FredFlash

Americans United: Congressional Meddling In Religion Violates Church-State Separation, Says Americans United


Wednesday, March 28, 2007


Politicians Should Stick To Legislating And Leave Decisions About Religion To Individual Americans, Says AU's Lynn


A group of U.S. lawmakers that today urged Americans to get “back to prayer” should stop meddling in religion and get back to work, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.


At noon, U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) and congressional allies held a press conference at the Capitol to “officially call America back to prayer and encourage people to sign up to pray for our nation for five minutes each week.”


Said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, “Lawmakers should stick to their constitutional duties and leave religious decisions to individuals. Congressional meddling in religion is an affront to the First Amendment principle of church-state separation. Religion is too important to become a political football.”


Lynn noted that the nation’s Founding Fathers were against mixing religion and government.


James Madison, often referred to as the Father of the Constitution, noted in 1788, “There is not a shadow of right in the general government to intermeddle with religion. Its least interference with it, would be a most flagrant usurpation.”


“There are a host of political issues of utmost importance to Americans,” said Lynn. “Rep. Forbes and other members of Congress should work on those and leave decisions about religion to the American people.”


Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

rathi

a good move by these guys. Too many of the church leaders today forget that the once the church starts influencing the state, the state starts influencing back. And who wants a bunch of scum sucking bottomfeeders messing with your church?

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He'd be right at home on some ancient battlefield, swinging an axe into somebody's face.

Stinger

I have never understood why religious conservatives would want to mix government and religion.

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"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." Marcus Aurelius
Proud member of the Gang of Five, the gang that is always right!
No Personal Attacks, if you can't debate the issue go elsewhere.

RightOfCenter

Thank you Reverend!

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The Jews killed Jesus and then tried to push blame off on the Romans. I blame the blacks.

OKgrannie

Because they would like to have financial support from the government. They ignore the history that proves government control follows government money.

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The greatest danger to liberty lurks in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.---Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

Stinger

I've never seen any huge examples of conservative religious groups petitioning government for any monies to speak of.

OKgrannie

Here are some huge examples. Religious groups have to APPLY for this money:

The New York Times > Business > Image > Federal Dollars, Religious Recipients

"Federal Dollars Religious Recipients

Here is a look at federal grants awarded to faith-based organizations, and several of the lawsuits that challenged whether funds were spent unconstitutionally to promote religion."


$14 million in federal faith-based money goes to Pat Robertson

"$14 million in federal faith-based money goes to Pat Robertson
Televangelist's claim that Ariel Sharon's stroke was an act of God may have cost him the friendship of some Israelis, but it hasn't prevented his charity, Operation Blessing, from garnering faith-based grants from the U.S. government"

Approximately 2 billion dollars was distributed to faith-based organizations in 2005.

FredFlash

They believe that civil government was ordained by God, that its authority comes from God and its purpose is to glorify God. However, the founders held that civil government was conceived by man, that its authority comes from the consent of the governed and its primary object is to secure "certain unalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Religious conservatives who advocate a union of church and state are enemies of our basic republican principles and should be seen as traitors, in the political sense, and Anti-Christian in the spiritual sense.

Stinger

I don't have a problem with faith based initiatives like this, as long as they are not requiring those who receive it to engage in the religion.

That is not what drives the so-called religious right and a major separation issue.

Stinger

Some zealots do but most just want to believe we are "Christian Country" and Christianity should be allow to use government facilities to further or support their religion.

Endowed by their Creator, whomever we each individually deem that to be.

I wouldn't call them enemies, mistaken perhaps.

I think attitudes on both sides of the issue need to be civil.