Should Religious Groups Be Allowed to Participate in Politics?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" First Amendment of the US Constitution
What does this mean? In a nutshell, this means that the US Government can neither create any law that mandates a specific religion, nor can they create any law that prohibits a person from following their own beliefs.
Over the last several decades, many have criticized the influence that religious organizations have on government decisions, and they emphasize their disapproval by quoting from Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Church (1) in 1802 which states that the First Amendment is responsible for:
" building a wall of separation between Church and State."
However, upon reading the entire context of Jefferson's letter, his original draft of the letter, it becomes obvious that the notion that the "wall of separation" prevents any connection between the state and religion is ludicrous. James Hutson, a curator at the US Library of Congress addressed this issue in an article titled, "A Wall of Separation" (2).
To summarize Hutson's article, the two main purposes of Jefferson's letter were to:
1: Issue a condemnation of the alliance between the church and state, thereby preventing the Federalists Party (predecessor to the modern day Democratic Party) from imposing a British style monarchy, with the strong possibility (or so the Republicans of the time averred) of a church established by law, with the end result becoming an ecclesiastical tyranny, similar to that practiced by the British monarchy of the time.
2: Explain why he (Thomas Jefferson) did not support state sponsored days of "fastings and thanksgivings", as these also would be indicative of the state sponsoring "religious exercises."
Jefferson successfully addressed the first issue in his letter; however, upon the recommendation of a confidant, he removed the portion of the letter that addressed the second issue.
So what did Thomas Jefferson mean when he wrote those now famous words regarding the "separation of church and state"? In reading the letter, it appears more to be a guarantee to the Danbury Baptist Church (and all churches) that the state had neither the authority nor the ability to meddle in opinions tied to traditionally religious beliefs. This was not, as many today wish to believe, a prohibition on the church practicing influence on the state.
James Madison (known as "The Father of the Constitution"), wrote:
"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity (James Madison - Letter to F.L. Schaeffer, Dec 3, 1821)."
This statement by James Madison pleases me in that in confirms my own belief that the church and state must live in harmony, with neither subservient to the other. This statement from James Madison indicates that any government run by religion, or run in the absence of religion, are doomed to failure. The only way for the state to be successful is the presence of religion, and the only way for the church to be successful is to coexist peacefully with the state. If either religion or the state is subsumed by the other, that which remains will suffer.
The first amendment guarantees all Americans the right to worship the God of their choice, in the manner of their choice. Attempts by the left to eradicate all semblance of religion from the public are at the best ill founded, and at the worst, unconstitutional.
On one last note, some people believe that groups such as the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LBGT) should be permitted to hold meetings at schools, but religious groups should not. The reasoning posed was that since LGBT was not a "religion" that this would be acceptable. Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court has ruled that if one group of any type is provided access, that all groups must be provided a similar ability to access. If access to school facilities were to be provided to one group based upon the fact that it is not a religion, and denied to another based upon the fact that it was a religion, this would violate the first amendment's clause which says, "prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" Government must treat religious groups with the same respect and regard as they treat any other group.
US Supreme Court - GOOD NEWS CLUB et al. v. MILFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL (3)
1) http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
2) http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html
3) http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=99-2036
Published by Alan Fernald
Navy Veteran, Blogger, Student of life View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentInteresting take, but tilted to religion much more than can be found in original intent. You statement that government cannot exist without religion reflects that bias. And as Kelly points out, you are quite selective in your quoting..
An excellent article! It is refreshing to read an article regarding the separation of church and state, written by someone who understands that this "separation", is incumbent upon the state and not the individual.
An interesting point of view. But the Jeffersonian quote and the full context you extrapolate from it (I notice you don't quote De Tocqueville, who found religious interevention into politics perilous to Democracy) speak directly to the tyranny that eventually arises when Religion imposes upon State.
Elective politics should be left to the electorate lest imposition of Religious will in the elective process lead to eventual Religious rule, or tyranny. Freedom to worship and practice faith openly is a privilege of Democracy, we should neither squander nor abuse such a privilege.