SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE
"Within the last two years, on as many occasions, I have sat on my porch and wept. On the first occasion, one of our children had just been literally dragged from a school room for inscribing the words, 'I love Jesus' on the base of a 'holiday' ornament. Please understand that each and every child in that classroom was asked to do the very same thing--to make an ornament for the holidays and to take them home to their parents (note: how the term 'Christmas' has been deleted from our children's vocabulary within the classroom).
Just minutes prior (on the porch), my son had shown me the miniature pine cone he had made, sprinkled with glitter, which brought back so many fond memories of a more innocent time. As he walked off sad and confused, I remained on the porch and thought of the sacrifices that so many had made to preserve our freedom of speech and freedom to worship... and I wept all the more.
Months later, as school began to break for the summer, the second incident occurred. The class had been asked to write down their most 'memorable moment' during the school year and to post such an event (along with the rest of the class) on a large poster board which would then be displayed in the classroom. When our son finished the assignment, and was with the class reviewing each comment, he was escorted out into the hallway and told to remove his memorable moment--as if it had never happened. For my eleven-year old son, and his message, had violated the silent anti-Christ and anti-Christian code undermining this entire nation. He did so by simply mentioining the word 'God.' As he stood condemned before the mass, he was embarrassed and broken-hearted further when forced to remove his statement. In tears, he and I embraced later that afternoon. And, once again, the blood of Christ and my fallen comrades lay before me. I was determined not to allow their deaths be in vain.
This last year has been littlle different. So, I have picked up the Gospel and returned to the front lines, only this time in peace, only this time on my own native soil. And I praise God for the opportunity to serve Him once again.
FACTS
The First Amendment reads: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'
Note, that there is no such clause within the First Amendment or anywhere in the Constitution--for that matter, that calls for a 'Wall of separation between church and state.' The phrase itself was extracted from one of Thomas Jefferson's 'personal' letters and was first misapplied in 1947 (Everson v. Board of Education), again in 1962 (Engle v. Vitale) and consistently from 1962 on. This has occurred each and every time certain anti-Christ or anti-Christian individuals or groups want to remove Christ from the forefront (or from the annals) of American culture. Never before in the history of this nation, has explication (Jefferson's or anyone's) taken precedence over that which the forefathers had so diligently and prayerfully framed in Philadelphia. What a travesty for God, our country, our legal system and ultimately, our chiildren.
When the founding fathers met to construct the Constitution and The Bill of Rights, Thomas Jefferson was not even in the country. He was in France serving as Minister. He was neither one of the original fifty-five founding fathers, nor did he have much to do with its composition. Yet, secularists the nation over, are quick to use Jefferson's off-hand demarkation of a non-existent 'separation clause' whenever it suits their purpose--to crucify Christ all over again. So how is it we interpret 'intent' from other than those who framed the original document?
The intentions of the founding fathers when they scribed the First Amendment was to protect the church from the state, not the state from religion. Evidence for this claim is echoed in any one or more of the following facts: (a) Even Thomas Jefferson's infamous letter was written to 'assure' the Danbury Baptist Association that the Constitution did indeed adequately provide for non-interference from the state in matters of 'denominational' concern. (b) The original intent of the Establishment Clause was to prohibit the state from establishing a single national denomination--not a single national religion. Religion (Christianity) was already firmly entrenched throughout the states' charters and Constitutions. It was clearly manifest within the souls of this nation's people. It is, after all, the reason we came here. This claim can be further substantiated by the indisputable fact that nearly every state required (by law) that their Constitutional delegates be professing Christians before they could even participate in the construction of the national document. This same requirement was also attached to any state-held political office. So, how is it that the states or founding fathers would allow state and religion to mix at one level and not the other? Separation of the two entities, again, was not their intent when the Constitution was originally drafted. Christianity was already the assumed national religion. The concern was to prevent one 'denomination' from seizing power or control as it had throughout Europe during the Dark and Middle ages. There was no fear of Christianity being the foundation on which this country was to be built. In fact, it was just the opposite. If you wanted to be part of this nation's initial power base, it was a prerequisite that you first 'be' a Christian. (c) Almost without exception, every single historical document, every founding father, and every early American settler or institution was constant in their exhortation of God and His only begotten Son. This lasted for three-hundred and forty years. And our people and the Lord (no doubt) found this to be honorable--for blessings and victories flowed. But not any longer, not since 1962. Since then we have come apart at the seams.
