Spring Break
Imagine separation of church and state; it's easy if you try
Matt Rascher
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Opinion
Imagine there's no "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. It's easy if you try. No "God" on our currency or prayer in our schools. Imagine there's no allocating of government funds to faith-based organizations; it isn't hard to do. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm certainly not the only one.
When dealing with the issue of the separation between church and state, a clear and distinct line must be drawn. There is no room to broaden this definition or work outside the lines of the law. Once the door is opened the beginnings of a theocracy could take hold on our democratic society.
As important as it is to keep the church and state separate, there are already violations of that in the Pledge of Allegiance, on our currency and in our government's policy.
President Barack Obama has recently announced that his administration will not favor one religion over another nor religious groups over non-secular ones. However he went on to contradict himself regarding his council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
"It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state," Obama said.
Obama is trying hard to maintain this separation, but his actions prove otherwise. The government should not be offering money to faith-based organizations.
That association is also present in our everyday lives. People may argue that it doesn't hurt anyone to use that word, because it's just a word.
Words, however, do carry a lot of power. Matt McCormick, associate professor of philosophy, points out some substitutions to the word "God" in our everyday lives.
"If you really think it doesn't matter to have God in the pledge, or you think that the people who don't believe ought to just go along with it. Let's try it this way, 'In Mohammed we trust,' or, 'In Satan we trust,'" McCormick said.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation offers another idea, none at all.
The foundation is an association of freethinkers who have been working to keep state and church separate. Part of its campaign is putting up billboards like the one located near the Sacramento State campus at 8280 Folsom Blvd. This sign reads, "Imagine No Religion."
The organization is in federal court right now over the removal of one of its billboards in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. When this line is crossed, when the government sanctions free speech, our Constitution begins to lose its power. Organizations such as this foundation preach the importance of the separation of church and state, and we should all recognize its ability to do so. Groups like this fight to keep the church and the state separate; imagine a country where they didn't.
Matt Rascher can be reached at mrascher@statehornet.com
When dealing with the issue of the separation between church and state, a clear and distinct line must be drawn. There is no room to broaden this definition or work outside the lines of the law. Once the door is opened the beginnings of a theocracy could take hold on our democratic society.
As important as it is to keep the church and state separate, there are already violations of that in the Pledge of Allegiance, on our currency and in our government's policy.
President Barack Obama has recently announced that his administration will not favor one religion over another nor religious groups over non-secular ones. However he went on to contradict himself regarding his council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
"It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state," Obama said.
Obama is trying hard to maintain this separation, but his actions prove otherwise. The government should not be offering money to faith-based organizations.
That association is also present in our everyday lives. People may argue that it doesn't hurt anyone to use that word, because it's just a word.
Words, however, do carry a lot of power. Matt McCormick, associate professor of philosophy, points out some substitutions to the word "God" in our everyday lives.
"If you really think it doesn't matter to have God in the pledge, or you think that the people who don't believe ought to just go along with it. Let's try it this way, 'In Mohammed we trust,' or, 'In Satan we trust,'" McCormick said.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation offers another idea, none at all.
The foundation is an association of freethinkers who have been working to keep state and church separate. Part of its campaign is putting up billboards like the one located near the Sacramento State campus at 8280 Folsom Blvd. This sign reads, "Imagine No Religion."
The organization is in federal court right now over the removal of one of its billboards in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. When this line is crossed, when the government sanctions free speech, our Constitution begins to lose its power. Organizations such as this foundation preach the importance of the separation of church and state, and we should all recognize its ability to do so. Groups like this fight to keep the church and the state separate; imagine a country where they didn't.
Matt Rascher can be reached at mrascher@statehornet.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Alec
posted 2/26/09 @ 4:32 AM PST
Your notions are not far from how Deist and Calvinist forged American Secularity in and around 1776/87.
Agreed? Whatever god sleeps with caesar = wrong god. (Continued…)
Louis
posted 2/26/09 @ 5:57 AM PST
Matt, I am in total agreement with what you say. It seems to me that even those who disagree with the possible meanings of the 1st amendment would wake up and realize that we are no longer a nation of xtians. (Continued…)
momintum
posted 2/26/09 @ 1:26 PM PST
Religious superstition has been forced down the throat of civilization for hundreds of years. It has caused and will continue to cause civil strife, divisiveness, human misery, atrocities, and murders until the foundations are rended asunder being replaced by common sense, reason, and genuine compassion. (Continued…)
Ed-words
posted 2/26/09 @ 5:20 PM PST
I think your Gov. Arnold S. signed a bill
requiring history textbooks to identify
its famous subjects as homosexual
when appropriate.
But this doesn't apply to famous skeptics/atheists
in our history. (Continued…)
Rolling Thunder
posted 3/03/09 @ 10:55 PM PST
How many times did we pray and say God Bless America during the inauguration?
History Matters
posted 3/07/09 @ 9:20 AM PST
The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee "freedom from religion." If that concept is in there somewhere, our Founding Fathers wrote a document they did not understand. (Continued…)
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