Right of Religion

THE RIGHT OF RELIGION

This Nation of the United States of America was formed as a Christian Nation

and the States that formed it were Christian States.

The people in those founding States whom we call the founding fathers were Christian men and the populations of the States who ratified the Constitution and the Amendments thereto in 1789-91 were overwhelmingly Christian of various sects.

That is our heritage and thus the United States of America today is a Christian nation.

It is abundantly clear that the founding fathers use of the term religion meant to them to be the Christianity of various sects and denominations. This will be shown from the various quotations below:

A Constant Reminder That America Was Born With a Prayer

and Founded as a Nation "UNDER GOD"

September 7, 1774. Carpenter's Hall (War with Great Britain imminent- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- When the Congress first met, Mr. Cushing (also representing Massachusetts) made a Motion, that it should be opened with prayer."

"Mr. Peyton Randolph, our President, requested the prayer for the following morning from an Episcopal clergyman, Mr. Duche, . . ."

THE PRAYER IN CONGRESS

Lord, our Heavenly Father, High and Mighty King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth; and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy we beseech Thee, on these American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor, and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring henceforth to be dependent only on Thee; to Thee, they have appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support which Thou alone canst give; take them therefore Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause; and if they persist in their sanguinary purpose, O, let the voice of Thy own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation, that the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety prevail and flourish among Thy people.

Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world, and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come.

All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Savior. Amen.

The above proceedings and prayer were recorded in a letter from John Adams to his wife.

Thomas Jefferson stated the following quotations:

"Almighty God has created the mind free and manifested His supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint... All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens or by civil incapacitations tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion who, being Lord of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in His Almighty power to do, but to extend it by its influence on reason alone."

--Thomas Jefferson: Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1779. ME 2:300, Papers 2:545

"To suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency is a dangerous fallacy which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he being of course judge of that tendency will make his opinions the rule of judgment and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own."

--Thomas Jefferson: Statute for Religious Freedom, 1779. ME 2:302, Papers 2: 546

"Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?"

--Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia, 1782.

Thomas Jefferson, February 15, 1791, where he quotes the 10th Amendment...

"I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground; That "all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people." To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition."

AMENDMENT I.

Congress shall make no law respecting an the 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. (Ratified in 1791)

The First Amendment proscribes FREEDOM OF and FOR RELIGION , NOT FREEDOM FROM RELIGION. The founding fathers understood this Amendment to mean that Government may not touch religion either to oppose it nor to impose it. The United States government, created by the States, cannot define God given rights for the people nor the legal rights of the sovereign States. The American people who are the recipients of such rights may define them within their own States and the U. S. Government has no jurisdiction to contradict laws of State Legislators reflecting these findings including those involving religion.

"[Since] no power over the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or freedom of the press [was] delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States, all lawful powers respecting the same did of right remain and were reserved to the States or the people... Thus was manifested their determination to retain to themselves the right of judging how far the licentiousness of speech and of the press may be abridged without lessening their useful freedom, and how far those abuses which cannot be separated from their use should be tolerated rather than the use be destroyed."

--Thomas Jefferson: Draft Kentucky Resolutions, 1798. ME 17:381

"In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the general government. I have therefore undertaken on no occasion to prescribe the religious exercises suited to it; but have left them as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of State or Church authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies." --Thomas Jefferson: 2nd Inaugural Address, 1805. ME 3:378

"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the United States. Certainly, no power to prescribe any religious exercise or to assume authority in religious discipline has been delegated to the General Government. It must then rest with the states, as far as it can be in any human authority."

--Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Miller, 1808. ME 11:428

"I do not believe it is for the interest of religion to invite the civil magistrate to direct its exercises, its discipline, or its doctrines; nor of the religious societies, that the General Government should be invested with the power of effecting any uniformity of time or matter among them. Fasting and prayer are religious exercises. The enjoining them, an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times for these exercises and the objects proper for them according to their own particular tenets; and this right can never be safer than in their own hands where the Constitution has deposited it... Everyone must act according to the dictates of his own reason, and mine tells me that civil powers alone have been given to the President of the United States, and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Miller, 1808. ME 11:429

"The evidence of [the] natural right [of expatriation], like that of our right to life, liberty, the use of our faculties, the pursuit of happiness, is not left to the feeble and sophistical investigations of reason, but is impressed on the sense of every man. We do not claim these under the charters of kings or legislators, but under the King of Kings."

