Our Freedom of Religious Expression is being attacked by the "ACLU" and "Americans United for Separation of Church and State" who have teamed up with liberal judges across America to strip away our Religious Freedom. It's important to note that the actions taken by these groups whether successful or not, in no way take away our 1st Amendment Rights to Freedom of Religious Expression.
This war began around 50 years ago on June 25th, 1962 in the court case Engel v. Vitale, the court delivered its first ever ruling which completely separated Christian Principles from education; the case struck down school prayer.
Also in that same 1962 case, the Court redefined the meaning and application of a single word “Church.” For 170 years prior to that case the word “church” as used in the phrase “separation of church and state” was defined to mean “a federally established denomination.” However, in 1962 the Court explained that the word “church” would now mean “a religious activity in public”.
This was the turning point in the interpretation of the First Amendment. We need to understand what the court announced: no longer would the First Amendment serve its original purpose of simply prohibiting the establishment of a federal denomination, it now would prohibit religious activities in public settings. This current doctrine of separation is a brand new doctrine; it is not something the Founding Fathers endorsed, and it is not in any founding document.
The misuse of our Constitution's First Amendment is the platform that the these secularists and atheists groups continue to use to build all their cases for the removal of any and all reference to God from our country.
I believe it's important we understand the true meaning of our First Amendment. Here is what it says: The CONGRESS shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion & the CONGRESS shall make no law forbidding the free exercise thereof. D. James Kennedy points out in his book “What if America were a Christian Nation Again” that the First Amendment only inhibits the Congress. It says absolutely nothing about what Christians or people adhering to any religion, ministers, or churches may or may not do.
The ACLU and "Americans United for Separation of Church and State' have gotten the American people to believe a lie that the phrase “Separation of Church and State” is in our First Amendment, but as we've just learned it is not there, nor is it anywhere else in our constitution or Declaration of Independence.
The phrase was simply used in a letter written to the Danbury Baptist by Thomas Jefferson. The Danbury Baptist's were concerned that the government would establish a single denomination like had been the case in England, taking away their freedom to worship as they saw fit, forcing them to worship in a government established church. In his letter, Thomas Jefferson gave them assurance that would not be the case in America. He assured them that there would be a "wall of separation between church and state" and that wall would insure that the government would never interfere with religious activities. To view the actual text of the letter from the Danbury Baptists as well as Thomas Jefferson response click here.
Obviously Thomas Jefferson never intended for secularists to use his statement to the Danbury Baptist to take God out of our country. If that was his intension why did he attend church services that were being held in a government building, more specifically the US Capital just 2 days after he penned that letter. The reason he attended was obviously because he believed that church and state were to go hand in hand.
How terrible for people to twist Jefferson's words to accomplish an agenda of removing God from our country.
Let’s look at how much of our Christian Heritage has been relinquished in recent years under this new erroneous doctrine of separation of church and state.
These secular groups have been successful in removing “Prayer” and “Bible Reading” from our schools, and as a result struck fear in the hearts and minds of our Christian teachers in America attempting to shut their mouths of any reference to God in the classrooms. Secular groups have also been successful in taking the “10 Commandments” out of many public places, they have been battling to take God out of our “Pledge of Allegiance” and to take “in God we trust” off our currency. We've seen these groups become successful in changing "Christmas" to "winter holiday." It's been said that kids right here in our local community are being told they cannot say Merry Christmas in school.
According to recent polls sadly Christianity is on the decline in America. Christian churches in America are losing members rapidly, and this trend is especially dramatic among young Americans.
We have gone from 99.8% Christians at our founding to 73% professed Christians in America today, and the key word is professed, because obviously if all 73% were born again, spirit filled Christians on fire for God we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today.
So what are the results of this falling away from God and our Christian Heritage?
Since the decline of morality began in 1962-63 the United States has become #1 in the world in violent crime, divorce, voluntary abortions, AIDS cases, and Illegal drug use. We have become #1 in the western world in teenage pregnancies and Illiteracy (of all industrial nations, we have the highest Illiteracy rate).
The ultimate goal of the founder of the ACLU is Communism. If we don't act now, in the near future our nation may no longer be a Christian Nation and our Freedom of Religious Expression may be completely relinquished. Become a part of the God given mandate by joining the leadership team. Together and with God's help we can make a difference!
