The Separation Of Church and State For Dummies

Once again, it’s that time of year when liberals raise a ruckus over any type of Christmas display in or around a taxpayer-funded building, such as a courthouse or a public school, claiming such a display violates the Constitutional provision regarding the separation of church and state.

It’s ironic how liberals only cite the Constitution when they feel that they can use it to promote their anti-Christian agenda.

And in the spirit of the season of Good Will Towards Men, we feel it is our duty to clear things up for them so that they stop making fools of themselves.

Let’s start at the beginning. The First Amendment to the Constitution reads as follows:

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.

Now to most rational people that seems pretty straightforward.

No law respecting any establishment of religion is a reference to the fact that many of the earliest settlers of this continent came here to escape the religious persecution that was commonplace in most of Europe.
This oppression was the result of the Church of England, the Anglican Church, becoming the official government church, and non-conformists were not looked upon kindly.

…or prohibiting the free exercise therof…

How blinded by ideology does someone have to be to try and twist the fact that the First Amendment clearly states that the government will make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religious beliefs?

Or to totally ignore the fact that the phrase “separation of church and state is nowhere to be found in the Constitution?

The correct wording, wall of separation between church and state, is taken from a letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote in reply to a message form the Danbury Baptist Association, which at the time was a religious minority in Connecticut.

The leaders of the congregation sent the following to Jefferson:

“Among the many millions in America and Europe who rejoice in your election to office, we embrace the first opportunity . . . to express our great satisfaction in your appointment to the Chief Magistracy in the United States. . . . [W]e have reason to believe that America’s God has raised you up to fill the Chair of State out of that goodwill which He bears to the millions which you preside over. May God strengthen you for the arduous task which providence and the voice of the people have called you. . . . And may the Lord preserve you safe from every evil and bring you at last to his Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Glorious Mediator.”

However, they ended the letter with the fact that they were apprehensive about the principles behind the First Amendment guarantee for “the free exercise of religion.”

“Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty: that religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor. But sir, our constitution of government is not specific. . . . [T]herefore what religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of the State) we enjoy as favors granted, and not as inalienable rights.”

Their concern was that, according to the way that they read the wording of the Constitution, the right of religious expression was government given, rather than God given, and that a time might come when the government might someday attempt to limit religious expression.

Sound familar?

Seeking to address those concerns, here was Jefferson’s reply:

“Gentlemen, – The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association give me the highest satisfaction. . . . Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their 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. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties. I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association assurances of my high respect and esteem.”

Jefferson’s use of the words “natural rights” affirmed his belief that religious rights were inalienable rights.

To sum up, the Constitution clearly states that Congress will not establish a religion, or hinder someone’s religious beliefs.

Why is this so hard for liberals to understand?

A manger scene in the town square is no more a violation of the Constitution, or of the government establishing a religion,  than is a Menorah on a courthouse lawn, or a Kinara placed in the halls of Congress.

And if that were the case, didn’t White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel violate the Constitution and step over the wall of separation between church and state when he lit the National Menorah on Sunday?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update: The Koran, Barack Obama, And Thomas Jefferson

In recent weeks, the Obama administration has frequently made references to the possibility of reaching out to “the moderate elements of the Taliban” as a way of resolving the war in Afghanistan.

However, such a policy does bring some questions to my mind.

One of which is:

Just how do you define a “moderate” Islamic jihadist?

Because make no mistake about it, that is exactly what members of the Taliban are.

Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t have become part of the Taliban in the first place.

Perhaps a “moderate” member of the Taliban is a suicide bomber who only targets grown men, but not women and children.

President Obama obviously is not a student of history.

And he surely has no concept of warfare, otherwise he would be following one of the first rules of any conflict, which is “Know Thy Enemy.”

So in the (forlorn) hope that President Obama won’t put even more U.S. troops at risk, or further endanger the safety of all of America, we are once again offering a history lesson for the President, which we originally presented back in June:

During his recent tour of the Mid-East, President Obama made many inaccurate references as to the place of Islam in the history of modern civilization.