--Thomas Jefferson to John Manners, 1817.

"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man."

--Thomas Jefferson to Augustus B. Woodward, 1824.

"All power is inherent in the people." --Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.

THERE IS NO WALL OF SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE!

Many falsely proclaim there is a "Wall" and there have even been erroneous court decisions touting about this supposed "Wall". But none of those words (Wall, Separation, Church or State) exist in the ratified First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Rather there are the words Freedom of Religion. Court decisions based upon the false premise of Separation of Church and States, are, of course, erroneous and void since they are not based upon any Constitutional statement or principle. Such decisions require only a writ of Error coram nobis correctly filed and justly heard for reversals of such incorrect decisions. There is no such Wall.

There is, however, a prohibition against the Federal government even so much as touching religion, but there is no prohibition against religion from touching government.

--Thomas Jefferson: Draft Kentucky Resolutions, 1798. ME 17:381

But for those dogmatic adherents to this gross legal error we must now ask the following questions of their counsel:

Does Freedom of Religion mean that we may not have any form of religion displayed or uttered in public buildings or on public property because we might offend someone's different religious views?

Does Freedom of the Press mean that we may not have the press in any government building or property to avoid upsetting or offending someone's idea of the truth?

Does Freedom of Speech mean that we may not freely speak our mind and opinions in public buildings or property to avoid offending someone's different opinion?

Have we not fallen into the grave error in our trampling all over each other to avoid offending someone so that we have established the Dictatorship of the Supposed Offended?

Do you believe that there is a Right or Guarantee extended in the Constitution or Amendments thereto against being offended? If so, produce the statement or pronouncement from the Constitution of such an alleged right.

Does not the result of allowing others the Freedom of Speech, Expression and Press infer that we all have the right to be offended as well, but that we must abide with that discomfort, since we have no right against be offended?

Have you wrongly equated "being offended" with being attacked, slandered or having your own rights denied you; as in the case of religion, does someone else's enjoyment of their rights of Free Speech, Expression and Press in regards to religion somehow prevent you from enjoying your own rights? No, indeed not.

Nor does the Constitution offer equality of representation, but rather representation in accordance with the count of votes. Since the overwhelming majority of the founding fathers were Christian and since the overwhelming majority of Americans today are also Christian, then how do you propose to justify your claims of equality of vote when it comes to community projects, etc. where you and your associates are far in the minority?

To the supposedly offended we say, "Too bad you're offended by our actions. We are offended also by your complaints against us. But, since there is no right not to be offended, we must abide in our offendedness as must you.

You may be surprise to hear what Thomas Jefferson stated below:

"I do not know that it is a duty to disturb by missionaries the religion and peace of other countries, who may think themselves bound to extinguish by fire and fagot the heresies to which we give the name of conversions, and quote our own example for it. Were the Pope, or his holy allies, to send in mission to us some thousands of Jesuit priests to convert us to their orthodoxy, I suspect that we should deem and treat it as a national aggression on our peace and faith." --Thomas Jefferson to Michael Megear, 1823. ME 15:434

This statement acknowledges that the predominant religion in the United States was during Jefferson's time not only Christian, it was protestant. (Catholics migrated to this country from Europe, Ireland and Mexico in large numbers as workers, thus it was not deemed aggression and today America has a substantial Catholic constituency of the sects which make up the Christian majority in America.)

We Americans demand an end to the Dictatorship of the "Supposedly Offended" in our courts as an attack upon the unalienable rights of the majority for their freedom of speech and for the pursuit of happiness by denying full expression of their cultural and religious heritage and because there is no right or guarantee against being offended.

We propose a Cultural Heritage exception providing allowances for the precedence of exhibitions of customs, symbols and/or displays reflecting the cultural heritage of a people and their heroes who have been predominant founders of their State.

We further demand a cessation of all Federal Court involvement within our States. The are wholly without jurisdiction. We call for the Abolishment of the Federal District Courts who prey upon the hapless citizens of our various States.

"Americans are being denied the right to express their religious speech in the public square." Ralph Reed, Christian Coalition.

"A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schools can teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is wrong, out of touch, and needs some common sense." Rep. James Traficant, (D-OH) 1999-APR-27.

