dmcowen674
No Lifer
THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
One of the most important issues on the forefront of American politics today is the court mandated "separation of church and state." The Supreme Court recently announced it will hear cases from Kentucky and Texas concerning the display of the Ten Commandments on government property. It will be the first time in 25 years that the Supreme Court has addressed the issue. Because of recent events we have decided to take a closer look at the history of the church and state debate.
Over the course of the last forty years there has been a radical shift in the role of the American judicial system, as a result of which our religious freedoms are being stripped away. Those who were appointed to interpret the law and secure justice for the American people have abused their power in order to manipulate public policy. That shift in principle directly hangs on one phrase: separation of church and state. A concept blatantly invented by the United States Supreme Court in order to justify their personal political and social agendas. This concept has eroded the foundation laid by the founding fathers of this nation, a foundation built on the existence an almighty and loving Creator.
First it is important to point out that the words "separation of church and state" are not found anywhere in the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or even the Declaration of Independence. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. The "wall of separation between church and state" that Jefferson referred to in his letter was clearly meant to protect religious freedom and prevent government from attempting to take away our God-given unalienable rights.
So how did the phrase "separation of church and state" become a part of our vocabulary? On June 25, 1962 in Engel v. Vitale the U.S. Supreme Court used the "separation of church and state" argument as its basis for banning prayer in public schools. Their decision marked the turning point in the interpretation of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The amendment was intended to prevent any one church denomination from becoming a federally established or subsidized denomination. But in 1962 the U.S. Supreme Court ignored 170 years of history, legal precedent, and the clear intent of First Amendment, by interpreting that amendment to prohibit religious activities in public settings. The 1962 ruling was the first case in Supreme Court history that did not cite any previous precedents or legal cases in making its decision. Within a year of the court's ruling Bible reading, religious classes, and religious instruction in public schools were also declared unconstitutional.
In 2000, in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the Supreme Court ruled a voluntary student-lead prayer before a football game to be unconstitutional because the student was chosen to speak in an election sanctioned by the school administration. In his dissent to the decision Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote: "...even more disturbing than its holding is the tone of the Court's opinion; it bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life. Neither the holding nor the tone of the opinion is faithful to the meaning of the Establishment Clause, when it is recalled that George Washington himself, at the request of the very Congress which passed the Bill of Rights, proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."
Religious freedom in this country is under attack. So what are we going to do about it? What kind of nation are we going to leave for our children and grandchildren? A nation in moral and social decay or a nation built on the principles of a Godly heritage?
Prayer is the first and most important weapon we have in the battle to reclaim our nation for Christ. Pray for our president, members of congress, state and local officials, and the judges that preside over our courts. It is also important to make your voice heard. Remember to vote in local and national elections and write letters to your representatives and congressmen about issues that are important to you as a Christian.
One of the most important issues on the forefront of American politics today is the court mandated "separation of church and state." The Supreme Court recently announced it will hear cases from Kentucky and Texas concerning the display of the Ten Commandments on government property. It will be the first time in 25 years that the Supreme Court has addressed the issue. Because of recent events we have decided to take a closer look at the history of the church and state debate.
Over the course of the last forty years there has been a radical shift in the role of the American judicial system, as a result of which our religious freedoms are being stripped away. Those who were appointed to interpret the law and secure justice for the American people have abused their power in order to manipulate public policy. That shift in principle directly hangs on one phrase: separation of church and state. A concept blatantly invented by the United States Supreme Court in order to justify their personal political and social agendas. This concept has eroded the foundation laid by the founding fathers of this nation, a foundation built on the existence an almighty and loving Creator.
First it is important to point out that the words "separation of church and state" are not found anywhere in the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or even the Declaration of Independence. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. The "wall of separation between church and state" that Jefferson referred to in his letter was clearly meant to protect religious freedom and prevent government from attempting to take away our God-given unalienable rights.
So how did the phrase "separation of church and state" become a part of our vocabulary? On June 25, 1962 in Engel v. Vitale the U.S. Supreme Court used the "separation of church and state" argument as its basis for banning prayer in public schools. Their decision marked the turning point in the interpretation of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The amendment was intended to prevent any one church denomination from becoming a federally established or subsidized denomination. But in 1962 the U.S. Supreme Court ignored 170 years of history, legal precedent, and the clear intent of First Amendment, by interpreting that amendment to prohibit religious activities in public settings. The 1962 ruling was the first case in Supreme Court history that did not cite any previous precedents or legal cases in making its decision. Within a year of the court's ruling Bible reading, religious classes, and religious instruction in public schools were also declared unconstitutional.
In 2000, in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the Supreme Court ruled a voluntary student-lead prayer before a football game to be unconstitutional because the student was chosen to speak in an election sanctioned by the school administration. In his dissent to the decision Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote: "...even more disturbing than its holding is the tone of the Court's opinion; it bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life. Neither the holding nor the tone of the opinion is faithful to the meaning of the Establishment Clause, when it is recalled that George Washington himself, at the request of the very Congress which passed the Bill of Rights, proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God."
Religious freedom in this country is under attack. So what are we going to do about it? What kind of nation are we going to leave for our children and grandchildren? A nation in moral and social decay or a nation built on the principles of a Godly heritage?
Prayer is the first and most important weapon we have in the battle to reclaim our nation for Christ. Pray for our president, members of congress, state and local officials, and the judges that preside over our courts. It is also important to make your voice heard. Remember to vote in local and national elections and write letters to your representatives and congressmen about issues that are important to you as a Christian.
