THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE…THE TRUTH
By Larry A. Smail
At most every turn in America these days the “political correct” mentality rules over the thoughts of far too many individuals and groups. Our American culture has declined in liberty and freedoms because of this way of thinking. Self-thinkers are becoming increasingly rare! Follow the political party at all costs seems to be the norm. One basic right of Americans is the Freedom of Speech found in our Bill of Rights. So many people seek anything they can find to announce another’s word or action as offensive. Lawyers are making fortunes with these people. Today, if one says anything at all chances are someone will be offended. Many years ago, while still in school, I announced in history class of the PC culture that was beginning to really take hold within American society. I stated this effort if not changed would cause the decline in American values. I hate it when I am right!
Today, political correctness has evolved for over fifty years and a cry has been shouted around daily. That cry of the left is “Separation of Church and State!” Usually the additional word of “unconstitutional” is included somewhere within the cry…you know for added emphasis! These words are screamed constantly with anything pertaining to Christ or God in a public place of government, and I mean anything. The courts have been used as a tool to complete the left’s attacks. And many courts proudly use their personal agendas to accomplish such goals. Astronomical expenses will occur to fight these challenges. Many succumb rather than spend their precious and limited funds to fight the courts. I believe it will be only a matter of time that the attacks will filter into private displays of anything deemed Christ-like. These are the signs of the times we live. Examples are happening almost daily of such attacks. One recent example pertained to a teacher wearing a cross necklace. Yes, this is how bad the PC world has become. Commonsense is gone!
Christ-based holidays, even the secular ones, have been attacked constantly. One seldom hears the Christmas songs played during the holiday season if a reference to Christ is included in the lyrics. You’ll happily hear that catchy tune of, Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. (Not by me, however.) The Christmas holiday and Easter have become 90% secular in America culture, possibly more.
The truth of the phrase, “separation of Church and State” has a completely different origin as we would suspect upon listening to the medias, leftist activists and politicians. Those words actually began many years ago to be heard as they were shouted by prominent ministers in the 1500 era of England. The phrase would enter into the land of America during the 1600-time span as Europeans escaping religious persecution from government traveled from across the sea! The phrase was used by Bible-oriented ministers and colonists. Yes, the phrase was used by leaders of the Christian faith and not the secular world. This is a far cry from what we are all are lead to believe in today’s left-leaning world. Also, few Americans know the facts and believe the left may be correct because our government court system has permeated this falsehood as well. You have heard, if a lie is told enough the lie will become factual. This has all occurred since World War 2.
Thomas Jefferson is usually given credit for the separation of Church and State phrase. He wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 to clarify the issue. The ministers were concerned over potential issues of their freedoms from the state. Today, the words in this letter are used against Jefferson’s real response since he actually used the phrase. The letter reaffirmed Jefferson’s belief on a “wall of separation of Church and State,” however; he was reaffirming the churches freedoms from any meddling into their beliefs from the state. This letter because of the phrase used has been constantly brought up as Jefferson’s belief that anything of Christ to not be used in a public place controlled with taxpayer’s expense, etc.
As stated, the history of the “separation of Church and State” phrase goes back much further. The real reason ministers pushed for separation of Church and State began around 390 A.D. under Roman Emperor Theodosius. This man assumed control of the church and decreed Christianity as the official religion of the empire. This would not be a true Christianity! This decree allowed the State (Government) to have control over what could be preached and what the people had to believe. The people would be required to enforce any mandated, religious doctrines of the State.
Anybody who studied the history of Christianity will see the many atrocities committed by the State rulers using the name of Christ as a catalyst for justification. Many Christians, not adhering to the State’s form of Christianity, were tortured; imprisoned and executed by those leaders of the state-controlled Church. And these acts were done by those professing to be Christians, as well. Of course, these people were not true Christians by any means. True Christianity would never commit to such acts of brutality. However, many of the
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world believe if anyone professes to be a Christian then they must be one and any such actions are permissible as a Christian. WRONG! One poll I have seen claimed 80% of Americans believe they are Christians. I would like to know the reasons these individuals believe they are Christians. I imagine their reasons are wide and varied and not Bible-based.
