Re: Avoiding the question, Contradictions: Establishment of Government Religion?

["Dale Courtney" <dmcourtn@moscow.com>]

Ted Moffett asks:

> Do you support establishing an official government religion?

I won't attempt to answer for Doug Jones, but let me ask you a question.

How many of the States in the USA had *an official State religion* when the
federal constitution was ratified?

Answer: nine (9).
Anglicanism in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
Congregationalism in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut
"Protestant religions" in New York

Why is this important?  Because  The pluralism of the colonies was a
pluralism among the numerous *Christian* sects.

The founding fathers well understood national religions. Europe was full of
them:
England: Anglican
Germany: Lutheran
Switzerland: Reformed
France: Roman Catholic
Scotland: Presbyterian

So the First Amendment was clearly written: "*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"

There is *no* mention of the words Church, State, or separation in the First
Amendment or in the body of the Constitution. The prohibition is addressed
to *Congress*.  Individual states and governmental institutions are not
included in the amendment's prohibition.

There is no mention of a freedom *from* religion. The First Amendment offers
no support of a position that would outlaw religion just because it exists
or offends those of a different religion or those who have no religion at
all (agnostics or atheists).

A number of the states had established churches.  Some of the framers were
concerned that the federal government would establish a national Church to
be funded by tax dollars. The concern was that this national Church
(Anglican, Presbyterian, or Congregational) would disestablish the existing
state churches.

The First Amendment was designed to protect the states against the national
(federal) government. Justice Joseph Story, a Supreme Court justice of the
nineteenth century, offers the following commentary on the amendment's
original meaning:
"The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less to
advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating
Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects
[denominations] and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment
which would give to an hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national
government."

The word "establishment," as used in the First Amendment, means recognition
by civil government of a single denomination as the official Church.  The
amendment does not prohibit *the establishment* of religion in general, but
rather *an establishment* of a particular federal Christian denomination,
which our founders called a "sect." There is nothing in the First Amendment
restricting the states.  The restriction resides solely with Congress.

Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist stated: "The Framers intended the
Establishment Clause to prohibit the designation of any church as a
'national' one.  The clause was also designed to stop the Federal government
from asserting a preference for one religious denomination or sect over
others."

Isn't it rather strange that on September 24, 1789, the same day that it
approved the First Amendment, Congress called on President Washington to
proclaim a national day of prayer and thanksgiving?

Today's Christian political activists are not calling on the State to
establish churches. Rather, they are simply maintaining that we cannot have
good government without religion, the very principle the Northwest Ordinance
declares. The First Amendment provides a legal separation between Church and
State: not a moral nor a spiritual separation. There is no reason, under the
Constitution of the United States, why the principles of Christianity cannot
pervade the laws and institutions of the United States of America

Looking forward to seeing how the liberals on the list will twist my words!
:)

Dale