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Court of Appeals: Constitution "does not demand a wall of separation between church and state."
American Family Association of Michigan ^ | December 21, 2005 | American Family Association of Michigan

Posted on 12/21/2005 1:12:17 PM PST by AFA-Michigan

Values group hails unanimous decision Tuesday

CINCINNATI -- In an astounding return to judicial interpretation of the actual text of the United States Constitution, a unanimous panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Tuesday issued an historic decision declaring that "the First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state."

In upholding a Kentucky county's right to display the Ten Commandments, the panel called the American Civil Liberties Union's repeated claims to the contrary "extra-constitutional" and "tiresome."

See Cincinnat Enquirer at: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051221/NEWS01/512210356/1056

See U.S. Court of Appeals decision, page 13: http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/05a0477p-06.pdf

"Patriotic Americans should observe a day of prayer and thanksgiving for this stunning and historic reversal of half a century of misinformation and judicial distortion of the document that protects our religious freedoms," said Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan.

"We are particularly excited that such an historic, factual, and truth-based decision is now a controlling precedent for the federal Court of Appeals that rules on all Michigan cases," Glenn said.

6th Circuit Judge Richard Suhrheinrich wrote in the unanimous decision: "The ACLU makes repeated reference to the 'separation of church and state.' This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state. Our nation's history is replete with governmental acknowledgment and in some cases, accommodation of religion."

The words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the U.S. Constitution, though according to polls, a majority of Americans have been misled to believe that they do, Glenn said.

For background information, see:
http://www.answers.com/topic/separation-of-church-and-state-in-the-united-states

# # #


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: 10commandments; 1alcucasedown; 1stamendment; 6thcircuit; aclu; afa; amendment; church; commandments; constitution; establishmentclause; firstamendment; kentucky; mdm; moralabsolutes; nohtmlintitle; prayer; proudmilitant; religiousfreedom; ruling; separation; state; tencommandments
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To: postaldave

This is HUGH. It has knocked the liberals on their arses. Bwahahahahahahahaha.


101 posted on 12/21/2005 7:17:53 PM PST by Parley Baer
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To: Stultis

Shortly before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, an evangelical Baptist preacher named "Swearing Jack" Waller attempted to lead a prayer meeting without a license from the colonial government of Virginia. Because he was violating Virginia's religion laws, "Swearing Jack" was jerked off his platform by sheriff's men who proceeded to beat his head against the ground. The sheriff then lashed him 20 times with a horsewhip.

At this time, the Church of England (also known as the Anglican Church) was the established religion of Virginia. This meant that the Anglican Church was the only officially recognized church in the colony. Virginia taxpayers supported this church through a religion tax. Only Anglican clergymen could lawfully conduct marriages. Non-Anglicans had to get permission (a license) from the colonial government to preach.

Although the Anglican Church was the sole established church in all five Southern colonies, other protestant Christian churches became established in the towns of the Northern colonies of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Each town chose by majority vote one Protestant church to be supported by taxpayers. In these colonies, one church usually predominated. For example, in Massachusetts almost all towns selected the Congregational Church since the majority of people living in the colony belonged to that faith.

Thus, on the eve of the Revolutionary War, nine of the 13 colonies supported official religions with public taxes. Moreover, in these colonies, the government dictated "correct" religious belief and methods of worship. Religious dissenters, like "Swearing Jack," were discriminated against, disqualified from holding public office, exiled, fined, jailed, beaten, mutilated, and sometimes even executed. Only Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware did not have a system linking church and state. After the Revolution, leaders like Jefferson and Madison worked to ensure freedom of religion for all citizens of the new nation.


102 posted on 12/21/2005 7:18:13 PM PST by EBH (Never give-up, Never give-in, and Never Forget)
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To: AFA-Michigan

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/13453457.htm


103 posted on 12/21/2005 7:26:37 PM PST by postaldave (i've given up on being mad in exchange for bitter sarcasm.)
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To: AFA-Michigan

Take a look at ACLU.org--they don't even MENTION this case. HAHAHA!


104 posted on 12/21/2005 7:57:02 PM PST by montag813
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To: postaldave
Lexington Herald-Leader
Wed, Dec. 21, 2005

Appeals court upholds Kentucky Ten Commandments display

JEFFREY McMURRAY
Associated Press

Par. 8 The appeals court said the ACLU was relying on a false understanding of that clause.