True Bible-based ministers, in time, demanded that the State separate themselves from the Church. One man and clergyman named Richard Hooker first used the phrase of separation of Church and State.
King Henry VIII started the Anglican Church upon wanting to get divorced. His new church would allow the divorce as needed. Also, Parliament passed laws as to who could take communion and who could be ministers. This added more control over the Church. Are you seeing the trends?
A Reverend John Greenwood was executed for stating a separation was needed. This man started a congregation attended by many English Pilgrims. Parliament passed a law of anyone denying Queen Elizabeth 1 of church supremacy would be imprisoned without bail. Pilgrims began traveling towards the New World of America to escape such laws being enforced upon their beliefs. The Pilgrims believed the government had no right to plant churches by power and force laws and penalties the State deemed correct.
As previously stated, Theodosius took the Church over in 390 A.D. The centuries following lead to even more rulers of the State mandating all church authorities to follow whatever religious doctrines the State decided as doctrine. These many years had a complete lack of religious tolerance. These were the centuries where all the negative attributes of Christianity occurred. Many of which are still used today to combat anything Christ-like. A couple of examples of the past were the Inquisition and the Crusades.
Those calling themselves the Puritans began fleeing soon afterwards. Puritans were having their noses sliced, ears cut off and brands placed on their foreheads for not adhering to State-controlled Churches. Over the next hundred years or so many others left for America. These individuals including Jews, Quakers, Anabaptists, Huguenots and Lutherans were part of this migration from religious persecution. William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, was a Quaker.
Christ is Matthew 24 prophesied of a great “falling away” prior to his Second
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Advent. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 stated of an Apostasy prior to the revealing of the Wicked One during the latter days. Apostasy means to fall away from sound Christian doctrine in favor of false teachings. This false Christianity permeated the world for these many years. I believe the apostasy mentioned above has been in effect since the very early years of the church’s establishment.
However, there were bright times in Christianity. Bible-oriented leaders began efforts to reform the terrible abuses of the State-controlled Christianity. These were the cries of true separation from the State. Many of these leaders would face tremendous persecution even death. All through the decades the State had controlled and abused the Church. By the time of the New World colonies early years the idea of “separation of Church and state” was firmly planted within the populace’s thinking. Many had witnessed the abuse of the State-run church. They wished to avoid such control in their new world if possible. This mind-set had become prominent with the colonies independence from England in 1776. Read the Declaration of Independence for yourself and you will notice the issues these Americans had with England at that time. So, it is no wonder the Founding Fathers included the Freedom of Religion in the new Bill of Rights. In fact, this right was listed as the First Amendment. That right doesn’t say, “Freedom from religion.” The Founders knew firsthand the abuses of the past government.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
The idea of “Separation of Church and State” in America changed drastically in 1947. Many have become completely ignorant of this reality. A Supreme Court ruling in 1947 used Jefferson’s words of “separation of Church and State” to rule in favor of actually keeping religion from all walks of life concerning public places. HOWEVER, the court did not use the remaining words of Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. They used only the phrase! The new America of shame would be now become the normal way of thinking. One can easily see how anti-Constitutional and anti-Bill of Rights judges can ruin our nation.
Later, in the early sixties an atheist found a sympathetic court to the 1947 ruling and the reading of Bibles in schools became the attack. Now, prayer in school is against policy. If a kid would draw a symbol of religion, he/she could be
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disciplined. This is why having the right judge is so important in America. Remember the original intent of separation was to keep the State from meddling, interfering, and controlling the Church’s beliefs, doctrines and expression. The phrase was never supposed to be used to remove crosses; Ten Commandment monuments, Bibles from the schools; public prayer for graduation ceremonies, Christmas songs and the like. The “Separation of Church and State” was to protect such liberties! Words were spoken stating, “The separation of Church and State does not mean the exclusions of God, righteousness, morality from the State.”
Now armed with the above knowledge as presented above read the First Amendment again!
The “separation of the Church and State” was intended by our Founding Fathers to keep government away from governing Christianity and not to be intrusive to Christianity. The Founders knew very well what had happened to the European Churches once the state controlled it all. They wanted their new government to not be as the State had been in Europe for those many, many years.
Wow! We have come a long way from the original intent!!!!!
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