Original Meaning of 'Separation of Church and State', part 1
In the last few weeks we’ve discussed how the idea of religious liberty began with the Anabaptists and continued with the Baptists. This idea ultimately led the United States to become the first nation in world history to recognize religious liberty as a basic human right. However, after the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut was still concerned that these rights were not permanent. In a letter to the newly-elected President Thomas Jefferson they wrote, “Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty: that Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor.” They then expressed concern that religious liberty was merely a grant by the government rather than a right given by God. They wrote, “…Religion is considered as the first object of Legislation, and therefore what religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of State) we enjoy as favor granted, and not as inalienable rights.” In other words, if the right of religious liberty was merely a grant of the state rather than an inalienable right endowed by our Creator, then the state could decide in one act of legislation to take that right away.
In Jefferson’s reply, he agreed that, “Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God…” and then he wrote, “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.” Jefferson assured the Danbury Baptists that religious liberty was a natural right, divinely endowed, rather than a right merely granted by the federal government.
Today, many use the phrase ‘separation of church and state’ as the impetus to cleanse the American government of all vestige of religion, including religious symbols. The separation of church and state is now interpreted to mean freedom ‘from’ religion, not freedom ‘of’ religion. The original intent was not a federal government that was anti-religious, but a federal government that would not favor one Christian denomination over another. Jefferson and the other founding fathers certainly did not think the federal government should be atheistic. Those who believe the government should default to atheism in all governmental institutions, including our schools, ignore the fact that atheism is a religious belief and therefore violates the establishment clause.
Next week we’ll give some more specific examples of our founding fathers original intent.
In Jefferson’s reply, he agreed that, “Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God…” and then he wrote, “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.” Jefferson assured the Danbury Baptists that religious liberty was a natural right, divinely endowed, rather than a right merely granted by the federal government.
Today, many use the phrase ‘separation of church and state’ as the impetus to cleanse the American government of all vestige of religion, including religious symbols. The separation of church and state is now interpreted to mean freedom ‘from’ religion, not freedom ‘of’ religion. The original intent was not a federal government that was anti-religious, but a federal government that would not favor one Christian denomination over another. Jefferson and the other founding fathers certainly did not think the federal government should be atheistic. Those who believe the government should default to atheism in all governmental institutions, including our schools, ignore the fact that atheism is a religious belief and therefore violates the establishment clause.
Next week we’ll give some more specific examples of our founding fathers original intent.
Labels: separation of church and state
posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 |
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