The Real Meaning of Jefferson's "Wall of Separation Between Church and State."

According to recent research conducted by the Library of Congress and FBI (recovering text blacked out in first draft), Thomas Jefferson's reply to the Danbury Baptists (1801) was intended to explain why he (in a temporal political position) refused to proclaim national days of fasting and thanksgiving (which he considered under the permanent spiritual domain of God's kingdom). It was not because he wanted to prevent Americans from observing religious celebrations, as Washington and Adams had done before him, but because he wanted to avoid showing political authority to proclaim them.

Such religious proclamations were anathema to many Americans (both Republicans and Federalists, who hated King George's religious tyranny in England). They weren’t atheists or offended by these religious observances, but because of their love for freedom and their Bible-based convictions, they absolutely didn’t want any Government control of their religions. So, Jefferson was attempting to avoid the appearance of (and prevent the occurrence of) any political or religious tyranny here in America.

Also, Jefferson’s response to the Danbury Baptists' was to alleviate their fear that the U.S. government was going to establish the Congregationalist Church as the official denomination of the new nation. Jefferson's reference stated that the government should have no say in the affairs of the church, and -- contrary to popular myth -- was never intended to keep God out of government.

Some Federalists were ready to demonize Jefferson either way. If he proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving, they would accuse him of exercising religious authority like King George. If he refused to proclaim, they would accuse him of being an atheist. Either way, they were being dishonest about Jefferson (the same way some politicians and media today are dishonest in their attacks on our President).

Also, while being religious, Jefferson had no intent to establish a particular Christian sect as the official National religion. He was simply a good example of respecting our 1st Amendment rights, expressing his own convictions while in public office, without politically imposing them on others. In other words, our original political leaders wanted freedom to express their Bible-based beliefs without associating them with a particular Protestant religion.

Furthermore, according to many religious quotes from our Founders, who contributed to the writing of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, any "wall of separation" was never intended to separate God's righteous influence from our tax-payer funded Government leaders or public school teachers; but to separate the administration of Protestant religions from Government control (ie; prevent formation of political alliances between state or federal governments and any Christian sect; to prevent political domination over religion; and to prevent religious or non-religious domination over our Government).

Jefferson's "wall" was also intended to be a wall of protection, limiting Federal Government control over State Government and guaranteeing the protection of the God-given Rights of all USA citizens. Thus, we are free to express our various Christian beliefs anywhere and any time. This applies not only to private citizens (tax payers), but also to public (tax-payer funded) citizens, both on private and public property. Most taxpayers are not offended by this. I believe anyone who is offended, doesn’t understand the Spirit of America and is afraid to face reality.

As long as Congress is not making laws to establish a religion or limit our freedom of expression (on public or private property), and as long as our expressions don’t show hatred towards or harm other people, then no one in America is justified to be offended to our religious expressions. If our Founders weren’t offended by the Bible, why should any modern day Americans be?

In America there should never be Government-controlled religion, or religion-controlled Government, (like Charlemagne did in the [un]Holy Roman Empire, 800AD); but only Government leaders and American citizens voluntarily allowing God’s righteousness to have a good influence on them.

According to the many religious quotes of our Founders (Peter Marshall’s book “The Light and the Glory”), that wall has a two-way door that allows God's divine influence (righteousness, morality, wisdom, honesty, unselfishness, care for the well being of others) into Congress’s decision-making and tax-money spending process, and allows for outward religious expression of Government personnel private and public acknowledgements of God (First Amendment right of Bible religious and moral expression, Ten Commandment monument displays in Court houses, Christmas Manger Scenes, public non-denominational prayers, “One nation under God” in our pledge, teaching Creation in public schools praise, testimonies, gospel songs). These expressions should never be considered as Government establishment or endorsement of religion, because they are not Congress making laws. Nor should they be involved in legal disputes. Honest, well-informed judges should just dismiss these cases.

But that door is also selective - it prevents any anti-Bible restrictions from entering in, and prevents official-endorsements of particular Christian sects from coming out. On the wall, right beside the door, I’d like to see a big sign that says "ACLU KEEP OUT!" Keep out of our tax-payer-funded public schools, Government buildings, and public property. When Government personnel, school-teachers and students express their personal religious beliefs, they should never be accused that they or their agency is trying to establish or endorse a particular religion (also applies to employees of corporations). We already have a law that prevents this - the 1st Amendment! As long as we have 1st Amendment rights, we don’t need lawyers, judges and courts to protect our civil rights. Because of this deception, American tax payers are being required to pay ACLU to erode our American freedoms and our culture. So, who needs ACLU?

According to the Bible, many of the so-called “civil liberties” the ACLU supports are actually un-American and uncivilized (opposed to the principles of life given by our loving intelligent Creator). A friend of mine, refers to them as “Atheists, Communists and Liberals United.” The “ReclaimAmerica.org” website refers to them as “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.”

Their idea of "civil liberties" goes way beyond the original unselfish, honest, responsible, mature liberties that God and our Founders gave us. They also support additional freedoms that selfish, dishonest and irresponsible people demand. These demands are often accompanied by their unjustifiable (sometimes hateful and deceptive) attempts to deceive and dominate our legal system, and even to restrict our God-given Rights.
ACLU may appear to have some good concerns, like supporting freedom of speech and opposing expenditure of tax money on religious displays that don’t represent all tax payer’s religions. But their good is just a front for other uncivilized liberties they support, like legalizing expressions of profanity and pornography in media, abortion (brutal, painful murder of children before birth), homosexual and lesbian alternatives to marriage… etc.

