by Al Pisano,State Chair Back to Articles Page
March 16, 2009
For the sake of clarity let me advise the reader that I am referring primarily to Christian Faiths when I refer to persons of faith in this column. This is not to say that other religions are not included in this but the truth is that in today’s American culture the only religious faith that seems to be acceptable and tolerable to criticize is Christianity. It has been the Christian faith and traditions that have been under assault in this Nation for decades and that is why I will be referring to Christianity.
We often hear in the modern day culture of the United States that our Bill Of Rights guarantees that people of faith have a right to preach about their religion and morality in their churches but they do not have the right to try and force into law their moral views. The argument is usually two fold. The first part of this argument is that we are told that one cannot legislate morality. The second part is that the Constitution has the “Separation of Church and State”. I would like to say that the crowd that believes that one cannot legislate morality is missing the point. Legislation may not change your moral views on a particular topic as an individual but it can certainly change ones behavior. All criminal laws and most civil laws are based on someone’s sense of morality. A culture can and does change when laws are enacted. This change does not necessarily stop at the individual’s behavior but the change often occurs corporately as a society and how that society views specific actions.
The “Separation of Church and State” argument is usually based on the belief that the Constitution of The United States contains this phrase. Most people honestly believe that the Constitution contains this phrase. I have read the Constitution of the United States several times and I have made very specific and tedious searches for this phrase that is allegedly contained in the First Amendment yet to this day I have been unsuccessful in locating it. I realized that I failed in that search for one simple reason, and that reason is that the phrase is not in the Constitution. Most people that I speak with are amazed to hear this fact and even more amazed when they are unable to locate the phrase. This goes to show as proof that the education system in this country is failing to properly instruct the young people about our Constitution. The next generation is supposed be the guardians of our liberties, yet they have no idea what those liberties are, so how can they be expected to safeguard them.
The phrase “Separation of Church and State” is a phrase that President Thomas Jefferson used in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Danbury, Connecticut. President Thomas Jefferson explained to those folks that they should not fear any government sponsored church being established or persecution of other churches because the Bill of Rights had formed a protective barrier around the religious beliefs and principals of Americans. That no government official in The United States of America could bring the force of government down on a preacher or a congregation who might criticize government actions based on moral principles. The idea was that no church in this country should be given the power backed by the government to force American citizens to have to be forced into paying a tax to a government-sponsored church. This is not how this phrase is being used today. In today’s America this phrase is being used as a muzzle to prevent the free expression of religious principals in the public forum. Most believe that the concept of Separation of Church and State allows government to remove any reference to God in the public arena. Remember that the Bill Of Rights was designed to shackle the potential abuse of power by the federal government that would have the ability to infringe upon our liberties. Yet the First Amendment is being utilized today in a manner that shackles not the government but the people.
Please remember that The Founding Fathers had a very real experience with tyranny and abuse of governmental power. They lived through a time when the civil government of England was incestuously mingled with The Church of England. This gave the power of government to the Church of England and protected the King from any moral criticism from the Church. This also gave the King the freedom to intimidate the Church so the Church would not criticize the King and only champion all policies of the King. This type of relationship leads to tyranny and corruption of both institutions. Sadly today we have many well intentioned Christians, who are ignorant of history and our Constitution. They are proposing that our federal government fund faith-based initiatives. This I fear is trap that will be sprung upon the Churches of this Nation who are foolish enough to become as incestuously mingled with government, as was The Church of England.
© Al Pisano, 2009. Al Pisano is the State Chairman of the Constitution Party of North Carolina.