Separation of Church and State...

I don't know how many of you out there really have thought much about what this really means. I can tell you that up until recently, I didn't pay much attention to it. It was a clause that seemed reasonable, but I didn't take time to think about how that should actually be practiced.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote this into the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the English Monarchy had the long established Church of England wherein there was only one "church" to belong to. The Pilgrims over a century before had fled England to ultimately end up in America to flee the persecution of the Government/Church so that they may practice their faith as they had wished. Our original intention of creating a nation that encouraged religious freedom wherein those of different faiths could express themselves in any fashion they saw fit without fear of reprisal or persecution here in America.

We may think back now at the actual Puritan faith that the Pilgrims practiced and view it as a very conservative religious practice, but in that time and space, it was a liberal and radical move to rise up so defiantly against the ruling power(s) in England. Think about it, they literally had to leave the country in order to practice what they thought was the best course of action for their beliefs. Would you do that today for how you believe?

Since people came to America's shores four hundred years ago, all sorts of faiths have found some level of comfort and ability to survive and even thrive here without any (or much) government interference. With the dominate form(s) of faith coming to America throughout our history, Christianity has had the rule of the roost for our entire existence as a country. Thus many of the values and standards that most Americans hold dear seemed to have evolved out of the Christian faiths that have risen into all levels of government and have shaped most of our policies at every level.

So in the context of a pure form of separation of Church & State, we have mostly observed it to the point that over most of our history, those in power were typically from mainstream Christian faiths that didn't raise any eyebrows with the constituency when policies or civic actions were taken that leaned heavily towards Christian values and practices.

Take the numerous monuments raised in city parks to the Ten Commandments or biblical passages written down on public property. Property that was funded and erected by governmental dollars. Even in our nation's motto of "In God We Trust" is a direct link to an innocuous phrase on our currency that really doesn't raise any fuss as long as everyone actually believes in the existence of God.

And how in recent years that the ACLU has gained momentum to look at the practices of local, state and even the Federal governments where tax dollars are still used to promote the blending of Christian beliefs with policies that affect all citizens under the influence of those policies.

Think about the continued existence of Blue Laws or Dry Counties. These are either municipalities or county governments that have a ruling legislative body that forces the ultra conservative Christian views on the mass public. Or how much stink is risen when after 50 years a monument of the Ten Commandments is deemed unconstitutional and is forced to be removed. There are a lot of vile comments that are flung towards the liberal left in their "unethical" views on the world by removing a piece of local "history".

What most Americans don't seem to think much about - at least those living in conservative regions of the country is that they had no right to use tax dollars to either erect and/or maintain such a monument in the first place.

When this is spun around towards most Christians I know, the typical reaction is guarded and appalled at the then "devaluation" of "moral decline" of America in general. The argument isn't about how moral values are either evolving or shifting, it's in the argument that Christian morals are NOT THE DEFINING MORAL VALUE for Americans.

Just as Christians would not want to have a Muslim or Kosher Jewish faith principals guiding legislative policy, those same minority faiths have endured an incredible reign of another faith's value system forced upon them.

I think what scares Christians the most when someone of another faith or markedly different background is in a position of leadership that can influence policies that would/could eventually affect their own established value entrained policies, threats of the Antichrist or the Devil or Terrorist start to be muttered to attack the character of that policy leader. We've seen that directly with the right wing supporters who actually "fear" Obama.

What Christians haven't realized is that what they should be fighting for are the basic, core issues that all peoples of faith should band together. This is the common ground in our American laws that allow all of us to exist in some shape or form - the Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of Religion. Every single person in America should be card carrying members of the ACLU who's sole existence is to protect and defend the Constitution for ALL Americans. That means those that have faiths that are not Christian or practice social behaviors that are not in line with the Holy Bible. Just as Christians don't want to be under the policy influence of legislature that is written from the Torah or the Koran.

To be an American, we must respect those who are citizens who are all protected by the Constitution and keep our bad mouthing, fear mongering comments to ourselves. We are all free and just because someone lives in a way that you would find completely offensive, it doesn't mean that they don't have that right to do such.

Our laws and policies should be crafted to ensure that our individual freedoms are protected and that no one individual or group can unduly influence others for power.