"School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to members of the audience who are nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community. " U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Santa Fe v. Doe, (2000). [The error here by the court is that the individual people have a right to profess their religion in public, regardless of tiny minorities who hold different views and are "offended". There is no right not to be offended. While the public school should not sponsor a prayer before a football game, individual students certainly may without interference by the public school which would be prohibiting the free exercise thereof [of religion] and the Freedom of Speech.][The second error by the Court is that the 10^th and 11^th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution do not authorize Federal District Courts within a State]. {The U.S. Supreme Court in this case should be reversed by order of such Court after a request for a hearing under

Rule 20. Procedure on a Petition for an Extraordinary Writ challenging the jurisdiction of said Courts within our States.}

Many Americans feel that part of their personal religious expression is to

pray in public schools, have the 10 Commandments posted in their courts, government offices, public schools, etc. They feel that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and remains one to the present time. Religious plaques posted in government buildings are simply one expression of this heritage. The right to display the Ten Commandments has become a topic of high priority to conservative Christians groups. Some believe that a religious plaque placed in public schools is constitutional, if private funding is used to cover all costs. [The error here is that the Federal Courts, including the U. S. Supreme Court have no jurisdiction to hear the case of prayer in public schools and the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings since these matters are State matters involving State Legislatures and State Courts.] There is no excuse for unconstitutional Federal Intervention into the matters within a State.

While the writings of a founding father, Thomas Jefferson, are of value and while he was influential in the forming of the First Amendment, it was the people of the various States who ratified that amendment, and they were overwhelmingly Christian in cultural heritage, perhaps exceeding 90%. They did have, however, fierce competition between various Christian sects, so that it would have offended a very large segment of the people had any one of these sects have been promoted above the other by government. That would have been the understanding of the people who ratified the First Amendment as written. Certainly these people expected their governmental officials to be Christian in their morals and even to pray officially in Congress.

The United States government, created by the States, cannot define God given rights for the people nor the legal rights of the sovereign States. The American people who are the recipients of such rights may define them for their own States. And, do we have the right to pray in public or in a public building? Of course we do. No man nor nation may forbid us the right to pray wherever or whenever we please, for we need not them obey. And conversely, no man nor nation may force us to pray nor to believe precisely as they do either.

The people in each State may decide for themselves as to the posting of the Ten Commandments in public places and in the teaching from the Bible in the Schools or the recital of prayer offered by students at a school function. No interference from the Federal Government or Federal Courts should be tolerated. If unconstitutional orders are rendered by the Federal Government or Federal Courts, these must be nullified by the Legislature and the Governors of such States if the majority of the people therein so desire and this is, in no way, a violation of the Constitution of the United States nor of anyone's legitimate civil rights.

Vance Beaudreau

Other founding father's statements:

Noah Webster

Principles, Sir, are becoming corrupt, deeply corrupt; & unless the progress of corruption, & perversion of truth can be arrested, neither liberty nor property, will long be secure in this country. And a great evil is, that men of the first distinction seem, to a great extent, to be ignorant of the real, original causes of our public distresses. In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed. . . .

No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. It is the sincere desire of the writer that our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion. The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles, which enjoins humility, piety, and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister, and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free Constitutions of Government. The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and laws. . . .

All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.

John Jay

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.

It is to be regretted, but so I believe the fact to be, that except the Bible there is not a true history in the world. Whatever may be the virtue, discernment, and industry of the writers, I am persuaded that truth and error (though in different degrees) will imperceptibly become and remain mixed and blended until they shall be separated forever by the great and last refining fire.

A proper history of the United States would have much to recommend it: in some respects it would be . . . unlike all others; it would develop the great plan of Providence, for causing this extensive part of our world to be discovered, and these "uttermost parts of the earth" to be gradually filled with civilized and Christian people and nations. . . . The historian, in the course of the work, is never to lose sight of that great plan.

John Adams

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity. It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted.

Samuel Adams

Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age, by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, of inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity and universal philanthropy, and, in subordination to these great principles, the love of their country; of instructing them in the art of self-government without which they never can act a wise part in the government of societies, great or small; in short, of leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system. The rights of the colonists as Christians . . . may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Lawgiver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament. A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. . . . If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.

Our forefathers . . . opened the Bible to all, and maintained the capacity of every man to judge for himself in religion. Are we sufficient for the comprehension of the sublimest spiritual truths, and unequal to material and temporal ones? We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom alone men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and with a propitious eye beholds his subjects assuming that freedom of thought and dignity of self-direction which he bestowed on them. From the rising to the setting sun, may his kingdom come!

Benjamin Franklin

In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . . and have we not forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: "that God governs in the affairs of man."

And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.