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As our minds
are still full of patriotism from the celebration of the independence
of our country, I can’t help but look back on the hard work
and insight that our forefathers had in establishing this country,
specifically their efforts to preserve the intent of the original
colonists and their search for independence from religious tyranny.
In the early
17th century the Puritans tried to establish a settlement in Massachusetts
Bay based on a holy commonwealth and covenant with God. The other
religious sects of this time (Baptist, Jews, Quakers) said that
the civil authorities of Massachusetts had no authority to involve
themselves in matters of faith. The true church was a voluntary
association of God's elect. Any state involvement in the worship
or God, therefore, was contrary to the divine will and inevitably
led to the defilement of the church. These initial feelings shaped
the thoughts of Thomas Jefferson and his views on religious liberties.
The forming
of the Constitution is rooted in these early feelings by the colonists.
They and many varying sects of Christianity in America felt that
to be fair to all, there could be preference for none. It would
have been disgraceful for anyone to wish to leave the United States
because of religious persecution. So they decided it best to keep
the government out of religion. The first evidence of this is in
the Constitution. Article VI concludes with this line: "No
religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any
office or public trust under the United States." This opened
the door for people of any faith or of no faith to hold office in
our government. To further solidify the framers’ intentions
to separate church and state, they added the 1st Amendment to the
Constitution, which states: "Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....".
This principle has become the ground rule by which people of all
religions, or of none, can live together as citizens of one nation.
Thomas Jefferson,
who had infinite wisdom during the forming of our nation, stated:
"Believing
with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man
and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith
or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach
actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence
that act of the whole American people which declared that their
legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building
a wall of separation between church and State."
[Thomas Jefferson,
letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT. "The Complete
Jefferson" by Saul K. Padover, pp 518-519]
He further stated:
"To compel
a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of
opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical."
--Thomas Jefferson: Bill for Religious Freedom, 1779.
I challenge
all of us to think about our country and the principles we were
founded on. The framers never intended for us to be using government
to create a theocracy. This also isn’t to say that the United
States was not or is not a religious nation. Religion plays a big
role in the everyday life of Americans, then and now. But what they
were striving for is tolerance, something I fear some contemporary
Americans are lacking.
Charlie Wallin
is 1st Vice Chair of the Watauga County Democratic Party.
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