Separation of Church and State
Letter to the Editor
There is a fallacy that has infiltrated the modern political theatre. The American populace has been led to believe that the United States of America is a Christian nation. Nothing could be further from the truth. America is a secular nation founded on the principles of Judeo/Christian philosophy which had dominated western human history since before the fall of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Declaration of Independence, 1776, is the one written document that is most responsible for the amount of human equality that society has accomplished in history to this point. However, it is not law. This letter of intent addressed to the King of England, invokes the term “Creator” and gives the impression that this nation was founded as and remains a religious state.
The dictionary defines the word “secular” as not connected with a church or religion. The Constitution of The United States of America, the supreme law of this land, makes this perfectly clear. In its First Amendment it states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This seems to say that no religion shall be favored as far as the political life of the country is concerned. At the same time, government cannot stop anyone from practicing the religion of their choice.
History is punctuated with stories of human atrocities that have occurred when Church and State become one. There also is as much evidence of the good that has been gained as a result of the union of these two most powerful human institutions. The government and religion have worked together for centuries to feed the hungry, clothe the misfortunate, shelter the homeless and benefit all that need assistance through life. On the other side of the coin, these two entities have combined at times to maim, torture, yes and even kill in an effort to further their own purposes.
Between February, 1692, and May, 1693, colonial Massachusetts prosecuted and executed citizens as a result of Biblical Teachings, ignorance, and government backing. This occurrence is known as the Salem Witch Trials. In my opinion, the worst government+church atrocity is chronicled in the New Testament of the Bible: the murder of Jesus.
This presidential election year America is once again in the midst of a divisive question regarding church and state: same sex marriage. The church says no. The government being made up of members of the church is less sure of the answer. Marriage is a function of government. Churches perform marriages as an act of religion.
When asked about church/state relations Jesus said in Matthew 22 and 21 “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” Now what?
Willie Cameron, Jr., Asheville, NC
B. A. Political Science/History, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC
