks - I’m serious here). The First article of the Bill of Rights (the First Amendment to The Constitution of The United States of America), verily, sets down an outline of the separateness of society from government, and the following additional nine articles in the Bill of Rights elaborate on that separateness.
“The very purpose of the First Amendment is to foreclose public authority from assuming a guardianship of the public mind...because the forefathers did not trust government to separate the truth from the false.”
.....Thomas v. Collins, 323US516, 1945
The foreclosure of “public authority from assuming a guardianship of the public mind . . .”, for example, the prohibition of a government establishment of religion, or of a government proscription of the free exercise thereof, because we cannot “trust government to separate the truth from the false.”
“It should be remembered, as an axiom of eternal truth in politics, that whatever power in any government is independent, is absolute also; in theory only, at first, while the spirit of the people is up, but in practice, as fast as that relaxes.”
.....Thomas Jefferson, letter to Judge Spencer Roane, 6 September, 1819
Can we think ‘Supreme Court’?
“It is my belief that there are “absolutes” in our Bill of Rights, and that they were put there on purpose by men who knew what words meant, and meant their prohibitions to be ‘absolute’.”
.....Justice Hugo Black, from Hugo Black: A Biography, Roger K. Newman
If ever there ought be a ‘wall of separation’ let it be between government and society’s constituents, and let that wall be society itself.
¶ The Constitution does not allow the federal government to provide social services or to maintain a compulsory educational system. These are properly the venue of civil society, not government.¶
Yankeedame sends you a definition of civil society which proposes its constituents (individuals and organizations) are independent of government. It is a definition with which I believe you concur (as do I). Consistent with this view, you declare government sponsorship of social services and the educational system (and may we not say a great many other things?) is unconstitutional and not properly a venue of government. Yet, where are they but under the thumb of government.
Sorry, my dear Mr. Paine, we have so confounded society with government, as to not only have left little distinction between the two, but to have obliterated the distinction entirely.
¶ Regulations have a way of trickling down into the private sector.¶
Trickling? Is it not more an instance of Cascading?
¶ Aquinas described quite another role for the church, that of the church militant.¶
Like a Rock. But we must not permit old words to obscure new meanings. Let it not be misapprehended that the Judeo-Christian tradition stands ‘against’ society. We stand against those elements of society who have concluded that, not being able to persuade society to their view, they must now resort to using government coercion in the realization of their ambitions.