NOTE: Here's another blast from the past. This one was originally published in the Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal on July 11, 2000
To the Editor:
Once again the U.S. Supreme Court has ignored, not only the past rulings of its own body, but the very heritage upon which this country was founded, and in so doing has struck at the heart of religious freedom in America.
By striking down student-led and initiated prayer before a home football game, the High Court has taken another step in removing all aspects of God and Christian values from our public lives.
An important point needs to be raised at this stage of our discussion, and that is whenever the Supreme Court declares a particular activity to be unconstitutional, it is presumed that the founding fathers would have opposed this type of behavior. So I ask: Would our founders have been hostile to an opening prayer before a high school football game? Given their overtly Christian nature, I believe the answer would be an emphatic NO.
When one looks at the statements, made not only by the Supreme Court but by our founding fathers as well, it is very difficult to understand how we have come to this grave period in our nation's history. For example, Patrick Henry tells us that this "great nation," was founded by Christians and on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John Jay our First Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court stated that, as a nation, we should select and prefer Christians as our rulers.
In 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded "this is emphatically a Christian nation."
The First Amendment clearly states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The uncomplicated message here is that there was not to be a single federally established religious denomination running the country, and also there was to be no interference by the government of an individual's right to worship as he or she chooses.
However, since the 1947 Supreme Court ruling of Everson v. Board of Education when it was concluded that, "the First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable, we could not approve the slightest breach."
This straightforward and succinct meaning of the founding fathers has been perverted into meaning that there must be a total separation of religious principles in the public arena. Clearly this is absurd.
Following the separation of religious and Biblical principles in our schools in 1962 and 1963, there has been a dramatic increase in violent crime, divorce and a variety of social problems. In conclusion, it is clear that the only way to stem the tide of moral corruption is to return to the solid foundation laid down by our founding fathers more than 200 years ago, that the prosperity and future of America rests in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To the Editor:
Once again the U.S. Supreme Court has ignored, not only the past rulings of its own body, but the very heritage upon which this country was founded, and in so doing has struck at the heart of religious freedom in America.
By striking down student-led and initiated prayer before a home football game, the High Court has taken another step in removing all aspects of God and Christian values from our public lives.
An important point needs to be raised at this stage of our discussion, and that is whenever the Supreme Court declares a particular activity to be unconstitutional, it is presumed that the founding fathers would have opposed this type of behavior. So I ask: Would our founders have been hostile to an opening prayer before a high school football game? Given their overtly Christian nature, I believe the answer would be an emphatic NO.
When one looks at the statements, made not only by the Supreme Court but by our founding fathers as well, it is very difficult to understand how we have come to this grave period in our nation's history. For example, Patrick Henry tells us that this "great nation," was founded by Christians and on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John Jay our First Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court stated that, as a nation, we should select and prefer Christians as our rulers.
In 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded "this is emphatically a Christian nation."
The First Amendment clearly states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The uncomplicated message here is that there was not to be a single federally established religious denomination running the country, and also there was to be no interference by the government of an individual's right to worship as he or she chooses.
However, since the 1947 Supreme Court ruling of Everson v. Board of Education when it was concluded that, "the First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable, we could not approve the slightest breach."
This straightforward and succinct meaning of the founding fathers has been perverted into meaning that there must be a total separation of religious principles in the public arena. Clearly this is absurd.
Following the separation of religious and Biblical principles in our schools in 1962 and 1963, there has been a dramatic increase in violent crime, divorce and a variety of social problems. In conclusion, it is clear that the only way to stem the tide of moral corruption is to return to the solid foundation laid down by our founding fathers more than 200 years ago, that the prosperity and future of America rests in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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