| We might imagine the United States Constitution is | | | | parents to work forit. It took a long time to see that |
| intended byits language to prohibit interference in | | | | while I was delivered fromthe evil of direct |
| religious matters bythe national government. What | | | | involvement in Vietnam, hundreds of thousandsof |
| we have today is far closer to theconventioners' | | | | others were not so fortunate. Now I can't help but |
| hearts than the language implies. When convention | | | | wonder howmany national trespasses remain |
| President, Franklin grew weary of a convention | | | | unforgiven and will be punished. |
| deadlocked formany days, he proposed that it was | | | | In fact, I often think every American life needlessly |
| not without divineintervention they had so recently | | | | lost, is apayment on an ever burgeoning debt of a |
| won a difficult and bloodywar. Therefore, it only | | | | people no longer under |
| made sense they should call upon thispower each | | | | God, regardless of daily school pledges. |
| day to assist in the building of a nation. | | | | By the time I had started school, the extended |
| Hiscompatriots voted no. | | | | family had beenreplaced by the nuclear family we |
| There was no place for divinity in the creation of this | | | | later saw on TV. Divide andconquer. By the end of |
| nation. | | | | the Century, the nuclear family had beenfurther |
| Each member of the convention was free to pray | | | | divided into single and zero parent families, also |
| each day as hesaw fit. The deadlock would be | | | | seenon TV. Of course, there is no such thing as |
| broken by compromise. The | | | | conspiracy so allthese things are only coincidental. Just |
| Constitution was all about compromise thereafter. | | | | ask the conspirators. |
| Knowing the state legislatures would never ratify a | | | | Today, an Alabama judge decides he wants a |
| documentthat usurped so much sovereignty from | | | | monument to the Ten |
| states and their citizens,the conventioners did an end | | | | Commandments in the state courthouse in which he |
| run around the legislatures to getthe document | | | | works; and a |
| ratified by sympathetic, hand-picked committees. | | | | Federal court says that since Congress can make no |
| Wegot a secular framework by which the | | | | lawrespecting the establishment of a religion or |
| sovereignty of the citizenand the state would slowly | | | | prohibiting the |
| transfer to the national government. | | | | FREE practice thereof, an Alabama judge cannot pay |
| This was a process and it took the War Against the | | | | tribute to along established code of law. This would |
| States tocomplete the power grab, intended from | | | | certainly please thoseconventioners who would not |
| the beginning. | | | | have dared to write this new courtwritten law into |
| Though its deficiencies are legion, my attention was | | | | the original document. The new law is |
| recentlycalled to the supremacy clause. Whenever | | | | properlywritten; "No government employee will honor |
| state law opposesnational law, the national law will be | | | | any law but thosecreated by governments." The |
| held to be the supremelaw of the land. That is, an | | | | separation of God and state begunso long ago by |
| arrogant group of nation buildersdecided that all | | | | elitists in Philadelphia is quite nearly complete. |
| wisdom was vested in their work and the wisdomof | | | | The so called barrier between church and state, |
| any state opposing theirs was null and void. That | | | | which has neverexisted in Constitutional law, was |
| should tellus a little about the attitudes of the | | | | removed in the nineteeneighties when the United |
| ambitious, who know whatis best for everyone else, | | | | States Government offered tax exemptstatus to |
| in all cases. The nation these mencreated has | | | | any church that would become a 501C3 |
| conformed to this spirit and this is why it isuniversally | | | | corporation,which most did, as far as I know. Every |
| hated and despised around the world. | | | | church that signed upand accepted a privilege in place |
| In 1954, the words, under God, were added to the | | | | of a natural right became acreature of the state by |
| Pledge of | | | | the foolish act of contracting with itto avoid state |
| Allegiance. It only took a week or two to remember | | | | harassment. This would be unconstitutional exceptthe |
| them each dayin the classroom. But then, what is a | | | | Constitution precludes no one's right to contract. |
| pledge? What isallegiance? Why pledge it to an | | | | If we had studied the writings of John Locke in |
| object such as a flag? What is arepublic? What is the | | | | governmentschools, we would know that no one can |
| difference between a nation under God andone not | | | | legally contract fortheir children. A contract can only |
| under God? How does one put a nation under God or | | | | apply to the contractingparties. The U.S. Constitution |
| removeit? Twelve years of government approved | | | | is such a contract. It wasbinding on the state |
| education never answeredthese questions and the | | | | governments that ratified it and not on anyindividual |
| pledge seemed a silly thing to me, allthose years. I | | | | born after its ratification. It only has such powerover |
| had to join the military to see how the | | | | you and me to which we consent. Of course we will |
| pledgeprepared my mind for the Oath of Allegiance I | | | | bepunished if we do not consent; as thirteen |
| was now requiredto swear. That oath was more | | | | Southern states were,some hundred and forty years |
| confusing still. It spelled out myduty to defend the | | | | ago. After all, political union ismore important than all |
| Constitution from all enemies and left mewithout a | | | | the individual persons in it and no oneis free to reject |
| clue as to how that is done. | | | | it in the land of the free. |
| It was with great confusion that I would next need | | | | Because we are now a nation of government |
| to learnthat we could no longer recite the Lord's | | | | contracted churches,there is nothing illegal about faith |
| Prayer in "government"school, just eight years after | | | | based initiatives. Thegovernment can give or take |
| adding under God to the pledge. | | | | money from any 501C3 church. We canbe sure it will |
| This was not even a Christian prayer. It made sense | | | | do both and separation of church and state isjust a |
| for anyonewho believed their relationship to God was | | | | joke we use to selectively punish the |
| father and child. Idid not know about how offensive | | | | politicallyincorrect. |
| that was to atheists andagnostics because I did not | | | | Few realize it, but the separation of God and state, |
| know any. Even today, my mind istroubled that an | | | | along withthe destruction of extended family, has |
| atheist or agnostic would not want theblessings that | | | | made America so totallyvulnerable to calamities not |
| could come from this prayer, whether they believein | | | | yet experienced, it takes littleeffort to sell Homeland |
| a Father God or not. If they could possibly be wrong, | | | | Security to the people; whose currencysays "In God |
| therest of us would cover their bases. | | | | We Trust". We all know in our hearts we no |
| The next year, after all America's public school | | | | longercan trust in God any more than God can trust |
| childrenceased praying for the nation every school | | | | in us. Let uscontinue to worship the Federal |
| day, J.F.K. wasassassinated. J.F.K., I would later learn, | | | | Government and they will provideour daily bread and |
| was threatening toissue currency instead of | | | | prescription drugs, forgive us, test us,protect us and |
| borrowing from banks at interest, as | | | | deliver us from evil. Just as long as we do as weare |
| Lincoln had also proposed. He also wanted to stay | | | | told for we at least, are not above their law. Or |
| out of | | | | maybe weare - high above it. |
| Vietnam, so now it's obvious why he had to die, as | | | | (PUBLISHERS! Free Promotion Here - Now! If you will |
| did Lincoln;who had just fought the war the money | | | | leave a comment and your URL or hyperlink on this |
| power wanted. So much formoney power loyalty! | | | | or any article of mine: 1.) Some of my on - site |
| Since I was now free from praying in class every | | | | readers will visit your website. 2.) I will visit your |
| day, it neveroccurred to me to pray independently | | | | website. If I like what I find, I will write a positive |
| and I imagine most otherstudents were happy to be | | | | review and publish it here at EzineArticles. You may |
| done with this daily requirement. Itwould be many | | | | delete this generous offer when re - publishing this |
| years before I would see that the daily bread | | | | article. |
| nolonger came so easily and soon required both | | | | |