Separation of Church and State

[HagiaSophia]

A good commentary on one of the most misunderstood subjects in the US:

"…It bothers me that so many schoolchildren in America are growing up ignorant of their country’s religious heritage, which is so deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition that even the Supreme Court of a century ago saw fit to declare officially that “our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian . . . this is a Christian nation.” (Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 1892)

Fifty years later, the Liberal icon Justice William O. Douglas wrote for the Court: “The First Amendment, however, does not say that in every respect there shall be a separation of Church and State . . . We find no constitutional requirement makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against the efforts to widen the scope of religious influence. The government must remain neutral when it comes to competition between sects . . . We cannot read into the Bill of Rights such a philosophy of hostility toward religion.” (Zorach v. Clauson, 1952)

Still, many Americans mistakenly believe the phrase “separation of church and state” exists in the Constitution. It doesn’t. Why are so many Americans so misinformed? Because three generations of secular humanist educators and atheistic ACLU ideologues have parroted this big lie so often that the dumbed-down, indoctrinated masses have finally begun to believe it, simply because nobody ever bothered to explain the true meaning of the First Amendment.

Liberals always claim to believe in the Constitution, even if they wrongly interpret it. But what we’re dealing with here is not a difference of opinion on some debatable topic, but rather a willful ignorance (real or professed) of long-settled historical facts.

This blatant distortion of our nation’s history is a slap in the face of American taxpayers, who are footing the bill for this widespread anti-Christian disinformation campaign. The public schools should be teaching our children the truth, not just what they want kids to believe. Those of us who know the truth need to hold the Liberals accountable for their insidious lies…"

therealitycheck.org/GuestColumnist/ntabor072105.htm

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I say look at the tools of the Church and State.

The Church calls us to love God and one another, and to live a moral life. She has the persuasive tools of faith, hope, and love.

The state has the persuasive tools of people with guns, who are authorized to do whatever it takes including deadly one-on-one force and blowing up entire cities as necessary to enforce the will of the government.

That applies whether the will of the government is to coerce religious issues or to fend off enemies domestic and alien.

Now I say which is more powerful to bring people to a true sainthood? Which societal behaviors do we want to intervene with guns? Murder? Abortion? Premarital sex? Masturbation? Lying to one’s parents? Armed robbery? Foreign invasion?

Which of those behaviors are best worked with calling people to love?

To me if it is about morality, work it in the Church. If it is about protecting civil rights of one person from another, work it in the government. As it is, government is trying to play both roles, and the Church is trying to dictate to the government because I guess neither side is willing to stay with what it does best.

[edit]I guess in a way I’m concerned that Church and state each look at the others’ persuasive tools and wish they had the same kind – and feeling our own aren’t strong enough. Kind of like a grass is greener thing. They envy each others’ power and want to usurp it for things they should be using their own tolls on, rather than divvy up the tasks for maximum effectiveness at What’s Truly Good For People.

Alan

 

[buffalo]

Government should not coerce religion, but religion should coerce governement. The morality in the laws of this nation have come from Christianity.