The Founders Meant to Keep Government Out of the Church, Not God Out of the Government

CBN News ^ | 07-04-2021 | Paul Strand

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Recent legal battles over churches' religious liberties in California and other states raise serious questions about the freedom to worship in America. So when our Founders came up with the First Amendment, were they trying to keep government free from religion? Or religion free from government?

These days, the phrase "wall of separation between church and state" has come to mean keeping God or His believers from having a big effect on government and public life. But that’s far, far from what the Founding Fathers were thinking of when they were separating church and state.

Fear of an All-Powerful State Church Wed to the Power of the Government

They were afraid of what so many of the Old World countries had: a religion established by the state as its one true religion, that would tyrannically rule over the faith and conscience of every citizen.

As the Providence Forum’s Peter Lillback put it, “They recognized having a monolithic church was a dangerous thing.” That's because it made the king not only their physical sovereign but also their all-powerful spiritual ruler.

Before the Pilgrims fled England, Wallbuilders' David Barton recalled, “The Pilgrims’ pastor was executed because he made the statement that Jesus Christ is head of the church. And the monarch said, ‘oh no, I’m the head of the church. You’re dead.’”

Wouldn't Allow a Church of America Like the Brits Had the Church of England

Knowing of such terror and tyranny, AmericanMinute.com historian William Federer explained how the Founders felt: "Their big fear was the federal government was going to follow the blueprint of every country in Europe and pick one national denomination."

So what they meant by saying in the First Amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" was that the federal government was banned from creating...

[Chad C. Mulligan]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[NWFree]

Can’t find God in many churches now.

[Wilderness Conservative]

They also didnt want a Church of England situation or requiring church membership to vote which was not uncommon at the time.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yup

[nagant]

Well yeah, that’s what “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” means.

The word “establishment” has taken on new meaning in the intervening years. As written the Constitution merely does two things. It prohibits establishing a state religion like Britain has, and it prohibits the federal government from keeping people from worshiping as they please. The Constitution said nothing against governmental religious observances. The original colonies were divided into religious sects. Of COURSE they incorporated religion into government.

[Alberta's Child]

I think there was another fundamental problem most of the founders faced at the time. For better or for worse, they were basically compelled to create a state and a social order where religion would be diminished and would ultimately remain subservient to the state.

They forced themselves into this reality because by overthrowing the authority of the English monarchy in America they didn’t just topple the King of England as a civil authority, but as the head of their religion as well. They effectively became de facto religious hypocrites the moment they decided they had a God-given right to depose a ruler who they had previously recognized as their “spiritual leader” here on earth.

[crz]

Take a look at history. States requirements regs’ to a/the church back then.

[rlmorel]

I think Adams is correct in this, and is perhaps one of the reasons our government and country are failing: We are neither religious nor moral.

[patriotfury]

✝🇺🇸👍

[SamuraiScot]

These days, the phrase "wall of separation between church and state" has come to mean keeping God or His believers from having a big effect on government and public life.

Exactly. In fact, that "wall of separation" exists nowhere in the Constitution. Most (liberals) don't realize that Jefferson used those words--in a private letter to the Danbury, CT, Baptist Convention--to describe the need to protect religious groups from the government--not the other way around!

[Paal Gulli]

All of the original 13 states had a state religion. The 1st Amendment was intended to prevent the federal government interfering with the religious persecution practiced by the sovereign states. Which in some cases persisted until well after the ratification of the 14th Amendment and it’s “Equal Protection” clause. New Hampshire was the final state conceded when in 1877 it finally amended its constitution to allow non-Protestants to hold office.

There was never any intention of preventing the Church from meddling in Affairs of State, only to prevent the State interfering in Affairs of church.

[NetAddicted]

Read later.

[rlmorel]

So true...:)

[Renfrew]

Very good point. It’s clear federally we cannot ban Islam, but any constitutional originalist would accept that it could be banned on the state level.

[Jacquerie]

“If Men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself.”

-James Madison

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[rlmorel]

THAT is a great quote. It recognizes that humans are non-perfectible and capable of evil.

A core tenet of conservatism if there ever was one.