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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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Comment #41 Removed by Moderator

To: AFA-Michigan

A mass mailing to teachers to stop using this phrase as part of the United States Constitution would be helpful or just a letter to the NEA, AFT, and AAUP might suffice.


42 posted on 12/21/2005 2:18:18 PM PST by yoe
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"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

An establishment of religion is a church,synagogue. In otherwords, the government will not interfere with the inner workings of the church. The government runs the country, the church runs the church. That is the definition of separation of church and state, which was connonized by the church way back in 1243 or thereabouts.
The rest, "free exercise thereof" and onward, seems clear to me.

43 posted on 12/21/2005 2:20:35 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: Nathan Zachary
Nathan, you need to find another phrase to use. " ... separation of church and state" is no longer an acceptable way to express yourself!

From the article: 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."

Semper Fi

44 posted on 12/21/2005 2:33:59 PM PST by An Old Man (USMC 1956 1960)
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To: mlc9852

I wonder if most all aclu members are now on suicide watch...?

This is the best Christmas present YET!


45 posted on 12/21/2005 2:45:29 PM PST by snuffy smiff ("the theory of Communism may be summed up in a single sentence:abolition of private property"-K.Marx)
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To: AFA-Michigan

Thank the Lord, but this is going to stir things up.

Of course I suspect it won't get any press.


46 posted on 12/21/2005 2:47:02 PM PST by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: AFA-Michigan

Yahoo listed the news of the PA judge ruling ID in public schools is illegal because the proponents are religiously motivated. Yahoo kept the article listed for more than a day. I have not seen any mention of this case on Yahoo though.


47 posted on 12/21/2005 2:47:29 PM PST by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: Analytic

"Cuber" sounds like just the perfect nation for them...


48 posted on 12/21/2005 2:48:34 PM PST by snuffy smiff ("the theory of Communism may be summed up in a single sentence:abolition of private property"-K.Marx)
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To: AFA-Michigan
Excellent!!


Good call by the judge about the "separation of church and state" issue. My blood boils every time I hear that phrase because I know that most Americans ASSUME it is in the Constitution. It is mentioned in the Federalist Papers and some personal writings of the founding fathers, but NOT the Constitution.


Just . . . WOW!

49 posted on 12/21/2005 2:53:58 PM PST by SoftballMominVA
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To: Nathan Zachary

I have. That's all it says anywhere that comes anywhere close to saying that religion should be suppressed.


50 posted on 12/21/2005 3:05:16 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: kevkrom

True. The Constitution did NOT make it unconstitutional to have established state churches. Not all the states had established churches, but a number of them did, notably Massachusetts. If you didn't like it, you could move to Connecticut or Rhode Island, as many people did.


51 posted on 12/21/2005 3:07:59 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: rwfromkansas

Exactly. But activist judges tried to use "wall of separation" to outlaw religion in public, and it has been a perpetual source of lawsuits ever since.


52 posted on 12/21/2005 3:09:18 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: GloriaJane

This certainly made my day!


53 posted on 12/21/2005 3:16:11 PM PST by piperpilot
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To: AFA-Michigan; Jim Robinson

What a great day for a great decision.

Merry Christmas


54 posted on 12/21/2005 3:16:30 PM PST by HighWheeler (RATS hero is an impeached, dis-barred, lying, perjuring, cheating, lazy, cowardly sexual predator)
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To: AFA-Michigan

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."




A very merry Christmas to all.

Don't send me any presents, though. This gift will satisfy my wishes for years, since it will mostly be for my grandkids.

I especially like the part where THEY ALL SAY....."This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome." I'm not a lawyer, but that reads to me like a judicial instruction to the ACLU to find a sharp pointed object and place it up their nose...........sideways.......repeatedly.

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!


55 posted on 12/21/2005 3:16:49 PM PST by Unrepentant VN Vet
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To: AFA-Michigan

"...and tiresome." True that!


56 posted on 12/21/2005 3:23:14 PM PST by rogue yam
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To: HighWheeler

Woo hoo! The Constitution rules!

Merry Christmas!


57 posted on 12/21/2005 3:43:56 PM PST by Jim Robinson
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To: Jim Robinson

The second time in a week an appeals court has whacked the ACLU. The eleventh in the Georgia Cobb County case and now this. Cause to rejoice. :-}


58 posted on 12/21/2005 3:45:55 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: pookie18

Would you pings your lists? This thread is too good to miss.


59 posted on 12/21/2005 3:47:56 PM PST by HighWheeler (RATS hero is an impeached, dis-barred, lying, perjuring, cheating, lazy, cowardly sexual predator)
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To: Pokey78

Would you ping your Steyn list? Steyn may hit on this in a future piece. Thanks


60 posted on 12/21/2005 3:52:32 PM PST by HighWheeler (RATS hero is an impeached, dis-barred, lying, perjuring, cheating, lazy, cowardly sexual predator)
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