Par. 9 "This extraconstitutional construct has grown tiresome," Suhrheinrich wrote. "The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state. Our nation's history is replete with governmental acknowledgment and in some cases, accommodation of religion."

Paragraphs 8 & 9 from the full article posted in the Lexington Herald-Leader

Thanks for posting the link!

Semper Fi

105 posted on 12/21/2005 8:22:55 PM PST by An Old Man (USMC 1956 1960)
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To: PatriotCJC
WHOLLY SHIITE!!

Good one! I can't stop laughing when I saw this.

ROFLMAO!

106 posted on 12/21/2005 8:33:56 PM PST by rcrngroup
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To: newzjunkey

"This can't possibly be true! The ACLU takes a loss on a "separation of church and state" case?"

The only thing that would make it better would be for the court to order the ACLU to pay KY's attorney fees. (They'd probably appeal it -- sarcasm intended.)


107 posted on 12/21/2005 9:14:43 PM PST by Fruit of the Spirit
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To: AFA-Michigan

I knew right away that they weren't talking about the 9th Circus.


108 posted on 12/21/2005 9:20:38 PM PST by SmithL (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Lift up your gates and sing, Hosana in the highest! Hosana to your King!)
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To: AFA-Michigan
"The ACLU makes repeated reference to the 'separation of church and state.' This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome..."

People have always told me that the ACLU always wins because they happen to have REALLY GOOD LAWYERS.
I have always stopped them and corrected:
The ACLU just has a lot of REALLY BAD LAWYERS whom a lot of REALLY BAD JUDGES happen to agree with.
All it would take is a few GOOD JUDGES to make the ACLU look like DUNCES!
109 posted on 12/21/2005 9:32:27 PM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: AFA-Michigan

I wish some court would get even bolder and point out that the intent of the "establishment clause" portion of the First Amendment was only that Congress shall not ever establish a "national" church, i.e., the equivalent of the "Church of England."

The term "established" church had a very specific meaning in those times.


110 posted on 12/21/2005 9:32:31 PM PST by kaehurowing
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To: AFA-Michigan

I thought for a second this was Scrappleface.


111 posted on 12/21/2005 9:33:02 PM PST by gotribe (Hillary: Accessory to Rape)
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To: rcrngroup
WHOLLY SHIITE!! Good one! I can't stop laughing when I saw this. ROFLMAO!

May not be that funny.
Maybe the 6th Circuit's change of heart is only because they are about to order us to CONVERT TO ISLAM.
(Dearborn is in the 6th Circuit!)
112 posted on 12/21/2005 9:38:56 PM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: AFA-Michigan

Should another place on the Supreme Court need filling, 6th Circuit Judge Richard Suhrheinrich would have my vote on this alone.


113 posted on 12/21/2005 10:10:19 PM PST by skr ("That book [Bible], sir, is the rock on which our republic rests."--Andrew Jackson)
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To: AFA-Michigan

"The words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the U.S. Constitution, though according to polls, a majority of Americans have been misled to believe that they do, Glenn said. "

Finally, someone with some common sense!!!


114 posted on 12/21/2005 10:10:46 PM PST by seawolf101
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To: AFA-Michigan

sanity.... what sweet sanity


115 posted on 12/21/2005 10:13:34 PM PST by GeronL (1678 computer infections and still Freeping!!!)
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To: AFA-Michigan

amazing.


116 posted on 12/21/2005 11:05:03 PM PST by patent (A baby is God's opinion that life should go on. Carl Sandburg)
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To: AFA-Michigan

A miracle at Christmas time. What a season! Angels dance tonight.


117 posted on 12/21/2005 11:29:58 PM PST by conservativepoet
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To: AFA-Michigan

great news.


118 posted on 12/22/2005 2:34:58 AM PST by commonguymd (Momentum)
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To: Parley Baer

To my American brothers & sisters

As I was going to say my prayers
I saw a wall that wasn't there.
It wasn't there again today,
I wish that wall would go away.

(and now it has!)

Great early Christmas present eh?


119 posted on 12/22/2005 4:28:27 AM PST by vimto (Life isn't a dry run)
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To: Tzimisce
Atheism: The only religion truly endorsed by the US government. :)

If you are looking for a tagline that quote would be great.

120 posted on 12/22/2005 5:11:11 AM PST by Personal Responsibility (Liberalism is the philosophy of the stupid - The Great One)
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