Then, in violation of the 1st Amendment, they try to make it illegal for us to preach against these things, so that God’s love can save them. In their errant attempt to “separate church and state,” they seem more interested in eliminating the church, building their own wall that separates God’s righteous influence from our Government leaders and from our school children, so that the State will have total control over every aspect of our lives (goal of globalism). I believe any separation in America, should be a legal wall separating ACLU from both Church and State.

Statistics published by honest psychologists abound to show the dangers of abortion and homosexuality. Abortion, whether legal or illegal, is among the leading causes of physical and emotional abuse to mothers. According to Elliot Institute, women who have abortions (legal or illegal) are so emotionally distressed that they are more likely to die or commit suicide soon after. And homosexuality is a major contributing factor in the spread of horrible deadly diseases, unfaithful relationships, and abusive treatment of children.

In contrast, scientific evidence and a “cloud of witnesses” testify that women to choose to follow through with pregnancy and become mothers, and men and women to choose to engage in normal marriage, are the healthiest and happiest people.

Looking at the big picture of life, our Creator loves us, and desires to deliver all of us from selfish worldly desires, so we can live healthy, peacefully and lovingly here on earth, and with Him in eternity. Why would anyone be offended by the fact that God loves them? Looking at the original intent of our Bill of Rights, as long as Congress is not passing laws (1) to establish a particular protestant sect (or other religion) as an official National or State religion, or (2) to restrict our Bible-based religious expressions, there is no justification for people to be offended by our 1st Amendment freedoms.
Some Americans, like strong trees, have courage to stand tall and produce the good fruit of righteousness. Others, too weak to stand, are easily bent out of shape (offended). The high moral standards of the Ten Commandments and our Constitutional Republic are (and should continue to be) a lighthouse and good example to the rest of the world. What can we do to prevent the ACLU (and their sympathetic lawyers and judges) from eroding our American freedoms. They and other domineering minorities they support (Human Rights Campaign (HRC) homos and abortionists) are cumbering America like invasive species in trees, the original inhabitants of the land.

The ACLU uses a loophole in “42 United States Code, Sect. 1988” to abuse the law. Following the same process used by invasive species encroach and dominate an ecosystem (ie: Kudzu in southern forests):
(1) They establish a deep invisible root system.
(2) With no support of their own they climb up using the tree for support (funding).
(3) They cumber the tree's branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial, plus Military and Education).
(4) With broad leaves (wide publicity) and sour fruit (judicial tyranny, forceful, hateful, intolerance, support of socialistic and immoral agenda) they try to dominate and block the light (God’s righteous influence).
(5) They hinder the tree from producing its own leaves and good fruit (First Amendment right of Bible-based religious and moral expressions).
(6) Killing the fruit also prevents the seeds from producing future generation of normal adults, moms and dads, leaders and workers, having wholesome values to pass to their children.
(7) The end result of unrestricted infestation of invasive species is acres of dead and fallen trees and tangled vines where productive trees once flourished.

If the ACLU and HRC succeed in destroying our American tree (Constitutional Republic) and good fruit (freedom of religious expression), then eventually, “…when freedom is lost, it is lost even to those who rebuke it" (Sterling Rome).

It’s like ACLU is blindly walking past one of the greatest standards of American identity, the 1st Amendment. They don't seem to have a clue (A-CLU) about the true meaning of our 1st Amendment rights. They are totally ignoring everyone else’s rights, and trying to force Congress to make laws that give a small minority of people additional rights to do things that oppose God’s will, and then hatefully make laws against our rights to lovingly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so they all can believe and be saved.

Since our Constitutional Republic was established as “Government of the people, by the people and for the people,” the ACLU needs to get our permission (ALL voting citizens) to use our tax money to support what they call “civil liberties.” Since they are American citizens (our American brothers and sisters), they are entitled to enjoy the same freedom of expression as we are, and to debate respectfully with us, as long as they don’t try to hurt anyone or change laws that take away our rights. Occasionally I like to pull wild grape vines out of the trees around our yard, and if they had feelings and could speak, I believe those trees would thank me with sigh of relief. To protect the original tree, these vines need to be cut down (un-fund, and close the loop-hole in 42USC).

I believe that if ACLU members (and atheists, agnostics, pagans, globalists) would just take time to study the Bible and U.S. history with an honest heart, and ask real Christians to explain how they know that God exists, and try to understand our testimonies of healing and deliverance (living proof of invisible spiritual realities recorded in Acts 2), and look at life from our Creator’s point of view; then they would see a more wholesome view of our liberties, and would not be offended by our expressions of faith in God, and would have more respect for our responsible freedoms.

I believe the only truly “politically-correct” thing to do in America, is to continue using only the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and the Ten Commandments as our legal standards, and compare all laws and future legislation to these standards, and shun lower European and U.N. standards. Our Founders departed from these when they crossed the Atlantic seeking freedom, and bravely fought against the bondage that attempted to follow them, and died to give us this wonderful “One Nation Under God.”

Let us work together as one nation, not divided by religious, political and moral controversies, but united in preserving the righteous heritage our Founders gave us, for another generation. If we don’t remain the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” we will become the land of the weak and home of the slave.

Charles Sproull, Springville IN, 3/10/2009