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Kirkpatrick, R. Craig Recently, a series of letters have appeared on the editorial page of The Tribune addressing the issue of religious practice within our public square. One writer offered an opinion of those who argue that teaching the Bible should be added to our school curriculum. (To be forthcoming, I have never written one of the letters.) It was stated that those writing such letters are "either ignorant or scornful of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which, in part, states the separation of church and state."
My primary issue with the argument offered is the statement — "as fact" — of an often repeated and popularly held, yet erroneous, notion.
The First Amendment to our beloved Constitution states no such thing. It reads: "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 idea of a "wall of separation between Church and State" existing within the First Amendment first was articulated by Thomas Jefferson in his letter to the Danbury Baptists on Jan. 1, 1802. As found in the Library of Congress, the pertinent text of that letter is as follows: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in […]