The Role of Religion in Government

Because the issue has come up numerous times recently and because of the frequent misreporting of the facts in the general media, I decided to go back and do a little research on the subject of the part religion played in the formation of our Constitution. While I took several courses in college that dealt with this subject, I decided I could use a little memory refreshing. I’ve repeatedly heard politicians, secularists, and various people generally opposed to religion in government refer to the practice of religion within government as though it was prohibited or illegal. This is a common tactic by many who wish to impose their views. They make claims without proof. They make the claim and demand that they be disproved, when in fact they bear the burden of proof themselves. However, to simplify this for some, I’ve decided it is time to restate the facts and they are all self provable. One only has to take the time to read a few documents for themselves.

Let me start by pointing out that there has never been any prohibition of religion in American government, nor is that implied in the principle of separation of church and state. That principle is not in the Constitution and evolved over time as a legal idea to ensure that no one religion would ever become a state sponsored religion like that which had been created in England. The colonists were fleeing religious persecution, were very strong in their religious Christian beliefs, and were determined to protect them, not prohibit their practice anywhere. Virtually all public meetings were opened and closed with prayer. Religion and moral values were taught in the schools of many states and were considered mandatory for the right upbringing of the young. If you read the Northwest Ordinance, you will find that it was required in the schools of the new territories. The Christian Bible itself was often used as a reader for children and most colonists, as noted by Alexis de Tocqueville, were more knowledgeable of the verses than those in Europe. However, one of the concerns that Jefferson noted was that it was important not to allow any religious teaching which was not common to the others. Over time the courts would gradually whittle away at that to mean virtually anything and is why we find our Constitutional right to the free practice and expression of religion being muffled by extreme groups.

Our country was founded on Christian Judeo principles, not any other major religion. In their zeal to protect their right to practice it, they recognized that they must also allow others not to believe. That provision of fairness seems to have gone strangely against them. Those that do not believe and remain a minority want to insist that those who do believe should have no right to their own expressions of their faith. That was clearly not intended, is specifically protected under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution, and was exercised in all government daily activities. I would encourage everyone to read the Constitution periodically and become familiar with the language. In recent years, some in the Federal Government have slowly been reaching beyond any reasonable interpretation of Section 8 of the Constitution. The powers of Congress are specifically enumerated in that section and it would have been hard for the framers to imagine how Congress has so over reached its Constitutional authority. While scholars can debate this into the small hours of the night, any rational thinking person can read that section, easily understand the wording, and then form their own conclusions. However, the importance of pointing out Section 8 is that the country was established as a Republic and as one, the central government was to have very limited, specifically enumerated powers, with all others reserved to the individual states. This was in direct and specific opposition to the governments of Europe. Franklin constantly warned of people’s tendency to return to European authoritarian law.

Section 8 of the Constitution is critical to all Constitutional matters because it defines where the authority of the governments lies. The central federal government only has certain defined powers and all others are reserved to the states. In matters of religion, the First Amendment reads as follows:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It should be noted that the Constitution does not say that the Congress nor the states shall make no law. It only limits Congress. At the time of the signing of the Constitution, there were seven states that had established state religions. Jefferson mentioned this point several times in his writings and even in his 2nd inaugural address. He pointed out that the subject of religion within the states was entirely within the jurisdiction of the individual states, not the federal government.

Americans need to stop listening to the spinmiesters of television and magazines and do a little more reading of these documents including the Declaration of Independence which also gives homage to God. If people were to try to set aside their own biases for even a few moments to consider the facts instead of the spin, we might have a more democratic society. Forget all the politicians, forget the columnists and talking heads and read the actual words of those who risked their lives so that we might live in freedom. Don’t be so quick to be willing to give away our personal freedoms to government bureaucrats. The Federalist Papers are filled with the warnings of what could happen and we are seeing those things today. The documents I mention above are but a start, but they are compelling in their clarity of purpose. Once you read them, it is clear that Congress, some members of the courts and others have gone far astray of the framer’s original intent and specific wording of the law of our land. If we do not stand vigilantly strong against these constant attacks on our individual liberties, we will one day awaken to find that they have been taken from us.