Note: I am not arguing for a theocracy but against an atheocracy or a society that is actively hostile to religious faith and religious believers.
The argument for the “separation of church and state” as advanced by some radical atheist groups is not based on truth but on a lie that has been told repeatedly. And, while I don’t condemn anyone who unwittingly believes this lie, I do take issue with those that knowingly perpetuate the lie. These are those that claim that the mere mention of God is unconstitutional in the public space, while they simultaneously promote the indoctrination of our children into secular humanism and Marxism in our public schools, colleges, and universities.
This lie is promulgated in our public school system when a child is told that it is unlawful to bring a Bible to school, write a report on a Biblical character, or wear a shirt with a Biblical message on it, all acts that are protected by the “free exercise” clause in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. While this type of public shaming by school administrators would be considered inappropriate in other instances, exceptions are made by radical atheists when it fits their agenda to advance their doctrine and remove opposing views. (Kudos to those administrators and educators that know the law and take care to see that it is applied correctly.)
The First Amendment actually reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” Thomas Jefferson’s only mention of the supposed “wall of separation” was in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, a letter that he wrote to ensure them that the government could not interfere in their free exercise rights.
The “establishment of religion” clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Congress cannot set up a church. Congress cannot pass laws that aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion. Congress cannot pass a law to prohibit you or me from exercising our religion.
But it seems the goal of many radical atheists was never to remove religion from the public space but rather to substitute their religion for Christianity. Since the 1960s, atheist organizations like People United For the American Way, Freedom From Religion, Right Wing Watch, and other atheist and secular humanists have twisted the First Amendment to remove God from every segment of our society in ways that were never intended.
If the Constitution intended to obliterate every mention of God in our society, why did the Bible remain in public schools for almost 200 years after the Constitution and Bill of Rights were ratified? Surely the men that created and signed the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill Of Rights would have seen fit to remove the Bible and prayer from public schools as soon as humanly possible if that was their intent.
While there are many grey areas when it comes to religion in the public space, it seems inconceivable First Amendment was designed to remove all mention of religion while allowing atheists and secular humanists to advance their agendas.
So what should we do when the removal of the Bible and Prayer has had a profound negative effect on our schools and the moral fabric of our society? What should we do when the framers of our Constitution clearly did not intend that citizens be forced to pay taxes for public schools that promote an atheocracy and teach secular humanism/Marxism? The answer is simple: Parents should demand school vouchers and real choices for educating their children. Private schools and homeschoolers should both be eligible recipients of these vouchers. Secular humanism/Marxism has become the state-run religion and should only be taught to those children whose parents choose it for them. It’s time to separate church and state!
* The atheist regimes of Russia, China, Germany, Cambodia, etc. were responsible for close to 200 million deaths in the 20th century alone. Do we really want to stand by while atheists keep pushing secular humanism/Marxism in our public schools?
George Washington (Farewell Address 1796) “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.