Christy Jenkins
What do the phrases ‘separation of church and state’ and ‘power to the people’ have in common? Neither one is mentioned in the Constitution. The difference between the phrases is that society assumes the first phrase is a law, while the second is just a slogan.
Today, this well-known phrase is used every time a religious issue surfaces in government. It’s assumed to be a part of the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence because it’s misrepresented by the media as a law of the land, similar to freedom of speech or the right to vote. Separation of church and state is NOT an amendment, a right, a law, or a statute of our country.
Brief History
There was a Baptist congregation in Danbury, Connecticut, who wrote to President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. They were concerned that a state or national religion would be established, and they would no longer be able to worship God as they wanted. Many had left England due to religious persecution, and they naturally wanted assurances from Jefferson that it wouldn’t happen again. He wrote back to the congregation, assuring them that there was a wall separating the church and the state, and they were in no danger of being persecuted by the government. The phrase was later quoted by the Supreme Court, and over the years it’s become an anthem for those looking to eradicate all mention of religion in a public setting.
[On a side note, can you imagine our President today actually taking the time to respond to concerns from a small Baptist congregation located in a state that’s got only 7 electoral votes? Unless it’s part of a carefully planned publicity stunt on the campaign trail during an election year, you’ll never see the President truly pay attention to the needs of the common man. Lobbyists, billionaires, and celebrities get face time with the powerful people in DC, and middle-class citizens are relegated to receiving scripted speeches written by others, below-par education systems, higher taxes, and increasing unemployment rates.]
The message of Jefferson‘s letter was that the authority of the church and the state should remain separated. The government wasn’t to have authority over churches, and the church wasn’t to have authority over the government - they were each autonomous institutions. In other words, The President of the US doesn’t have authority to order the Presbyterian Church to change their beliefs. Likewise, the Pope doesn’t have the power to impose a property tax on US citizens. Jefferson was reiterating that there would be freedom of religion, but secularists misuse his words now to promote freedom from religion.
Here’s a modern-day, real-life example of the principle Jefferson was referring to – Consider a married couple who is legally separated or divorced. The legal separation means that the wife and husband are now leading separate lives – the wife doesn’t have authority over her husband’s life, and vice versa (i.e., they are autonomous). Does it mean that they can never have any interaction with each other? Not at all. Any divorced couple with children can attest to the fact that their ‘separate’ lives will still overlap – the ‘separation’ means that one no longer has any say-so in the life of the other. It’s the same with the separation of church and state – it doesn’t mean that religion and government must be completely separate with absolutely no overlap. It simply means we can’t use the state to control the church, and we can’t use the church to control the state.
Critics may point out that the letter was penned by President Jefferson, and therefore was a reflection of the government’s stance on religion and the state. That would be a good argument IF the writings of our Founding Fathers (including Thomas Jefferson) didn’t frequently refer to God, a Creator, an Almighty Being, etc. Even official government documents like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, as well as a majority of state constitutions, openly reference a (gasp!) higher power. These men supported freedom of religion, but still found it appropriate to mention higher powers in federal documents, inaugural speeches, etc. Today, there are people who ignore the countless words of our Founding Fathers and blindly cling to one vague metaphor written by one man to one congregation in one personal letter.
Lesson for Today
Just because a phrase is familiar doesn’t mean it’s factual. If someone presents you with an argument, research it, even if it sounds like they might be right. Our society loves convenience, and being properly informed on an issue isn’t always convenient. The next time someone throws out the phrase ‘separation of church and state’, be sure to question them. Do they really understand the origin and meaning of the phrase, or are they simply repeating what they heard on TV? Watching an episode of ‘Law and Order’ doesn’t make you a lawyer, just like watching CNN doesn’t make you an informed citizen. Instead of relying on arrogant pseudo-intellectuals in the media to tell you what the Constitution says, go to your local library and look it up yourself.
People are always complaining that America has so many problems, and we’re failing as a nation – ignorance is one of the biggest reasons why. This article highlights just one very small example of how being ignorant on an issue can have far-reaching, dire consequences for years to come. We’re in danger of having the mention of God eliminated from our society simply because one well-intentioned, human being took the time to reiterate the concept of freedom of religion in a letter.
