(RepublicanNews.org) – When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution of the United States of America, it was as an outline of the three branches of government and their spheres of responsibility. It became the law of the land when the state of New Hampshire ratified it on June 21, 1788. It took until December 15, 1791, until the first 10 amendments that we know as the Bill of Rights were officially added. The first is, by far, one of the most important and is continually coming under fire.
Freedom of Religion
To give some perspective of the men who had to pound out that document, their history was wrought with countries where the secular leadership and the religious leadership was essentially one and the same. That along with examples such as the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, and the Church of England, they decided it was time to shift away from that model.
The Establishment Clause
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” In its simplest form, this means they simply wanted people to worship whomever and however they pleased with the government remaining neutral.
Activists rely heavily on this clause when they flood the courts with their complaints. Over the decades, they and their predecessors, have used it many times in their attempt to erase all traces of faith – generally attacking Christianity and Judaism – from the world.
Free Exercise Clause
“… [O]r prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This is the phrase that tends to get overlooked when activists go off on an attack against religion. Regardless of a person’s religion, the push by activists to establish only one religion in the country should be very disturbing to them.
Martin Niemöller left us all a reminder of this in his quote about Nazi Germany, where his first-line said, “first they came for the socialist and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist.” And then the final stanza said, “then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.” These are words every single American needs to take to heart.
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