Introduction
The separation of church and state is a very touchy subject today. There are compelling arguments from both sides of the debate. Many religious folk say that this is a Christian Nation founded by Christians and the Bible. Many others say that the founding fathers were actually Deists and that they never intended this to be a Christian Nation.
I decided, that at the very least for my own sake, I would look into this issue with an open mind and try to filter through misunderstandings to gain a better understanding of the truth. After researching this topic, I believe the best approach to understanding this debate is to start at the beginning, the time in which our nation was founded. Once those facts are known, we will then attempt to look at modern-day issues through the lens of our Founding Fathers. As such, this will be separated into two sections: The Historical Perspective, and Modern-Day Separation. If you only have time to read one, I believe the former section is the most important as it is the basis of all current disputes.
Some of the questions I will answer: Is this a Christian Nation, or was it founded by Deists? Does the constitution require a separation of the church from the government? Is it truly unconstitutional to display the Ten Commandments or a Christmas Nativity scene on government property? What about prayer in school?
The Historical Perspective
The Origin of the Controversial Phrase
So, what does the constitution say about religion? Very little. The only time religion is directly addressed in the constitution (aside from the free practice thereof listed in the attached Bill of Rights) is the statement in Article 6 that no person shall be required to pass a religious test to be qualified for a government office. So, where did our controversial Separation Phrase come from?
Unlike what some people believe, the phrase "The separation of church and state" does not come from the constitution. Rather, the infamous phrase was derived from a letter written to the Danbury Baptist Association by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802 in which he states: "...legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."
If Jefferson believed in God, why would he separate the church and state?
From what I have gathered in my research, Jefferson's convictions were the same as our Founding Fathers regarding government and religion. They believed that the government is here to protect the practice of religion, but not to participate in it. Many of the framers of our country came from England, in which there was an established state church. They saw how the church was used as a political instrument, and anyone wishing to practice religion in a different manner took a great risk. Our founding fathers did not want to see that mistake repeated.
As a true understanding of the political and religious environment from which our Founding Fathers came is absent from most Americans' minds, I believe it best to include a (very) brief history of the Church of England. It will help you get into the mindset of the Founding Fathers.
A Brief History on The Church of England
The Church of England (the officially recognized state-run church of England) goes way back to the third century and used to be under the authority of the Pope. Though there were many people who pushed for a break between the Pope and the head of the English government, it officially happened during the reign of Henry VIII in the 1500's. In 1536, the Act of Supremacy set the monarch (King Henry) as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Even today, the monarch is still considered the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. King Henry gave the government power to seize religious property and claim churches, monasteries, etc as the government's possessions. During the more violent times, people who did not support the Church of England risked being jailed or even executed.
It is from that kind of environment our Founding Fathers came.
Religious Protection in America:
Our Founding Fathers understood the danger of mixing politics and religion. Though it's safe to say that all of them came from religious backgrounds (whether Deism or Christianity), they saw firsthand the consequences of an official state religion. When forming our country, they felt it their duty to protect religion and the free practice thereof from government attack. The wall of separation of which Thomas Jefferson wrote was not just to keep religion out of the government, but to keep the government out of religion. Faith was a very critical aspect of our Founding Fathers' lives; but they still did not support the government playing any part in religious events. While in office as President, Thomas Jefferson even went as far as to discontinue days in which the government participated in religious fasting (which was started by Washington and Adams). He was perhaps one of the most adamant of our Founding Fathers to separate religion and politics.
I quite frankly agree with our Founding Fathers' decision. I do not think the government should dabble in religion; and I certainly don't think the political leader of the day should be the head of the church (as the Monarch is in England). One argument I hear from those who support a strict Separation is that all is well and good for those whose religion is the one in power; but everybody else has to suffer. I disagree with that argument. I believe that even the religion that is in power suffers from that type of governance.
One of the biggest problems that arises from political leaders being distracted by religious governing would be the fact that many who seek power and authority would attempt to climb the political ladder through the religious system. Greed and power lust would quickly corrupt the religious institution; and what would have started with good, pure intentions would end in a crooked and spiritually empty state-enforced religion. Also, you obviously have the problem of persecution (whether out-right, or more subtle) of any denomination or religion that does not line up with those in power. The more persuasion the religious institution has, the worse the persecution is for everyone else.
I'm not saying that every politician is power hungry and greedy, but unfortunately there are many who seek power who are that way. Think about it, virtually any kind of government system could work (whether Monarchy, Socialism or even Communism; yes, I said Communism) if every person in power was not greedy, was not hungry for power, and was simply there to serve the betterment of everyone in their country.
