tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537168462652802737.post2187060961150269940..comments2019-06-17T10:34:31.847-05:00Comments on Winsomebulldog: Response to a Comment...winsomebulldoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03199345831147984626noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537168462652802737.post-27550010786195461752011-02-20T19:04:27.896-06:002011-02-20T19:04:27.896-06:00While the First Amendment undoubtedly was intended...While the First Amendment undoubtedly was intended to preclude the government from establishing a national religion as you note, that was hardly the limit of its intended scope. The first Congress debated and rejected just such a narrow provision ("no religion shall be established by law, nor shall the equal rights of conscience be infringed") and ultimately chose the more broadly phrased prohibition now found in the Amendment. In keeping with the Amendment's terms and legislative history and other evidence, e.g., Madison's statements, the courts have wisely interpreted it to restrict the government from taking steps that could establish religion de facto as well as de jure. Were the Amendment interpreted merely to preclude government from enacting a statute formally establishing a state church, the intent of the Amendment could easily be circumvented by Congress and/or the Executive doing all sorts of things to promote this or that religion--stopping just short of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new church.<br /><br />While many founders were Christian of one sort or another, care should be taken not to make too much of the founders’ individual religious beliefs. In assessing the nature of our government, the religiosity of the various founders, while informative, is largely beside the point. Whatever their religions, they drafted a Constitution that plainly establishes a secular government in the sense that it is based on the power of the people (not a deity) and says nothing substantive of god(s) or religion except in the First Amendment where the point is to confirm that each person enjoys religious liberty and that the government is not to take steps to establish religion and another provision precluding any religious test for public office. This is entirely consistent with the fact that some founders professed their religiosity and even their desire that Christianity remain the dominant religious influence in American society. Why? Because religious people who would like to see their religion flourish in society may well believe that separating religion and government will serve that end and, thus, in founding a government they may well intend to keep it separate from religion. It is entirely possible for thoroughly religious folk to found a secular government and keep it separate from religion. That, indeed, is just what the founders did.Doug Indeaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16049465653137283724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537168462652802737.post-4013797221857041692011-02-19T20:30:45.789-06:002011-02-19T20:30:45.789-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.winsomebulldoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03199345831147984626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537168462652802737.post-78984547040007525322011-02-19T19:58:41.814-06:002011-02-19T19:58:41.814-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Bruce Gourleyhttp://www.baptisthistory.orgnoreply@blogger.com