What do the phrases ‘separation of church and state’ and ‘power to the people’ have in common? Neither one is mentioned in the Constitution. The difference between the phrases is that society assumes the first phrase is a law, while the second is just a slogan.
Today, this well-known phrase is used every time a religious issue surfaces in government. It’s assumed to be a part of the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence because it’s misrepresented by the media as a law of the land, similar to freedom of speech or the right to vote. Separation of church and state is NOT an amendment, a right, a law, or a statute of our country.
Brief History
There was a Baptist congregation in Danbury, Connecticut, who wrote to President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. They were concerned that a state or national religion would be established, and they would no longer be able to worship God as they wanted. Many had left England due to religious persecution, and they naturally wanted assurances from Jefferson that it wouldn’t happen again. He wrote back to the congregation, assuring them that there was a wall separating the church and the state, and they were in no danger of being persecuted by the government. The phrase was later quoted by the Supreme Court, and over the years it’s become an anthem for those looking to eradicate all mention of religion in a public setting.
[On a side note, can you imagine our President today actually taking the time to respond to concerns from a small Baptist congregation located in a state that’s got only 7 electoral votes? Unless it’s part of a carefully planned publicity stunt on the campaign trail during an election year, you’ll never see the President truly pay attention to the needs of the common man. Lobbyists, billionaires, and celebrities get face time with the powerful people in DC, and middle-class citizens are relegated to receiving scripted speeches written by others, below-par education systems, higher taxes, and increasing unemployment rates.]
The message of Jefferson‘s letter was that the authority of the church and the state should remain separated. The government wasn’t to have authority over churches, and the church wasn’t to have authority over the government - they were each autonomous institutions. In other words, The President of the US doesn’t have authority to order the Presbyterian Church to change their beliefs. Likewise, the Pope doesn’t have the power to impose a property tax on US citizens. Jefferson was reiterating that there would be freedom of religion, but secularists misuse his words now to promote freedom from religion.
Here’s a modern-day, real-life example of the principle Jefferson was referring to – Consider a married couple who is legally separated or divorced. The legal separation means that the wife and husband are now leading separate lives – the wife doesn’t have authority over her husband’s life, and vice versa (i.e., they are autonomous). Does it mean that they can never have any interaction with each other? Not at all. Any divorced couple with children can attest to the fact that their ‘separate’ lives will still overlap – the ‘separation’ means that one no longer has any say-so in the life of the other. It’s the same with the separation of church and state – it doesn’t mean that religion and government must be completely separate with absolutely no overlap. It simply means we can’t use the state to control the church, and we can’t use the church to control the state.
Critics may point out that the letter was penned by President Jefferson, and therefore was a reflection of the government’s stance on religion and the state. That would be a good argument IF the writings of our Founding Fathers (including Thomas Jefferson) didn’t frequently refer to God, a Creator, an Almighty Being, etc. Even official government documents like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, as well as a majority of state constitutions, openly reference a (gasp!) higher power. These men supported freedom of religion, but still found it appropriate to mention higher powers in federal documents, inaugural speeches, etc. Today, there are people who ignore the countless words of our Founding Fathers and blindly cling to one vague metaphor written by one man to one congregation in one personal letter.
Lesson for Today
Just because a phrase is familiar doesn’t mean it’s factual. If someone presents you with an argument, research it, even if it sounds like they might be right. Our society loves convenience, and being properly informed on an issue isn’t always convenient. The next time someone throws out the phrase ‘separation of church and state’, be sure to question them. Do they really understand the origin and meaning of the phrase, or are they simply repeating what they heard on TV? Watching an episode of ‘Law and Order’ doesn’t make you a lawyer, just like watching CNN doesn’t make you an informed citizen. Instead of relying on arrogant pseudo-intellectuals in the media to tell you what the Constitution says, go to your local library and look it up yourself.
People are always complaining that America has so many problems, and we’re failing as a nation – ignorance is one of the biggest reasons why. This article highlights just one very small example of how being ignorant on an issue can have far-reaching, dire consequences for years to come. We’re in danger of having the mention of God eliminated from our society simply because one well-intentioned, human being took the time to reiterate the concept of freedom of religion in a letter.
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