Defend Your First Amendment Rights Against the Assault of Liberalism
Despite what liberals would have you believe, the phrase ‘separation of Church and State' does not appear anywhere in The Constitution of the United States of America.
In a January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson declared that the First Amendment built "a wall of separation between Church & State."
The First Amendment clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Why is it liberals only focus on the first part, ignoring the latter? Two clauses clearly are at work here: 1) the establishment clause which prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish or support an official religion (a.k.a. the Church of England, for you history buffs), and 2) the free exercise clause which allows individuals to practice their religion without constraint or interference from the government.
Yet, Christians are prohibited from praying (free exercise) in public schools (establishment.) Only one clause is being recognized, while the other is being trampled. Many publicly-traded companies (which are not government establishments) are harangued for recognizing ‘Christmas,' even if the company was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and values. Christians are forced to buy their ‘Christmas' gifts from a ‘Happy Holidays' catalog even though Christians clearly drive the retail economy with their ‘Black Friday' expenditures. We even trample the free exercise rights of our public officials, including the President of the United States! Additionally, many of our Founding Fathers memorialized the one true God in our long-standing government monuments, mottos, phrases, and slogans. Have you ever taken a look at the U.S. Dollar? What about the top of the Washington Monument, the motto of the State of Ohio, or the individual constitutions of our fifty states? Do you realize church was held in our Founding Fathers' one-room school houses? ‘SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE' CLEARLY DID NOT EXIST. Do you propose America abandon it's heritage at a time when we need it most?
Finally, how can forced union membership (union shop) not be a violation of the First Amendment if forced membership in other associations (including church) is? Why is it acceptable for a union to endorse a political candidate, but a church cannot? Why are most pastors hounded by the government for taking political stances from the pulpit, while a few self-proclaimed ‘reverends' are able to get away with it? The Constitution guarantees the "freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble." Apparently, the implied rights to ‘freedom of expression' and ‘freedom of association' are not applied equally by liberals in today's society.
www.christophermengland.com
In a January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson declared that the First Amendment built "a wall of separation between Church & State."
The First Amendment clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Why is it liberals only focus on the first part, ignoring the latter? Two clauses clearly are at work here: 1) the establishment clause which prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish or support an official religion (a.k.a. the Church of England, for you history buffs), and 2) the free exercise clause which allows individuals to practice their religion without constraint or interference from the government.
Yet, Christians are prohibited from praying (free exercise) in public schools (establishment.) Only one clause is being recognized, while the other is being trampled. Many publicly-traded companies (which are not government establishments) are harangued for recognizing ‘Christmas,' even if the company was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and values. Christians are forced to buy their ‘Christmas' gifts from a ‘Happy Holidays' catalog even though Christians clearly drive the retail economy with their ‘Black Friday' expenditures. We even trample the free exercise rights of our public officials, including the President of the United States! Additionally, many of our Founding Fathers memorialized the one true God in our long-standing government monuments, mottos, phrases, and slogans. Have you ever taken a look at the U.S. Dollar? What about the top of the Washington Monument, the motto of the State of Ohio, or the individual constitutions of our fifty states? Do you realize church was held in our Founding Fathers' one-room school houses? ‘SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE' CLEARLY DID NOT EXIST. Do you propose America abandon it's heritage at a time when we need it most?
Finally, how can forced union membership (union shop) not be a violation of the First Amendment if forced membership in other associations (including church) is? Why is it acceptable for a union to endorse a political candidate, but a church cannot? Why are most pastors hounded by the government for taking political stances from the pulpit, while a few self-proclaimed ‘reverends' are able to get away with it? The Constitution guarantees the "freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble." Apparently, the implied rights to ‘freedom of expression' and ‘freedom of association' are not applied equally by liberals in today's society.
www.christophermengland.com