The fact that the majority of them were incorrect seemed to be a moot point, as the apparent point of the trip appeared to be for the President to apologize for America being such an evil country, and that now that he is in charge, American and Islamic cultures can live in peace and harmony.

And among his many miscues made in the hope of getting radical Islamists to lay down their arms and give all of America a group hug, he did get one thing right.

The fact that Thomas Jefferson kept a copy of the Koran (Qur’an) in his Presidential library.

Allah only knows why Mr. Obama would cite Jefferson’s ownership of the Koran as an attempt to show solidarity between America and the Muslim world.

Well Mr. President, I’m not quite sure how to break this news to you, but Thomas Jefferson did not have a copy of the holy book of Islam in order to learn more of the various religions of the world.

He kept it for reference!

As in an effort to learn more about his, and America’s, foes.

President Obama, as do most American’s, believe that our battle against radical Islam began with the attacks of 9-11, or perhaps with the first World Trade Center bombing.

Mr President, as you do with so many other things, once again you have the wrong idea.
This country has been fighting the fanatics who have perverted the teachings of the holy book of Islam since the time Jefferson was President, hence his ownership of the book.

For over a thousand years, Muslim pirates traveled along the coastline of Africa seizing women and young boys to sell off to slave traders.

This became a concern for America shortly after our country came into being, as after the Revolutionary War, what were now American merchant ships no longer had the protection of the Royal Navy.

Muslim pirates, under the control of an Islamist warlord who ruled Algiers, began attacking American merchant ships and enslaving their Christian crews.

These actions were leading to the the destruction of American trade in the Mediterranean, so in 1784 the Continental Congress attempted to negotiate a treaty with the four Barbary Coast States, and formed a panel with Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin as members to carry out negotiations.

John Adams held the belief that paying tribute to the pirates was the simplest way to restore the safe passage of the merchant ships. (Obama also totally twisted Adam’s statements during his speech as a means to achieving his own ends. Hope and Change is one thing, the truth is for suckers in Obama’s world.)

Jefferson,  fearing that there would be no end to the demands for tribute, disagreed, and wanted matters settled by military force.

In a negotiating session, Jefferson and Adams questioned the Algerian ambassador as to the reasons behind such hostile actions towards the United States, when there had been no previous contact between America and the Muslim world.

They received the following reply:

“Islam was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in the Quran that all nations that did not acknowledge it’s authority were sinners,that it was the right and duty of all Muslims to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Muslim who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”

Where have we heard that before?

Jefferson’s recommendation of the use of force to end the piracy did not prevail, and for the next 15 years the American government paid the Muslims millions of dollars to ensure the safe passage of ships and as ransom for captured crews.

Jefferson was proven correct when he had said that the amount of money demanded would be ever-increasing, by the year 1800 the amount being paid out came to nearly 20 percent of the revenue the American government was taking in.

All of that was about to change.

Shortly after his inauguration as President, Jefferson declared that the United States would spend “Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute”, and informed Congress that he was dispatching American warships, along with a force of U.S. Marines to the Muslim Barbary Coast.

Intense naval bombardment, as well as shore raids by the Marines began to take their toll on the pirate havens.

The end of Muslim piracy was sealed when the U.S. Marines marched across the Egyptian dessert into Tripolitania, leading to the surrender of Tripoli.

This military action was the origin of the immortal verse in the Marine Corps hymn “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli…”

Jefferson knew that the majority of the followers of the Muslim faith were a peaceful people.
He also had the foresight to know that appeasement was not the solution to a conflict with any group, regardless of their national origins or religious beliefs, that declared themselves to be sworn enemies of America.

President Obama, I respectfully suggest that before you use Thomas Jefferson, or any of the other great leaders this country, as an example of anything, that you study some American history first.

Try and learn just what it is you are talking about.

After all, you did say in response to a question at a White House press conference that you like to know what you are talking about before you comment on a matter.

So why not take a break from enjoying the sound of your own voice and inform yourself beforehand.

Then perhaps, at least on one issue,  you can try telling the truth in order to make your point.

Mr. President, Do You Have Any Clue As To WHY Thomas Jefferson Kept A Copy Of The Koran?

During his recent tour of the Mid-East, President Obama made many inaccurate references as to the place of Islam in the history of modern civilization.