REALITY
Even though the Supreme Court (in 1892) recognized 'That this is a Christian nation,' I have to wonder as to whether the Court or God or any of us would make that same determination today. Besides the multitude of secular polls that show us a 'relligious people' (that is, as a whole we believe in a supreme being), too many knowledgeable pollsters (who understand the difference between believing in 'a' supreme being and 'The' Supreme Creator), show us to be a nation of secularists. And, by everything the author can sense, this seems to be the case today. Hence, while we were at one point a Christian nation (by decree and majority), by a similar margin and the Courts most recent decrees, we may not be any longer. But a consensus is not what we bemoan, neccessarily. It is for First Amendment rights that we clamor.
HOW THEN SHOULD WE THEN LIVE
First and foremost, God is sovereign. He knows and sees all that is occuring--in your life, the author's life and across the world. He has a plan and it will come to pass whether or not we are looking for His will or our own. And even though we may lose the cultural battle before us, the war is already won. The Victory was accomplished two-thousand years ago on Calvary. We must also try to remember that we have but one job remaining: to bring as many of the 'Elect' home as possible. Beloved, I beseech you to also consider it a priviledge that He has hand-picked us to represent Him in these latter days. It will no doubt get worse before it gets better. Do not give up. Do not despair. But find glory and praise in all that you see occurring, in all that He initiates or allows. Do not forget along the way when they reject you, that they first rejected Him--for all are not chosen.
Second, let us not attempt to replace one system of human government with that of another. Theocracies do not work either. They never have; they never will, until Jesus returns to lead New Jerussalem. Until then, as long as 'man' is involved in the equation, sin death and destruction will follow--regardless of how religious or Christian they may appear to be. If you don't believe this, just look at the history of man and the atrocities performed in the Name of God or Christ. It is both embarrasssing and frightening to see power go unchecked... in anyone's hands (secular or otherwise). Help us O' Lord to continue to love all of Your children and to preach the truth despite our persecution and their continual rejection. Help us not to enter into violence, I beg of you, Lord: For we should know that love and truth will one day prevail as long as it is performed in Your name, on Your behalf.
Third, our First Amendment difficulties do not exclusively lie in the wrongful interpretation or application of the 'Establishment Clause,' but rather, and more importantly, in the total abandonment of 'The Lost Segment' of the First Amendment: ' Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF.....' [emphasis the author's]. And dragging kids out of school rooms for wearing Jesus T-shirts or because they bow their heads in prayer before eating in the cafateria 'IS' prohibiting 'The free exercise thereof!' If the government will give the people what is Constitutionally theirs, the fighting between the Christian and secular worlds will cease.
In the final analysis, let us follow Christ's example in everything we do. He did not force His beliefs upon anyone. But neither did He withdraw from His responsibilities to bring them the Gospel, particularly during times of adversity. God does not make us love or obey Him, but He has and does make His Word available for those who willl see and for those who will listen. What man will come (and stay) if forced or manipulated? What man or child can we hope to change or impact if he has not been 'Called' for Christ's purposses? Let us live out our lives in the shadow of Christ's example. Then and only then, can we expect change to occur. Anything else drives the mass further from the only 'Truth' they will ever know.
'How Then Should We Then Live?' Like Jesus Christ did. There is no other way."
by: R. Christopher
Resources available.
...More to Come
Best regards,
Leland