Separation of Church and State
April 23, 2005 George W. Bush said Jesus Christ was the historical philosopher he admired most. Which one? The blonde version perpetuated by the Church for centuries or the real one with dark Semitic features? Al Gore has declared himself a born-again Christian. Senator Joe Lieberman says “miracles happen” when he accepted Gore’s invitation to be his running mate in a speech that took religious-political rhetoric to soaring new heights. At one point he invoked God’s name 13 times in 90 seconds!
Politicians have to separate their private beliefs from public duties, just as the Founding Fathers did. The “Magnificent Seven” were religious men. God-fearing praying Christians. Nevertheless, they separated their personal beliefs and practices from their vision of America. A country where religion and God had no role. The number of Americans belonging to churches during the American Revolution was only 17 percent! According to a 2002 Newsweek poll, 45 percent of American society defined the United States as “a secular nation”; only 29 percent of Americans view the United States as “a Christian nation” and only 16 percent as a “Biblical nation, defined by the Judeo-Christian tradition”. America is the Enlightment’s secular child.
The United States Supreme Court in the case of Board of Education v. Everson ruled that the non-establishment clause prohibits the State from setting up a church, passing laws which aid one religion, or all religions, or prefer one religion over another, and from participating openly or directly in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa.
The “Star Spangled Banner” is what Americans sang until Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who entered the United States at Ellis Island, wrote “God Bless America” in the 20th century. Irving Berlin was born Israel Baliner in 1888. He also wrote, “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade”.
The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith was correct when it objected to Senator Joe Lieberman’s insistence that, “as a people we need to reaffirm our faith and renew the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God’s purpose.” This appeal to belief in God, the agency argued, is contrary to the First Amendment and to the American ideal. Nor did the agency agree with the senator’s belief that “morality cannot be maintained without religion”. American atheists, the ADL declared, “should not be made to feel inferior, or left out of the political process”.
It can be argued that atheism is also a religion. Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the atheist leader who played a key role in banning mandatory prayer in public schools in the 1960s, argued that one did not necessarily have to believe in any deity. That was an individual religious choice. For the state of Florida to label a personalized license plate with the word “Atheist” as obscene, 16 years after it was issued, is a dire warning of how far we have drifted from the fountain of the Founding Fathers’ vision.
George Dubya is a burning bush. He has scorched the Constitution and burned America economically and geopolitically. It is time We the Maids sweep out the ashes and Ashcroft-minded burning bush career politicians.
Jefferson rode horseback through all 13 colonies, the founding states, preaching the importance of the separation of church and state as the basic foundation of America. There was no room for religion in politics then and there is none today.
Shouldn’t we all be wrestling the Religious Right to separate church and state as the Founding Fathers intended? The devil and the occult aren’t just limited to The Exorcist. In 1986 there were only 20 church-appointed exorcists in Italy. Today there are about 300. How about using them to exorcise religion from politics in the 21st century?
It is time for a modern-day Enlightenment. An American Reformation. Freedom and equality for all religious beliefs, including atheism, the occult and devil worship. The pursuit of knowledge of other religions and a real separation of church and state as our Founding Fathers dictated must be foremost on our agenda in the 21st century.
Why do We the People pay lip service to religious extremists in America and allow them to dominate the country’s political process? That is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they consciously and deliberately separated church from state. Unfortunately, the original spirit and written gospel of the Founding Fathers -- like Muhammad’s -- has been hijacked by religious extremists.
Politicians have to separate their private beliefs from public duties, just as the Founding Fathers did. The “Magnificent Seven” were religious men. God-fearing praying Christians. Nevertheless, they separated their personal beliefs and practices from their vision of America. A country where religion and God had no role. The number of Americans belonging to churches during the American Revolution was only 17 percent! According to a 2002 Newsweek poll, 45 percent of American society defined the United States as “a secular nation”; only 29 percent of Americans view the United States as “a Christian nation” and only 16 percent as a “Biblical nation, defined by the Judeo-Christian tradition”. America is the Enlightment’s secular child.
The United States Supreme Court in the case of Board of Education v. Everson ruled that the non-establishment clause prohibits the State from setting up a church, passing laws which aid one religion, or all religions, or prefer one religion over another, and from participating openly or directly in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa.
The “Star Spangled Banner” is what Americans sang until Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who entered the United States at Ellis Island, wrote “God Bless America” in the 20th century. Irving Berlin was born Israel Baliner in 1888. He also wrote, “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade”.
The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith was correct when it objected to Senator Joe Lieberman’s insistence that, “as a people we need to reaffirm our faith and renew the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God’s purpose.” This appeal to belief in God, the agency argued, is contrary to the First Amendment and to the American ideal. Nor did the agency agree with the senator’s belief that “morality cannot be maintained without religion”. American atheists, the ADL declared, “should not be made to feel inferior, or left out of the political process”.
It can be argued that atheism is also a religion. Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the atheist leader who played a key role in banning mandatory prayer in public schools in the 1960s, argued that one did not necessarily have to believe in any deity. That was an individual religious choice. For the state of Florida to label a personalized license plate with the word “Atheist” as obscene, 16 years after it was issued, is a dire warning of how far we have drifted from the fountain of the Founding Fathers’ vision.
George Dubya is a burning bush. He has scorched the Constitution and burned America economically and geopolitically. It is time We the Maids sweep out the ashes and Ashcroft-minded burning bush career politicians.
Jefferson rode horseback through all 13 colonies, the founding states, preaching the importance of the separation of church and state as the basic foundation of America. There was no room for religion in politics then and there is none today.
Shouldn’t we all be wrestling the Religious Right to separate church and state as the Founding Fathers intended? The devil and the occult aren’t just limited to The Exorcist. In 1986 there were only 20 church-appointed exorcists in Italy. Today there are about 300. How about using them to exorcise religion from politics in the 21st century?
It is time for a modern-day Enlightenment. An American Reformation. Freedom and equality for all religious beliefs, including atheism, the occult and devil worship. The pursuit of knowledge of other religions and a real separation of church and state as our Founding Fathers dictated must be foremost on our agenda in the 21st century.
Why do We the People pay lip service to religious extremists in America and allow them to dominate the country’s political process? That is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they consciously and deliberately separated church from state. Unfortunately, the original spirit and written gospel of the Founding Fathers -- like Muhammad’s -- has been hijacked by religious extremists.
posted by Peter de Krassel's Custom Maid Politics at 8:09 AM
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