By now, most people who pay much attention to “the news” have heard about the hoopla in Houston over the legality of pastors being told they must hand over the sermons and speeches. Now, the attorney for the city, who denies any involvement by the mayor (cough, cough), has said keep you sermons but we want your speeches. If this weren’t so sad, it would be laughable.
I’ve been thinking about this for several days, rereading the Constitution of the United States of America, the Amendments, and the Bill of Rights. I’ve read quite a bit about Thomas Jefferson and material he wrote himself. After some serious thought, I drafted what follows and hope you will read it carefully. Whether you agree or not, consider the validity of the argument. If you happen to agree with my premise, share it with others–the more people who consider and argue the case in the public arena, the more likely Americans are to make enough noise to stop the rampant advance of the liberal/progressive agenda.
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I am amazed at the level of ignorance among people of good will, especially those who dutifully exercise their privilege to serve as attorneys and judges in the United States. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was written clearly and is easy to understand.
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.
Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury pastors in 1802, describing the “wall of separation between church and state” and later referred to as the “establishment clause,” was clearly his reaction to the possibility of a State church like the ones the pilgrims fled when they first arrived on the North American continent 200 years earlier.
Here is the real problem with the issue as it is presented today. Those who deny God has a place in the public square have been allowed to convince the average American that Jefferson’s intent was to completely separate the affairs of religion from the affairs of government. Their arguments sometimes seem legitimate and are supposedly aimed at protecting the common good. The truth is, these fools simply do not want the authority of God and his word to have sway upon their lives at any level.
Jefferson never, I repeat never, made a statement or wrote a paper, letter, or even any note that has been discovered to date that vaguely suggested people of faith should not have a deeply intrinsic involvement in affairs of state. To the contrary, Jefferson was a man of deeply held faith as were his contemporaries in government. He made no secret about his Christianity.
Thomas Jefferson had, as his letter makes clear, the intent of not showing any partiality towards any particular religious practice as a person of political sway so as to not give even the glimmer of suggestion that there should be a “state religion;” i.e., The Church of the United States likened to the Church of England.
How much more clear can the First Amendment be? Congress, those who draft and pass laws, is to have no voice, no opinion and under no circumstances is the House and Senate to consider the establishment of a religion sponsored by the state(s). And here is the part where the foolishness of the liberals, progressives, and so-called atheists comes in—the government is not to prohibit the free exercise of religion at all! That’s pretty easy to understand if you want to understand at all. Government is to keep their noses out of religious affairs and those who are part of churches (religious groups) are to have the free exercise to say whatever they want to say without fear of grievance by said government. If you don’t like what someone is saying, don’t listen. If enough people listen and take the issue to heart, whatever it is, those people, however misguided they may be, by right of the constitution can become a voting majority.
The last time I checked, government by the people and their collective will was still the standard for advancing any national idea in America. We the people have lost our will and our desire to stand up to the legal mumbo-jumbo in this country. It is just easier to do our nine to five, watch sports on TV, mow the lawn, and try to keep our kids out of jail.
When, and if, people of faith in the religious community and the legal community stand up to the tripe piled on by God-denying groups in this nation, the pain of religious intimidation may be assuaged and this might once again be one nation under God.
larrywaynesykes.com 
And to that my dear friends I say Amen and Amen!!!!
I’ve noticed that a lot of churches are incorporating and falls under business category. Does that make them a partner with government ? Are the churches placing them selves in a business relationship with government ? Does incorporating void the separation of church and state ?
Churches usually incorporate to offer a level of liability protection for their leadership. I can’t speak to those who do so under a general business category. Our church is a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation. As for your comment about separation of church and state — as the subject is promoted by liberal/progressives, I suppose it might be considered a violation. For those of us who read the Constitution for what it actually says and understand the backstory concerning the letter from Franklin to the pastors, the wall of separation is to keep government out of the churches not to keep matters of faith out of government. The absolutely stupid argument that is fostered and sponsored by the media & the uninformed as well as those with an anti-religion agenda is simply a smokescreen to eliminate God from the public arena.