“The Court,
the Ten Commandments
and Separation of
Church and State”
Most Christians viewed with sadness the removal of the Ten Commandments from a Montgomery, Alabama Courthouse. It appeared to be another victory for the enemies of the Gospel. The ongoing campaign to rid government of biblical morality has pushed Christians into a defensive posture, sometimes resulting in non-Christian responses. Those who surrounded the Decalogue's monument and attempted to prevent its removal were guilty of violating the laws of the land, laws every Christian is obligated to obey (Romans 13:1-4). In an atmosphere highly charged with emotions, it becomes difficult to sort right and wrong. The advocates for removal cry, "Separation of church and state!" while the supporters for God's law shoot back, "Our country's laws were founded on the Ten Commandments!" Who is right? Is one group attempting to maintain a healthy separation of church and state, while another is engaged in a struggle to create a "Christianized Iran"?
The First Amendment
At the heart of the debate is the meaning of the First Amendment which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof..." Those who fight for the elimination of any sign of religion in public life do so on the basis of this amendment. They confidently declare, "Our founding fathers had it right. They wanted no religious influence in public life. They saw the danger in mixing church and state. To hang the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse, to pray or celebrate Christmas and Easter in public schools is a direct violation of the First Amendment."
However, history does not support this interpretation. One only needs to read our founding documents to understand our forefathers had no intention of "gutting" government of religious values. In fact, the leaders of our nation in those early days believed that freedom is rooted in religion. Thomas Jefferson said, "I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man." In a speech delivered on July 4, 1837 John Q. Adams, our sixth president, declared, "Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?" The fourth stanza of our national anthem reads, "... Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, and this be our motto: In God Is Our Trust." Our predecessors envisioned a land where people could freely worship God; but, they never intended to remove God from the country's social structures.
What was their intention? How does the First Amendment apply to church and state separation? Our forefathers were a product of the times. They had suffered under British rule. That rule included tyranny exercised by the Church of England which was tax supported by the English government. To prevent the same marriage between church and state in America the drafters of the Constitution, particularly James Madison, wrote this amendment. The First Amendment prohibited citizens being coerced to support a state church while it gave them freedom to worship God in their own way. They never intended to remove God from government. They understood that people's basic freedoms were tied to God. As God's creation, humankind is unique. No other creature can claim to be created "in the image of God."(Genesis 1) There is a special dignity intrinsic to humans that confers special privileges. The Declaration of Independence describes it in the following way, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." To remove God from the state is to destroy the foundation of freedom. The citizens become "objects" devoid of divine dignity. Such "objects" can be treated as pawns to be controlled for the good of the state. Individual freedom surrenders to the corporate needs. Personal ambitions and goals are secondary to the welfare of the whole. Without God, without moral values arising from Christianity, the state can evolve into a monolithic instrument oppressing the one for the good of the many.
What is true in government is also true in public education. When schools prohibit prayer, Christmas programs, etc. they are teaching as though God does not exist. The thought is, "We must keep our school free from religion so that no student will feel uncomfortable. We must not mix church and state. We want true religious freedom." However, to remove God from education is to teach atheism. "Religious freedom" does not mean the removal of our Christian heritage. It does mean that every student should be free to worship God in his/her personal way, or, not to worship God at all. To be in the presence of prayer does not infringe upon that freedom. Nativity scenes on school property do not force students to bow down to Jesus. This nation was established on Christian principles derived from the Bible. To ignore that history is to flirt with disaster. Religious freedom can only be preserved when a nation acknowledges God as her Creator. To acknowledge our unique position as God's creation produces a governmental structure that seeks to protect, preserve and defend our inherent divine dignity. To remove God is to undermine the foundation for all personal freedom.
