When William Penn wrote that "If men will not be governed by God, they then must be governed by tyrants," he was not suggesting that we should be a society led by a theocracy, nor one that turns our backs on God. In spite of the influence of the Holy Bible on the founding documents, the First Amendment proclaimed that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." There are four references to a Creator in the Declaration of Independence, therefore it is clear that the founding fathers recognized that God must not be separated from the affairs of the government. However, they also knew, because of the glaring example of England's state religion, and the King being considered the divine head of the church, that a government establishing a religion to be intricately involved in governmental matters could be dangerous as well. A separation made between God and the government would lead to the people being governed by tyrants, but a state religion set up as a theocracy would lead to the government being tyrannical as well.
The understanding was that our rights are granted by God, and as long as government recognizes that those rights are God-given, and not given by man, liberty remains in force. Once government establishes a policy of separating God from man's rights, and the government acts as the arbitor of those rights, tyranny is sure to follow. In other words, since man's rights are given by his Creator, those rights are inalienable, and can only be taken away by the entity that gave man those rights in the first place. If government separates itself from God, and declares that man's rights are given by man, then the government will act as an agency that is able to also take away those same rights.
Understanding that humanity is suspect to corruption, the Constitution, and the first ten Amendments, were written in such a way as to restrict the power of the government. Through such restrictions, it would disallow men from violating the God-given rights of the citizens. Congress is not to establish a religion, nor pass any law "prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Notice in the U.S. Constitution there are no restrictions on the citizens, but there are restrictions on the activities of the government. Therefore, while Congress cannot make a law establishing a religion, the actions of the citizens, even in the public square, or in an arena that receives public funds, cannot be limited when it comes to their expression of religion.
In the State of Georgia a month ago a school board banned the practice at a high school football game of displaying a Bible verse on banners held by high school football cheerleaders on the playing field. A single parent complained, saying that the banner with the Bible verse on it was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Of course the complaining parent was technically wrong, for the display of the banner could never be considered an action that was the same as Congress passing a law establishing a religion. Nonetheless, the school board banned all future banners of the sort.
How should Christians respond to such a blatant attempt to prohibit the free exercise of one's religion in the public square? Should the voice of a single person complaining about the display of a Bible verse be louder than the majority?
When fighting the war that is being waged against Christianity, often a legal angle is not allowed to the Christian community. The Humanists have convinced society that the idea of Separation of Church and State is a constitutional idea, when indeed it is not. Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists did not establish such a clause, and actually was telling the Baptists (who were the religious minority) in Connecticut that their beef with the Quakers was a local issue, and the federal government could not get involved. As for Jefferson's influence on the U.S. Constitution, one must also remember that Thomas Jefferson wasn't even in the country when the U.S. Constitution was written and ratified. He was in France.
So if society, the judiciary, and government officials have been so misinformed that they believe the complaining person in Georgia that the banners with Bible verses on them were in violation of the Establishment Clause, then how do Christians fight the war being waged against them by secularists that see religion as something that should be limited, and ultimately discarded?
The parents and students in Georgia acted appropriately by refusing to be complacent, and by refusing to allow a single secularist to take away their constitutional right to freely exercise their Christian faith in the public square. What they did was voice their disapproval of the ban by wearing "Warriors for Christ" T-shirts to football games and displaying scores of posters with Bible verses. The elimination of the one banner on the field gave way to numerous banners in the stands, and a rallying of support by the community for the Christian influence the community held so dear.
That is the lesson we all must learn. "United we stand, combined we kick butt" means that we must work together, and fight the war with The Word. The Word of the Spirit, or Scripture, is the sword given to us by Ephesians, Chapter 6, and each of those posters in the football stands with a verse on them were a sword of the spirit that cut into the lies of the opposition.
Our rights are God-given, and government (or school boards) should not be able to remove, or restrict, a citizen's ability to practice one's faith in the public square. Government is now trying to justify killing God with a misinterpretation of the First Amendment, and if they succeed it is nobody's fault but our own for allowing it.
The church must be involved, and our society must be reminded that the principles of this nation were founded on Judeo-Christian values. To step aside and allow government to take away the rights our Lord gave us is cowardly, and unChristian-like. The armor of God from Ephesians 6 gives us a belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the spirit. Notice there is no protection for the back. That is because we are not supposed to turn and run away. We are to face the enemy, and use the armor of God to wage our battles.
So next time you find yourself under attack, remember the Armor of God, and remember what a bunch of parents and students did at a football game in the State of Georgia.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Bible verse ban spawns 'wave of support for Christ' - OneNewsNow
Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists - Library of Congress
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