Separation of Church and State - Defcon
"Christian values should dominate our government... Politicians who do not use the Bible to guide their public and private lives do not belong in office." - Beverly LaHaye, Concerned Women for America
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." - James Madison, 4th president of the United States
Dear (deleted), Beverly LaHaye or James Madison: whose side are you on?
[I]t's time to celebrate the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, who enshrined the separation of church and state in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Join DefCon and remind our fellow Americans that keeping religion out of government was one of the founders' most enlightened commitments.
Click here to write a letter to the editor of your local paper supporting this critical American principle (we've even provided some handy talking points to get you started).
Our Founding Fathers knew that a strong American democracy, and religious freedom for all, required building a wall between church and state. Despite this, religious right leaders like James Dobson, Beverly LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson have waged war both on this central American principle and the freedoms it allows. Their campaign hopes to revise American history, ignoring our commitment to the separation of church and state and replacing it with a government based on their narrow ideology.
Fortunately, our founders made clear their opposition to the mixing of government and religion. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison frequently commented on the importance of separating church and state, and, in the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli, George Washington's administration emphatically stated, "the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."
Show your support for the wall between church and state and write a letter to the editor of your local paper today. Click here to write a letter to the editor.Not sure what to say? Join the conversation at the DefCon blog. Our members have gathered some great resources on what the Founding Fathers really had to say about religion in government. Check out the quotes and links we've gathered, or add your own.
Clark and the rest of the DefCon team
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." - James Madison, 4th president of the United States
Dear (deleted), Beverly LaHaye or James Madison: whose side are you on?
[I]t's time to celebrate the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, who enshrined the separation of church and state in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Join DefCon and remind our fellow Americans that keeping religion out of government was one of the founders' most enlightened commitments.
Click here to write a letter to the editor of your local paper supporting this critical American principle (we've even provided some handy talking points to get you started).
Our Founding Fathers knew that a strong American democracy, and religious freedom for all, required building a wall between church and state. Despite this, religious right leaders like James Dobson, Beverly LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson have waged war both on this central American principle and the freedoms it allows. Their campaign hopes to revise American history, ignoring our commitment to the separation of church and state and replacing it with a government based on their narrow ideology.
Fortunately, our founders made clear their opposition to the mixing of government and religion. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison frequently commented on the importance of separating church and state, and, in the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli, George Washington's administration emphatically stated, "the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."
Show your support for the wall between church and state and write a letter to the editor of your local paper today. Click here to write a letter to the editor.Not sure what to say? Join the conversation at the DefCon blog. Our members have gathered some great resources on what the Founding Fathers really had to say about religion in government. Check out the quotes and links we've gathered, or add your own.
Clark and the rest of the DefCon team
posted by Anonymous @ 2/21/2007 01:04:00 PM
6 Comments:
At Wednesday, February 21, 2007 3:07:00 PM ,
billie said...
excellent idea! i recently purchased a copy of 'american fascists: the christian right's war on america' by chris hedges. he is a seminarian from upstate new york who is arguing against the right's religious foray into politics. see- the irony is- this is a secular country. we may masquerade as a puritan work ethic, christian nation- but that is a facade. most folks in this country are content to think about the afterlife or church- on holidays. most folks could give a tinker's dam about whether or not gay folks marry or there is a set of 10 commandments in a courtroom. most folks don't need a constant reminder of religion- and those that do- have issues. if you are so insecure in your faith that you need it to be legislated and you need to force it on everyone- then your faith needs some looking at. thanks for this post.
At Wednesday, February 21, 2007 11:57:00 PM ,
Marty said...
I saw Chris Hedges on Democracy Now the other day. I plan on reading his book too.
What happens in 2008 if Romney is the Republican candidate? He is Mormon. I wonder how that will play out with the christianist religious right. Should be an interesting election year.
At Thursday, February 22, 2007 5:52:00 AM ,
Anonymous said...
If people would take the values of their religion with them, and leave their specific myths and traditions at home, I think we'd find that it's all the same; that we're all the same.
(And that's why people like Beverly LaHaye will never go along with it. Her religion tells her that she's better than everybody else. It's kind of sad, actually.)
At Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:32:00 AM ,
Anonymous said...
PS - You might like this editorial written by (of all people) Jay Bakker. LINK
At Thursday, February 22, 2007 9:10:00 AM ,
Marty said...
Good article Thomaslb.
"Christians should be able to look past their differences and agree to disagree. This allows people to discuss issues with respect for one another. Christians are called to love others just as they are, without an agenda. Only then will Christianity see a return to its roots: Loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself."
Unfortunately too many Christians have an agenda - getting other people "saved" in their image. After that happens they are pretty much done with you. Mission accomplished.
At Thursday, February 22, 2007 7:29:00 PM ,
Unknown said...
I agree fully and am joining.
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