Below is a paper written attempting to understand the US First Amendment's Freedom of Religion and the early American phrase of 'Church and State'. Coined by Thomas Jefferson, it has become one of the most popular religious foundations of freedom in the USA. An impact so much as that the phrase has altered religious societies world wide. Formed in Italy during the final days of the Spanish Inquisition, the phrase 'Church and State' now governs all papal and all other secular creeds in the United States of America. The belief and religious practice far from the tyrannies of a church run state, Americans enjoy continual religious freedoms created, unwittingly, through the suppression of religious truth.
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Church and State : Returning Home With Pride
by Kara Leigh Aghijlar, 2011
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Issues around the phrase 'church and state' always returns to the attention of the American public. Though, really never a concern, trinity worship is protected by the USA's first amendment. So, church and state arguments have to be an adhoc with the written agreement; therefore, are we travelling again into our early religious days during this country's development? The following excerpts can prove the US government's early fathers never planned to establish a battlement platform in the first amendment arena that we have, and that the early American religious teachers unconsciously established a zeal that fosters the heart, and ineffably caused an important effect. Below the examples should clarify one of the biggest foible's on the amendment within the USA today, The First Amendment and where we're going with it.
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Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression 12/15/1791.(1)
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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The phrase causing all the controversies were collectively used by John Locke and quoted in 1878 by the US Supreme Court when the church and state troubles started and cases appeared in 1947.(2) Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase used today when he wrote a letter to the member of the Danbury Baptist Association. Indicating his 'faithful and zealous pursuit', and the discharge of his presidential duties. His pursuit to clarify the amendment's meaning, Jefferson wrote these words, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God...he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that with[sic] the legitimate powers of government also[sic],...thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.(3)..
So where do all the conflicts begin? Researching through papers to find a 'good' resolution in a non-debatable issue, it was noticed that Dr. John Wesley and the religious Early America establishments made debate comments of church, God, and self. Though the separation of church and state had not yet developed, the ingrained concepts of God and Man were firmly formed through the many trials the early US Christians had. The following excerpt is from one of those reflections by Dr. John Wesley, and 'wholly' within the 'A Plain Account of Christian Perfection'...
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"Q. How shall we avoid setting perfection too high or too low?
"A. By keeping to the Bible, and setting it just as high as the Scripture does. It is nothing higher and nothing lower than this,--the pure love of God and man; the loving God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbour as ourselves. It is love governing the heart and life, running through all our tempers, words, and actions.
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"Q. Suppose one had attained to this, would you advise him to speak of it?
"A. At first perhaps he would scarce be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot within him; his desire to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord carrying him away like a torrent. But afterwards he might; and then it would be advisable, not to speak of it to them that know not God; (it is most likely, it would only provoke them to contradict and blaspheme;) nor to others, without some particular reason, without some good in view. And then he should have especial care to avoid all appearance of boasting; to speak with the deepest humility and reverence, giving all the glory to God.(4)..
Those debates set a tone for the first amendment, 'How shall we avoid setting perfection too high or too low?' And, again, the protected first amendment created a perfection ora with living happily untroubled thus creating the, '...afterwards he might; and then it would be advisable, not to speak of it to them that know not God'...which is where as a Christian country we landed. Here is must be added to remember, unquestionably, the US Americans wanted the Christian church as a major part of the country's establishment, but did they know one of the debate's original responses would become again the need to return to Christ, and here Jesus Christ, 'At first perhaps he would scarce be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot within him; his desire to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord carrying him away like a torrent.' Just what happened when the silence decision proved to be the stocking worn by those living outside the skirt. Closing with that, as a nation the separation of church and state is just that...State gets to say State. As for the church, Praise God who lives on within us, and delivers to us to the day of torrents, Amen.
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References
1. U.S. Constitution Online (2010). "The Constitution of the United States", Amendment 1. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html .
2. Wikipedia (2010). Separation of church and state. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state .
3. Jefferson, T. (1802). Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html ...
4. Jackson,T. (1872). A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. The Works of John Wesley. Vol. 11(29) pg 366-446.
.
Church and State : Returning Home With Pride
by Kara Leigh Aghijlar, 2011
..
Issues around the phrase 'church and state' always returns to the attention of the American public. Though, really never a concern, trinity worship is protected by the USA's first amendment. So, church and state arguments have to be an adhoc with the written agreement; therefore, are we travelling again into our early religious days during this country's development? The following excerpts can prove the US government's early fathers never planned to establish a battlement platform in the first amendment arena that we have, and that the early American religious teachers unconsciously established a zeal that fosters the heart, and ineffably caused an important effect. Below the examples should clarify one of the biggest foible's on the amendment within the USA today, The First Amendment and where we're going with it.
..
Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression 12/15/1791.(1)
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
..
The phrase causing all the controversies were collectively used by John Locke and quoted in 1878 by the US Supreme Court when the church and state troubles started and cases appeared in 1947.(2) Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase used today when he wrote a letter to the member of the Danbury Baptist Association. Indicating his 'faithful and zealous pursuit', and the discharge of his presidential duties. His pursuit to clarify the amendment's meaning, Jefferson wrote these words, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God...he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that with[sic] the legitimate powers of government also[sic],...thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.(3)..
So where do all the conflicts begin? Researching through papers to find a 'good' resolution in a non-debatable issue, it was noticed that Dr. John Wesley and the religious Early America establishments made debate comments of church, God, and self. Though the separation of church and state had not yet developed, the ingrained concepts of God and Man were firmly formed through the many trials the early US Christians had. The following excerpt is from one of those reflections by Dr. John Wesley, and 'wholly' within the 'A Plain Account of Christian Perfection'...
..
"Q. How shall we avoid setting perfection too high or too low?
"A. By keeping to the Bible, and setting it just as high as the Scripture does. It is nothing higher and nothing lower than this,--the pure love of God and man; the loving God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbour as ourselves. It is love governing the heart and life, running through all our tempers, words, and actions.
..
"Q. Suppose one had attained to this, would you advise him to speak of it?
"A. At first perhaps he would scarce be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot within him; his desire to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord carrying him away like a torrent. But afterwards he might; and then it would be advisable, not to speak of it to them that know not God; (it is most likely, it would only provoke them to contradict and blaspheme;) nor to others, without some particular reason, without some good in view. And then he should have especial care to avoid all appearance of boasting; to speak with the deepest humility and reverence, giving all the glory to God.(4)..
Those debates set a tone for the first amendment, 'How shall we avoid setting perfection too high or too low?' And, again, the protected first amendment created a perfection ora with living happily untroubled thus creating the, '...afterwards he might; and then it would be advisable, not to speak of it to them that know not God'...which is where as a Christian country we landed. Here is must be added to remember, unquestionably, the US Americans wanted the Christian church as a major part of the country's establishment, but did they know one of the debate's original responses would become again the need to return to Christ, and here Jesus Christ, 'At first perhaps he would scarce be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot within him; his desire to declare the loving-kindness of the Lord carrying him away like a torrent.' Just what happened when the silence decision proved to be the stocking worn by those living outside the skirt. Closing with that, as a nation the separation of church and state is just that...State gets to say State. As for the church, Praise God who lives on within us, and delivers to us to the day of torrents, Amen.
..
References
1. U.S. Constitution Online (2010). "The Constitution of the United States", Amendment 1. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html .
2. Wikipedia (2010). Separation of church and state. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state .
3. Jefferson, T. (1802). Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html ...
4. Jackson,T. (1872). A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. The Works of John Wesley. Vol. 11(29) pg 366-446.
