Has our country lost it's purpose as religious practice has been banned from public places?

Question

"We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." John Jay first chief justice

"The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools." 1782 declaration of the Congress of the United States.

"We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments." James Madison (Primary Author of the U.S. Constitution)

The founding fathers defined the phrase "establishment of religion" differently from the way it is defined today. In the 18th century the phrase meant to establish an official religion. In this case an official state religion.

Thomas Jefferson (who did not participate in either the forming or adoption of the Constitution) was in the minority in his thinking and yet he still held with Christian values. He was opposed to the establishment of a state church, but supported equal access to public buildings and property by secular and religious organizations. In fact Jefferson wrote a letter to a group baptists ensuring them that the federal government could not deny them equal access due to a "wall of seperation between church and state". That famous phrase is unfortunately used to do exactly what Jefferson said it prevented the government from doing.

C-Man
Level 3

On June 10, 1797, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution stating, ". . . the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on Christian religion"

Actually it was from the treaty at Tripoli. Politicians rarely agree with every aspect of a treaty. By it's very nature, a treaty is a compromise in which both parties give up some things they want and allow some things they disagree with to remain.

C-Man

Let me complete a quote for you.

“Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!" But in this exclamatic I should have been as fanatical as (Parson) Bryant or (Pedagogue) Cleverly. Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell.” John Adams.

Answer 1

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Lots of people like to claim that the founding fathers had this or that in mind when they wanted freedom of religion, but I think this quote from Jefferson encapsulates things nicely. He is trying to point out that everyone should be free to practice any religion they darn well please. And it makes his and the other founding fathers' motive noble - anyone who flees religious tyranny only to form a new kind of religious tyranny can only be described as the worst kind of scum.

But as long as religious freedom is guaranteed, I don't think anyone cares what religion everyone in the government is. Atheists shouldn't care how many Christians are in government as long as they aren't forced to practice Christianity, and Christians shouldn't care how many atheists are in government as long as they still can practice Christianity. It all works as long as everyone plays nice, and nobody has to oppress anyone. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Answer 2

On June 10, 1797, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution stating, ". . . the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on Christian religion"

Adams once wrote Jefferson that "This would be the best of all worlds, if there were no religion in it." (Letter to Jefferson, April 19, 1817). Adams explicitly argued against any reference to our government being "under" the influence of "heaven." ("A Defense of the Constitution of Government of the United States of America,'' 1788).

The simple fact is that America IS, and was founded as a SECULAR government, despite the denials from the religious right, who forgot that many of our founders weren't even Christian. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Paine were all moral and thoughtful individuals who did not consider themselves Christians.

Their intent was that government and religion would not interfere with one another- that people of faith not fear the government interfering with their exercise of religion, and that government NOT be used for the advancement of any religion- Christian or otherwise. Here in America, people are free to worship or not worhip as they wish. This was a major reason for leaving England in the first place. This remains our purpose.

Answer 3

The First Amendment to the Constitution reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (Government neutrality toward religion) or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (Religious freedom). The 14th Amendment extended this requirement beyond the Federal government to all the state governments."

The Supreme Court decisions provide an explanation of the rights and responsibilities granted by our Constitution. "Separation of church and state" is a constitutional principle that has been embraced by Supreme Court jurisprudence for more than one hundred years.

Those who insist upon denying the constitutional principle of "separation of church and state" are engaging in revisionist history. "Separation of church and state" is the prerequisite for religious and political liberty."


Preamble to the Constitution
"A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion (Jesus Christ) was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its (Constitutional ) protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.

-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom

Answer 4

Sorry I disagree. The first amendment makes it clear that the government is supposed to stay out of religion. You might argue that barring religious expression in public places is actually a violation of the first amendment, but that's not what you're saying. Sorry, this is not a theocracy, it's a constitutional Republic. If you want to do warring founding fathers quotes, then check out these:

"Question with boldness even the existence of a god." -Thomas Jefferson

"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." -James Madison

"As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion" -Treaty of Tripoli, signed by president John Adams

Answer 5

Gore Vidal once said something upon the following lines: In the 16th century, my forefathers came to America to enjoy restrictions on their liberty that were not available to them in Europe at that time. (Not in quotes, as I am not sure of the accuracy of the quotation).

He was being droll, of course, but one can see his point: if certain factions in the US were allowed free rein, the result would be a Christian version of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Exactly how is religious practice banned from public places in the US, by the way? Your politicians seem to be droning on about God all the time...

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Religion does not belong in government in the U.S.
Keep it out. I hope we all think more rationally than people did in 1782 when Puritan landowners attempted to develop a constitution for ALL people. They weren't right about slavery or women not having the right to vote either. PROGRESS!

Answer 8

I could be on this,all day .Many people can be Fanatic about something ,then rules need to be established.Like anyone else a permit is required to keep the order in a large crowd. If you yourself ,want to pray then do it.Make sure it's not in front of an abortion clinic.

Answer 9

Christians need to realize they don't have the only religion ! They should go to the library and check out a book on world religions. BTW, it's 2006, not the 1700's. And there's been no ban on "religious practice" in public.

Answer 10

The battle to eliminate christianity in the courts is beginning to lose its steam. The ACLU has been losing many more of their cases, which went virtually unapposed in the past.

The courts have become more aware of how the words of our founders have been twisted beyond recognition, by those opposed to christianity, for whatever their reasons.