CHURCH AND STATE
Organizations like the A.C.L.U., Americans United For Separation Of Church And State, and our modern Supreme Court, have so distorted our Constitution's First Amendment, that it is time to simply tell the truth! This is the First Amendment:
"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."
FIRST, notice the very first word, CONGRESS. The First Amendment places the restrictions on the Congress, not individual citizens. It says that Government cannot restrict the free exercise of its citizens religious beliefs! The words "separation of church and state" are not found in the First Amendment, and yet modern judges have made radical decisions against the religious rights of its citizens, stating the "Separation" clause as its defense. In other words, our Government has purposely lied to its people about their Constitution!
Since this principle is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, let's investigate. The First Amendment was debated in the first Congressional session of 1789, at which time Thomas Jefferson was out of the country in France as a U.S. Minister. Thirteen years later, on January 1, 1802, he wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut, calming their fears that Congress was NOT in the process of choosing any single Christian denomination as the national religion. Thus his written statement, "Building a wall of separation between Church and State", reassured the Baptists that the Government's hands were tied from interfering with, or in any way controlling, the affairs or decisions of the churches in America! Two days after Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, he attended church. He said that he was going to throw the influence of his position as Chief Magistrate, President of the United States, in favor of the public display and support of the Christian religion. To further validate that Thomas Jefferson was not in favor of removing religion from Government, let us consider some of his official mandates: (1) as the Governor of Virginia, he decreed a day of "Public and solemn thanksgiving and prayer to Almighty God", (2) in 1798 he wrote at the occasion of the Kentucky Resolution; "No power over the freedom of religion...[is] delegated to the United States by the Constitution", (3) while President, he chaired the school board for the District of Columbia, where he used the Bible and Isaac Watts' Hymnal as the books to teach reading to students, (4) as President, he not only signed bills which appropriated financial support for chaplains in Congress and in the armed services, but he also signed the Articles of War in which he "Earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers, diligently to attend divine services", (5) there are countless other examples of his intermingling religion and government, but he was also aware of how his statement to the Danbury Baptists was already being twisted from his true intent. Several months after the Danbury letter, on April 21, 1802, he wrote to Dr. Benjamin Rush; "My views...are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from the anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense in which He wished anyone to be; sincerely attatched to His doctrines in preference to all others."
SECONDLY, another way of proving that the First Amendment was written with the intent of preventing the United States from "establishing" a national religion, is to study the three months of Congressional debate. Consider these few examples: (1) the initial draft, "The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established...", (2) another proposal, "No religion shall be established by law", (3) another draft, "That Congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal worship of it by law", (4) and, "Congress shall make no law establishing any particular denomination of religion in preference to another."
So clearly, the First Amendment was written to give American citizens total religious freedom without the fear of being forced to show devotion to any particular national religion! The First Amendment's "free exercise", means that Americans can profess their beliefs in any way, any place, and any time, without the prohibition of such, by laws from the government and the courts!
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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
If you would like to help Evangelist Riddlebaugh reclaim our country for Jesus Christ, You can mail your financial support to:
Rev. Wayne P. Riddlebaugh
American Heritage Ministry
3350 Gladewood Lane
Pace, FL 32571
Make check payable to: Wayne P. Riddlebaugh
We pray God's richest blessings upon you for supporting His Kingdom work!
Please be advised that American Heritage Ministry is NOT a tax exempt organization, but rather the personal ministry of Evangelist Wayne P. Riddlebaugh. Thus financial support is NOT deductible for tax purposes.