Posted on 10/07/2006 9:17:19 AM PDT by wagglebee
Perfect!
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This is an EXCELLENT commentary!
"The rhetoric of "separation of church and state" and "a wall of separation" has been instrumental in transforming judicial and - - -"
They (the Democrats sold out to Communism) do it because they can and because it suits their purpose. Their purpose is to paralyze this country and then turn it over to its enemies
Outstanding. Thanks for posting.
What a precise commentary!
The Radical Left in America, in order to advance its agenda, conveniently overlooks facts. An exhaustive reading of Jefferson's voluminous writings, as well as close examination of his life and deeds, make it clear he would be shocked and dismayed by the perversion of this phrase from his letter to the Baptists.
He would make Breyer, Ginsburg, Kennedy, Stevens and Souter look like the liberal idiots they really are.
As an aside, never knew that Black was a Klansman.
Verrrry Interesting and that answers a myriad of answers as to his proclivities and decisions.
Placemark for later MUST READ.
Thanks for posting this article, wagglebee!
Why, absolutely wrong commentary. Jefferson's wall is there to protect ME from YOUR religion if I do not happen to belong to it and find it disagreeable, by removing the state out of the picture. The same wall protects your religion from my presence. If I visit a church [as an architectural monument, for example], I do it in the hours posted by that church as being open to such visitors, i.e. I'd be present with permission only, and not otherwise. The same approach ought to work in the opposite direction as well - hence the wall.
Thanks for posting this. I know so many people that believe the "seperation" clause is actually in the Constitution.
There is a separation in THIS constitution (article 52):
http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/icl/r100000_.html
Great post. Should be a standard Freep bookmark.
Jefferson seemed to take great pride in how his own Virginia community encouraged freedom for religious expression. In a letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, November 2, 1822, he said:
"In our village of Charlottesville, there is a good degree of religion, with a small spice only of fanaticism. We have four sects, but without either church or meeting-house. The court-house is the common temple, one Sunday in the month to each. Here, Episcopalian and Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist, meet together, join in hymning their Maker, listen with attention and devotion to each others’ preachers, and all mix in society with perfect harmony."
At that time, he did express criticism for one denomination which he might tend to dominate other sects if it had the power. He continued:
"It is not so in the districts where Presbyterianism prevails undividedly. Their ambition and tyranny would tolerate no rival if they had power. Systematical in grasping at an ascendency over all other sects, they aim, like the Jesuits, at engrossing the education of the country, are hostile to every institution which they do not direct, and jealous at seeing others begin to attend at all to that object. The diffusion of instruction, to which there is now so growing an attention, will be the remote remedy to this fever of fanaticism. . . ."
Unlike the Left in America today, Jefferson was not willing to exclude religious teachings from the grounds of the public university either. Hear this declaration from the same letter to Dr. Cooper:
"In our university you know there is no Professorship of Divinity. A handle (cause for critics) has been made of this, to disseminate an idea that this is an institution, not merely of no religion, but against all religion. Occasion was taken at the last meeting of the Visitors, to bring forward an idea that might silence this calumny, which weighed on the minds of some honest friends to the institution. In our annual report to the legislature, after stating the constitutional reasons against a public establishment of any religious instruction, we suggest the expediency of encouraging the different religious sects to establish, each for itself, a professorship of their own tenets, on the confines of the university, so near as that their students may attend the lectures there, and have the free use of our library, and every other accommodation we can give them; preserving, however, their independence of us and of each other. This fills the chasm objected to ours, as a defect in an institution professing to give instruction in all useful sciences. I think the invitation will be accepted, by some sects from candid intentions, and by others from jealousy and rivalship. And by bringing the sects together, and mixing them with the mass of other students, we shall soften their asperities, liberalize and neutralize their prejudices, and make the general religion a religion of peace, reason, and morality."
So much for Jefferson's "separation of church and state."
Clearly, he advocated no idea of disallowing the free expression of ideas derived from religious thought and literature from either the public square (courthouse) or the public university. What he objected to was a government-mandated establishment of one sect over others (the same as the Constitution's First Amendment protection).
"At that time, he did express criticism for one denomination which he believed might tend to dominate other sects if it had the power. He continued:"
I left out the word "believed," which is essential for correct interpretation of Jefferson's statement about the Presbyterians of that time.
Would they allow a referendum to change the seperation clause?
The commies had popular votes all the time, they just reported the results they wanted.
Someone should send a copy to Democrats in the Senate and House.
It also must be pointed out that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and not the Constitution.
So it is irrelevant if he thought there was a wall or not, If it is not in the US Constitution, then it goes back to the people. People forget that MANY minds worked on the US Constitution and it is there agreements that survive.
Then again, it wasn't only Jefferson who commented on this topic. Madison viewed it as being quite important, too.
btt
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