Posted on 07/24/2006 11:08:37 AM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
Secularists today have a catch phrase that they use like a club against religion in America. That club is named "The Separation of Church and State."
So many Americans have heard the phrase that they think it is one actually written right into the Constitution of the United States. Those who are more learned on the subject realize it is not. In fact, those who are learned on the subject know that it wasn't mentioned in any law, or even in the halls of Congress, until long after the Constitution was written. In fact, there was not much attention paid to the phrase at all until after Thomas Jefferson, the originator of the phrase, was long dead.
Not even the Supreme Court paid it much attention until the 1940s, so this "wall of separation" issue is not one that hails from the early Republic with the same meaning as it does today. Our Founders had very different ideas about religion and government, ideas that were not nearly as simple as the stark black or white assumptions of the activists of today.
The man who initially wrote the phrase, Thomas Jefferson, wrote it in an 1802 letter to a congregation of Baptist churchmen from Danbury, Connecticut. Only elected president of the United States but two years preciously, (1800–1808) Jefferson was responding to a letter sent him by the Danbury church members who were attempting to get his support for their struggle against the state's somewhat oppressive religious requirements for certain rights in that state — not an unusual practice in the states at that time. While Jefferson's letter only obliquely addressed the Baptist's concerns, more importantly it addressed the Federal position on establishing a national religion because Jefferson's reply was focused on the Federal issue, not that of the states.
(Excerpt) Read more at renewamerica.us ...
It is in the Constitution... I googled it.
Article 52 states, “the church is separated from the state”. Section 1, Article 14 states, “...shall be a secular state. No religion may be instituted as state-sponsored or mandatory religion. Religious associations shall be separated from the state,” Also in the 1918, the 1924 and 1936 Constitution of the ......USSR.
....Oh wait wrong Constitution.... Sorry (/sarc)
Within a few years "hate" speech laws will be used by the ACLU to drive organized religions to the margins of society. They are already doing a good job doing that with their lawsuits.
In two to three generations organized religion as we know it will cease to exist. Churches will be museums and restaruants. Christians will meet on Sundays in quiet so as to not attract attention. Probably in private homes.
In recent years RICO statutes have been applied to quash anti-abortion organizers, such laws will soon be applied to other "anti-humanity" groups including Christians.
It's gonna be a brave new world.
Interesting! bookmarked
Great post. To achieve their goals the left must destroy or at least minimize the influence of religion. Once that tradition is beaten, all that is left is the family. People will continue to believe in something, and the left assumes that something will be the government.
"In recent years RICO statutes have been applied to quash anti-abortion organizers..."
Schiedler's conviction was overturned.
OK, but that won't stop them.
Let's separate SEX education and STATE.....and even SCHOOL and STATE!
It's another "long war"...
The First Amendment is supposed to protect religious freedom from the state, but anti-Christian bigots have distorted it into a state tool against religious expressions they don't like.
Listen, long before Ann Coulter's book "Godless" and long after --- people will realize that it's nonsensical to have a separation. The Atheist and the Theist will long be vying for power of the State.
To say otherwise is to be a fool and to not live in reality.
O, and the sad things is that when Commies are in charge they shoot you as you try to jump over the wall or they go off and kill 100 Million in a given century... what's up with that?
The only provision that formally separates relgion and state is the provision that prohgiubts any relgious test for public office.
Correct me if I'm wrong... the guy needs an editor, Yes?
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