The debate over the true meaning of “Separation of Church and State” has been burning for decades in our courts, in the halls within our legislation, in our homes, and in our workplaces. This phrase has been used time and time again as an attempt to eliminate any and all influence of the Word of God involving state, national, and civil affairs. But what happens when we actually look at the 1st Amendment and what it says?
“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.”
If we know our history, we can get quite a different look when we look at the actual text rather than just rely on how we feel about “religion.”
Our founders knew all too well how Monarchs and dictatorships worked. They were familiar with tyranny firsthand as all of them came from the European system of government experiencing the purpose of State-run churches as a means to control the masses.
These men and women had been fed up with the man made “divine right of kings.” James Madison wrote these words as to why the 1st Amendment was drawn up in the first place:
“The people feared one sect might obtain a preeminence, or two combine together, and establish a religion to which they would compel others to conform.”
What Madison is saying here is that the First Amendment’s intentions are to protect the churches from the overreach of the federal government especially from those in Congress. Look at where we are at today with our Legislative branch. Our founders knew what they were doing.
Those who framed our Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments given to us by God and are absolute, never meant for the Church (Christians and their denominations) to have absolutely no influence on a state, national and local level. Separation of the Church from our national, state, and local way of life was never the intent.
Men like Washington, Madison, Franklin, Jefferson, Rush, Webster believed Christianity as the moral foundation of our government at all levels. Even though not all were Christian they believed that the principles, ten commandments, within the Scriptures should be the basis on which we operate as a society.
George Washington said:
“True religion offers the government its surest support.”
Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story wrote these words in the early days of our Republic as the First Amendment was just being adopted:
“An attempt to level all religions and make it a matter of State policy to hold all utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation or strong disapproval, if not universal indignation.”
As he goes on to explain the real reason for the 1st Amendment was to “prevent any national ecclesiastical or Church establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government.”
…Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion…
… “prevent any national ecclesiastical or Church establishment…
So far this seems very clear to me. We have gone from this to getting rid of any and all evidence of our Judeo-Christian principles from academia today. How and why did we just succeed to this without a fight? How was prayer, the Bible and any teaching on creation, any mention of the God of the Bible just allowed to be taken out of our public institutions without so much as a batting of an eye?
In 1849, Robert C. Winthrop, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, made his voice known on his understanding of the constitutional time period very well as he stated:
“It may do for other countries, and other governments, to talk about the State supporting religion. Here, under our own free institutions, it is religion which must support the State.”
It is religion that must hold up the State. Not the other way around as it is today. The State has its foot on the neck of the Church today and won’t let up. Anytime there is even any mention in the slightest of Christianity, Christ, the Gospel, Creation we immediately hear Separation of church and state, separation of church and state!! It is shouted from the hilltops from the people who really seem to have no understanding of the context of the words that they are screaming.
Fact: The phrase “Separation of Church and State” is not in the Constitution, it is not in the First Amendment, it is not in the Preamble, it is not mentioned anywhere.
So where is this phrase derived from?
This term comes from the letters that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 as he was replying a sect of Baptists and Congregationalists in Danbury, Connecticut as they were questioning his position on religion.
Keep in mind that Thomas Jefferson was not a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was not a member of the First Congress under the newly framed Constitution that passed the Bill of Rights.
So why has the Supreme Court consistently relied on Jefferson’s personal testimony as he nothing to do with the drafting and writing of the Bill of Rights?
They have used his words to uphold important rulings and decisions that involve public schools more than any other public arena that they cannot have Bible readings, devotionals, ten commandments posted throughout the halls and the schoolrooms, teachers cannot lead prayer, cannot even have a Bible on their desk.
Let us take religion out of it altogether and just look at what the ten commandments say. Those that oppose any religious influence in schools are adamant that these commandments not be taught to our kids? What are the 10 Commandments?
1-You shall have no other Gods before me
2-You shall not make for yourselves an idol
3-You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God
4-Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
5-Honor your father and your mother
6-You shall not murder
7-You shall not commit adultery
8-You shall not steal
9-You shall not give false testimony
10-You shall not covet
So, from a moral standpoint we are teaching our kids they shouldn’t murder, shouldn’t commit adultery, shouldn’t steal, shouldn’t lie, shouldn’t be jealous, they should respect their parents…
Yes, I know these are terrible things to teach our kids. The issue with our youth, with our young people is not guns, social media or video games but it is a heart issue. We stopped teaching them what it means to be a respectable human being and having a reverence for their fellow man. Would we still have problems? Absolutely. But we started going to downhill as a nation when said our kids weren’t worth the fight.
We retreated to our churches that we turned into country clubs. We wanted a comfortable Christianity. We decided we wanted to ride on into on a cruise ship Heaven on a bed of roses. We simply said this battle wasn’t worth fighting. And now it shows. It’s our fault as Christians for falling asleep at the wheel.
In the words of Samuel Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Remember the exact words:
…Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free thereof…
John W. Whitehead was a very respected constitutional lawyer and author who gave a great analysis of the First Amendment translating it into modern English:
“The federal government shall make no law having anything to do with supporting a national denominational Church, or prohibiting the free exercise of religion.”
As we continue to examine and re-examine actual evidence from our history it is very evident that “separation of Church and State” is not a Constitutional phrase that is now used as a rally cry for those who oppose the Word of God being involved in academia.
Know your history. Know your Constitution. Know the facts. Know what you believe and why you believe it. What is the foundation of your belief? [1]
[1] Foster, Marshall. The American Covenant: The Untold Story. Pgs 18-20.
Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom in America 