Separation of Church and State

Submitted by Mitch van Biljon (United States), Feb 15, 2008 at 04:27

Dennis, again some good comments. I must strongly disagree with your notion of separation of church and state. There is no such thing in US law or the constitution. The only reference ever made to separation of church and state was by Jefferson in his letter to the Danbury Baptists in his efforts to put the baptists at ease by informing them there would never be a state supported church in the US as there was in England where the Church of England (Anglican) heavily influenced British law.

Besides, the far majority of the founding fathers stated that it is only the teachings of Jesus Christ that were worthy of government. I quote John Adams and John Hancock: "We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775]" John Adams: " The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God." "The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code." John Quincy Adams.

Letters to his son. p. 61 In Benjamin Franklin's 1749 plan of education for public schools in Pennsylvania, he insisted that schools teach "the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern." Patrick Henry: | Portrait of Patrick Henry —The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry "It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." Samuel Johnston: • "It is apprehended that Jews, Mahometans (Muslims), pagans, etc., may be elected to high offices under the government of the United States.

Those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to the office of President or other high office, [unless] first the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves. George Washington " It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible." "What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ." [speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779] James Madison " We've staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart." "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We've staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." [1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia] In summary it is impossible to separate church from state as our value system driven by our religious beliefs cannot but help to influence how we vote on issues. When we lose that value system we are on the road to destruction and today that is where the West is heading including the US.

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