Educational FAIL: Let's Go Back to CIVICS 101

Every now and then I am reminded of my LOVE and hunger for truth and knowledge.  Few things irritate me more than history being re-written for the sake of political gain or special interest agendas.

So, let's go back to the classroom and refresh some BASIC truths that have been so grossly distorted over the past few decades-- that if we don't start teaching the basic facts again will be lost forever.

Ok, dear readers, here is our civics review for this week:

The Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

The Legal information Institute defines the free exercise clause this way:

The Free Exercise Clause reserves the right of American citizens to accept any religious belief and engage in religious rituals. The wording in the free-exercise clauses of state constitutions that religious “[o]pinion, expression of opinion, and practice were all expressly protected” by the Free Exercise Clause.[1]  The clause protects not just religious beliefs but actions made on behalf of those beliefs. More importantly, the wording of state constitutions suggest that “free exercise envisions religiously compelled exemptions from at least some generally applicable laws.”[2] The Free Exercise Clause not only protects religious belief and expression; it also seems to allow for violation of laws, as long as that violation is made for religious reasons.  In the terms of economc theory, the Free Exercise Clause promotes a free religious market by precluding taxation of religious activities by minority sects.[3]

People have been very confused lately (giving them the benefit of the doubt because the anger seems almost venomous in recent days since the Supreme Court rendered their decision last Friday on same sex marriage.) But there does seem to be some comfusion about exactly what the free exercise clause is and how it is compatible with the equal opportunity employment law.

Equal Opportunity Employment law is defined the following way:

Equal employment opportunity is employment practice where employers do not engage in employment activities that are prohibited by law. It is illegal for employers to discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, age, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

This week in Texas the state government reminded all state employers of their first amendment right to freedom of the expression of their religious beliefs without penalty of losing their jobs under the Equal Opportunity Employment law.  This has caused no small uproar from people across the country.  But seriously, this is CIVICS 101.

I think the anger is because these laws have never really had to be used to defend the conservative Christian crowd. And Christian belief can be be offensive to many. No surprise there! Jesus told us way in advance that people would turn against Christians and despise them because they stand firm of the teachings of Jesus and the inspired word of God as revealed in the Bible.  Clearly, we are at that point in history. Christians are demonized as "haters". Evil is being called Good.

Moving on to our next topic in Civics 101 review is the concept of "Separation of Church and State".

Separation of Church and State

Next time someone mentions the separation of church state being a constitutional law ask them to show you where in the constitution that is written.  (Never ask a question you don't already know the answer to in a debate!)  The fact of the matter it is nowhere in the Constitution-- NOWHERE!

The facts

So where did this phrase come from "Separation of Church and State"?

I'm so glad you asked!

Back in the early 1800s when Thomas Jefferson (an original signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence) was entering his Presidency of the United States, he received a letter from the Danbury Baptist Association expressing their concerns and asking for clarification about religious liberties and the role of the government.

President Jefferson sent a letter in reply that absolutely assured and promised the Danbury Baptist
Association that there would be a "wall of separation" that the government could not cross when it came to the protections and freedoms of religious expression and religious practice. This was the

guarantee that people of faith would not have to check their faith at the door when it came to  issues of public service, employment, etc.  The President actually quoted the constitution stating that congress shall pass no laws regarding the establishment of a religion (remember the church of England WAS the GOVERNMENT which is why we revolted on the basis of freedom of religion for all) nor could the government prohibit the expression of any religious views in any way. The president assured them the only legitimate use of government would be in ACTIONS of ill towards one's neighbors (violence) but never against religious thoughts, beliefs or convictions--EVER because there was a wall of separation protecting people of faith from government intrusion. 

But somewhere in modern society and creative revisionist history (the rewriting of history) this concept of "separation of church and state" has been twisted to mean that Christians must be banned from influencing the political area or public discussions. Yet the historical documents show the exact opposite to be true.  The President was assuring them that in the United States there would be freedom of religion, not freedom FROM religion.


It's important to know the facts. Read the original documents for yourself!