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Nov. 5, 2004 "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.... ". - First Amendment, U.S. Constitution Despite what some may think, the words, "separation of church and state", are not in the United States Constitution. The roots of our religious freedom can be found in British history. Roman Catholicism was the state religion in England. Bibles were rare, hand-written, and in Latin. In the 14th century John Wycliffe translated the New Testament into English. Hand copied segments of the New Testament were carried throughout England and read to the common people. The state imposed a death penalty on anybody translating scriptures into English or possessing English scriptures. In the mid-15th century Johann Gutenberg invented movable metal type and used a printing press to produce the first printed Bibles. They were in Latin. William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English in the early 16th century. For the first time the English people had access to printed Bibles in their own language. For his efforts Tyndale was burned at the stake. Many people gave their lives in an attempt to have access to the scriptures and freely worship. King Henry VIII broke from Papal rule and established the Church of England. Fighting over religious freedom followed for most of that century. Protestant Anglicanism eventually became the state religion. Even today, the British monarch is head of the Church of England. People seeking religious freedom from a state mandated religion came to America. They established settlements, placed their trust in God, and prospered. As time passed the colonies rose up against British rule, and won independence. The Constitution was adopted to frame the governing of states united in a common republic. The freedom of religion was deemed so important that it was the first freedom listed in our Bill of Rights. Jesus Christ stated that the foremost commandment was, Hear Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord. You shall worship the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your might. God was to be foremost in people's lives, guiding their thoughts and actions. When somebody starts clamoring about a "separation of church and state" they are really saying that God should have no place in our political process. God is being relegated to a back shelf in their lives. There is a vast difference between a state- mandated religion and living one's life with Godly principles. Public display of the Ten Commandments on government property, including schools, is not establishment of a religion. Having the words, One Nation Under God, in the pledge of allegiance, is not establishing a religion. Having a short prayer in school is not establishing a religion, nor is it warping the morals of our children. How hypocritical to oppose school prayer, and then condone walking on the U.S. flag or publicly funding homosexual art works under the guise of the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. Banning the free expression of religion and morals is unconstitutional. How ironic that some feel it is wrong to post a commandment, You shall not murder, yet right to permit Hollywood to distribute a plethora of violence packed entertainment products. Those who want to separate church and state and remove the influence of religious principles from our politics should consider the impact of such actions. During the 20th century there was an erosion of moral values in America. The consequences are quite evident. An exponentially growing prison industry. A very large number of single parent families struggling to survive. A large number of AIDS victims. Pre-teens engaged in sexual activities. Movies and television shows team with sex and violence. Profanity is rampant. Rights are empty without responsibilities. Without Godly principles forming a moral basis in the lives of people, responsibilities are ignored. There is a cost, and that cost is high. ------------ About the author Joseph Boudreau: I spent just under 24 years in the Navy, 9 on active duty, the rest in the Naval Reserves. From paygrade E-1 I advanced to paygrade O-4, and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. Email: bunnyboggins@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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