Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Seperation of Church and State

In the past few years, we have heard the voice of ACLU and others crying, seperation of church and state.  All of this is designed to quell the influence of the Christian community.  It is also designed to keep God out of our schools and public places.  This debate ahs been going on for hundreds of years. 

The proponents of this refer to the words of Thomas Jefferson when he referred to a wall of seperation between the church and the state.  Of course any knowledgeable preson in congress knows that the constitution does not contain this phrase at all.  The atheist and ACLU refer to the first admendment to support their claims. 

We need to know what that admendment says to understand the meaning.  Does it really create a wall between the state and church.  Here, read it as it is written.

              
                   Admendment I



                  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prhibiting 
                   the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speach, or of the press; or
                   the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for
                   a redress of grievances.

Let us dissect this statement:  Congress shall (1) make no law against or for an establishment of religion ( that is to say a particular church or denomination),  (2) nor shall they prohibit the free exercise thereof (here the admendment give the church the right to voice our opinions concerning what we believe about government or any other thing that will cause effect on our beliefs). 

These two statements (in my opinion) keeps the government from a depriving us the freedom of speech, of press; or the right to assemble publicly, etc., without the intereference of the government.  Thereby the government cannot dictate what we can believe or not believe.  This is a protection for the Christian, atheist or other, as stated as follows:

As president, Jefferson was voicing an idea that was fundamental to his view of religion and government, expressed most significantly in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which he drafted in 1777.
Revised by James Madison and passed by Virginia's legislature in January 1786, the bill stated: "No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened (sic) in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief ..."

Seperation of Church and State?   A qualified Yes

Seperation of God and State?    A definate NO

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