But alas, this is the real world. Though there have been times where people have attempted to set up perfect little utopias, it never lasts. This, I believe, is the reason the government should not be accountable to a religious institution; in the end, both institutions become corrupt. Therefore, a “Wall of Separation” protects both the church and the government.
Is America a Christian Nation?
I hear this one debated a lot. Many Christians will tell you that this is a Christian nation; they will also tell you that it was founded by Christians. On the other hand, many other people will tell you that this is a nation in which Christianity is the primary but not the only religion; and many will also say that the founding fathers were deists, not Christians. So, what is the truth?
Well, both sides have a point. First, let's discuss America being a “Christian Nation.” To me, for a nation to be considered a Christian Nation, a Muslim Nation, a Jewish Nation, a Hindu Nation, or any kind of religious nation, it is necessary that the country's laws and governance be based (or at least very strongly influenced) upon the teachings and scriptures of that religion. For example, Iran is a Muslim nation in which some religious leaders are given legal authority to enforce religious laws and customs (such as ensuring that women cover their faces in public, etc). In 2008, The Iranian parliament even passed the "Islamic Penal Code" which allows the death penalty for any male who leaves Islam. Quite unfortunately, executions have taken place there including the hanging of Pastor Hossein Soodmand simply because he converted from Islam to Christianity.
When I look at America, I don't see any evidence that kind of governance, past or present. Christianity is without a doubt the most popular religion in America; yet Americans do not fear penalties for skipping church on Sunday, or being jailed due to a moral shortfall.
Therefore, according to my definition above, America is not a “Christian Nation” per se, but really, that all just depends on how you define that term. The other side of the story, which one should always consider, is that by calling this a Christian Nation, we are ignoring the many (maybe hundreds) of other religions that are practiced in our nation.
I've heard many Christians argue and preach that this country and our laws were founded on the Bible. Granted, there are many laws that are in common with our scriptures (such as do not kill, steal, etc), but these laws are also common to most other civilized countries and are not exclusive to the Bible or America. The Bible played a significant role in the lives of the Founding Fathers (as further discussed below), but it was not foundational source of our constitution.
Were the Founding Fathers Christians or Deists?
First of all, what is Deism? It is, in a nutshell, a belief that God created the "heavens and the earth," but does not intervene in the affairs of man. Deists believe that he made creation, and then stepped back and has allowed us to do our own thing. There are varying degrees of Deism, and some believe in the God of Judaism/Christianity, and others believe in a more mysterious, unknown God.
Christianity, on the other hand, is a belief that God loves us so much that he does intervene on our behalf (performing miracles, the redeeming death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, answering prayers, etc) and that he desires to have a personal relationship with everyone.
Our country and constitution were founded by religious, and yes, Christian individuals. Of the 55 men who participated in framing the Constitution, only three were known to be Deists, and of those three, two were also members of either the Presbyterian church or Episcopalian church at some time. Those three were:
Benjamin Franklin, a famous inventor, and a Deist
Hugh Williamson, an educator, and a Presbyterian/deist
James Wilson, a lawyer, and an Episcopal/Deist
You may notice I did not mention Thomas Jefferson in the above list of Deists. Though he was a very influential Founding Father, he is not noted as an author of the constitution, and the above list is only regarding those who authored the American Constitution. Just for the record though, Jefferson is commonly considered a Deist.
I say all this in order to get across the point that yes, though a few were Deists, a majority of the Founding Fathers were in fact Christians. Now this of course does not make us a "Christian Nation" by my definition above, but the Christians are correct in stating that this nation was founded (mostly) by Christians.
Summary of The Historical Section
The constitution contains very little regarding religion, and the Separation of Church and State phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. Most of those who founded this nation were Christians, and yet this did not desire to form a “Christian Nation,” but rather a nation in which anyone has the right to practice their own religion. Our Founding Fathers were adamant about separating politics and religion because they saw the horrible consequences of the two being mixed.
In the near future, I will post my research regarding how the Wall of Separation is affecting our lives today. The application of the Wall of Separation in modern times is constantly changing and developing. It is a very touchy, and in my opinion, difficult topic; and I therefore want to ensure I research it thoroughly before posting anything on it.
Please feel free to leave feedback by commenting here on the post or sending me a message. Below I have posted most of my sources for my information; if you have a differing opinion you would like to mention, factual sources are always appreciated. If you are simply looking for a fight, please go elsewhere.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/bush/constitution.htm
http://www.usconstitution.net/constframedata.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/jeffwall.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/3179465/Hanged-for-being-a-Christian-in-Iran.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Church_of_England
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/history/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/cofe/cofe_1.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritan
0 comments:
Post a Comment