Taking Liberty: Who”s on first?
By Bill Woodruff
The first part of the First Amendment to the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?” I think the ongoing campaign in the name of separation of church and state is often absurd and dangerous.
I would like to make it clear that I have no particular interest in organized religion (or even disorganized religion), but I will support to the death your right to have yours.
I went to Sunday school as a child, but was not satisfied with the answers to my probably annoying questions. Even at age 10 I didn”t like platitudes.
Twenty-five years later I got married in that same church, so obviously the split was not that serious. My parents were very open-minded and I think wise to let me make up my own mind.
In my 20s I explored various religions and philosophies. I”ve made the Golden Rule my standard, which is the essence of most religions. I have no use for dogma. So much for the disclaimer.
I think it is important to look at our cultural heritage. Our legal system is based on the Bible and English common law, except for Louisiana. Our Declaration of Independence makes it clear that our rights come from our creator — “we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.”
The Constitution was created by “We the People,” to protect our God-given rights, not grant them. When we speak of our Constitutional rights, that isn”t accurate.
Read the Bill of Rights and you will notice the language is about not restricting rights we already have. The establishment of religion refers to the Government choosing one religion as some Muslim countries have a theocracy, and some South American countries have Catholicism as the state religion. This was the case when Maryland was a colony. Pennsylvania set the best example of religious tolerance. Founded by Quakers, but settlers of all religions were welcome.
The second part of the phrase “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” seems to be overlooked. How could the mere mention of God be construed as violating the First Amendment?
If someone is not trying to establish a state religion, then why shouldn”t they be free to exercise their religion anywhere, including a government office or school?
Why do we have to establish no religion as the standard for everyone? This is topsy-turvy. Separation of church and state has become denouncing religion and protecting freedom for atheists only. I don”t have any problem with atheists, as many religious people do, but they are already free to not believe. I agree with the atheists on the point that freedom from religion is just as important as freedom of religion, but moderation should win out here. This is the perfect example of how irrational, extreme and polarized our society has become. I think the Founding Fathers would be appalled by what is happening. They sacrificed their lives and fortunes to give us this great heritage and we are acting like prodigal children.
I”ve always believed that the concepts of free will and God meddling in our lives are incompatible ideas, but that does not negate God as the creator of all the laws of nature — they are immutable and most can”t be broken at all, others at your own peril.
I don”t believe science will ever prove or disprove the existence of God, but the more we unravel the mysteries of the universe, the more we can appreciate the awesome higher intelligence that created it. After all, isn”t that the goal of religion? Dogma may lag behind science and fade away in time, but that should not denigrate religion itself.
Well, back to the pragmatic. I believe the IRS regulations that grant churches tax-exempt status are unconstitutional. The IRS decides if a church qualifies and if it doesn”t there is an unfair disadvantage regarding the collection plate. This is clearly a “law respecting the establishment of religion.” The government should not have this power over beliefs. That is just one more serious defect in our tax system, but that”s for another day (probably several columns). Give them an inch and they”ll take a mile.
“The people never give up their liberties but under delusion.” “The true danger is, when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients, and by parts.” — Burke
Bill Woodruff is a longtime Lake County resident and former business owner.