The fact that the majority of them were incorrect seemed to be a moot point, as the apparent point of the trip appeared to be for the President to apologize for America being such an evil country, and that now that he is in charge, American and Islamic cultures can live in peace and harmony.

And among his many miscues made in the hope of getting radical Islamists to lay down their arms and give all of America a group hug, he did get one thing right.

The fact that Thomas Jefferson kept a copy of the Koran (Qur’an) in his Presidential library.

Allah only knows why Mr. Obama would cite Jefferson’s ownership of the Koran as an attempt to show solidarity between America and the Muslim world.

Well Mr. President, I’m not quite sure how to break this news to you, but Thomas Jefferson did not have a copy of the holy book of Islam in order to learn more of the various religions of the world.

He kept it for reference!

As in an effort to learn more about his, and America’s, foes.

President Obama, as do most American’s, believe that our battle against radical Islam began with the attacks of 9-11, or perhaps with the first World Trade Center bombing.

Mr President, as you do with so many other things, once again you have the wrong idea.
This country has been fighting the fanatics who have perverted the teachings of the holy book of Islam since the time Jefferson was President, hence his ownership of the book.

For over a thousand years, Muslim pirates traveled along the coastline of Africa seizing women and young boys to sell off to slave traders.

This became a concern for America shortly after our country came into being, as after the Revolutionary War, what were now American merchant ships no longer had the protection of the Royal Navy.

Muslim pirates, under the control of an Islamist warlord who ruled Algiers, began attacking American merchant ships and enslaving their Christian crews.

These actions were leading to the the destruction of American trade in the Mediterranean, so in 1784 the Continental Congress attempted to negotiate a treaty with the four Barbary Coast States, and formed a panel with Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin as members to carry out negotiations.

John Adams held the belief that paying tribute to the pirates was the simplest way to restore the safe passage of the merchant ships. (Obama also totally twisted Adam’s statements during his speech as a means to achieving his own ends. Hope and Change is one thing, the truth is for suckers in Obama’s world.)

Jefferson,  fearing that there would be no end to the demands for tribute, disagreed, and wanted matters settled by military force.

In a negotiating session, Jefferson and Adams questioned the Algerian ambassador as to the reasons behind such hostile actions towards the United States, when there had been no previous contact between America and the Muslim world.

They received the following reply:

“Islam was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in the Quran that all nations that did not acknowledge it’s authority were sinners,that it was the right and duty of all Muslims to make war upon them wherever they could be found,
and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Muslim who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”

Where have we heard that before?

Jefferson’s recommendation of the use of force to end the piracy did not prevail, and for the next 15 years the American government paid the Muslims millions of dollars to ensure the safe passage of ships and as ransom for captured crews.

Jefferson was proven correct when he had said that the amount of money demanded would be ever-increasing, by the year 1800 the amount being paid out came to nearly 20 percent of the revenue the American government was taking in.

All of that was about to change.

Shortly after his inauguration as President, Jefferson declared that the United States would spend “Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute”, and informed Congress that he was dispatching American warships, along with a force of U.S. Marines to the Muslim Barbary Coast.

Intense naval bombardment, as well as shore raids by the Marines began to take their toll on the pirate havens.

The end of Muslim piracy was sealed when the U.S. Marines marched across the Egyptian dessert into Tripolitania, leading to the surrender of Tripoli.

This military action was the origin of the immortal verse in the Marine Corps hymn “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli…”

Jefferson knew that the majority of the followers of the Muslim faith were a peaceful people.
He also had the foresight to know that appeasement was not the solution to a conflict with any group, regardless of their national origins or religious beliefs, that declared themselves to be sworn enemies of America.

President Obama, I respectfully suggest that before you use Thomas Jefferson, or any of the other great leaders this country, as an example of anything, that you study some American history first.

Try and learn just what it is you are talking about.

After all, you did say in response to a question at a White House press conference that you like to know what you are talking about before you comment on a matter.

So why not take a break from enjoying the sound of your own voice and inform yourself beforehand.

Then perhaps, at least on one issue,  you can try telling the truth in order to make your point.

We can only hope.