Drawing The Line Between Church And State

A Closer Look At The Long History Behind Politics and Religion In America

(CBS)  "In God We Trust" is right there on all our coins and currency. To find the phrase "Wall of Separation," however, you must go not to the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, but to a letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote to Connecticut Baptists in 1802. His words have guided us ever since, but what, in practical terms, do they mean? Our Cover Story is reported now by Martha Teichner:

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Eleven days and counting before their state nominating caucuses, it's understandable that some Iowa Republicans may be having trouble separating politics and religion.

The battle between Mitt Romney, the Mormon, and Mike Huckabee, the Baptist preacher, has defined the race.

But even the possibility that a candidate's brand of faith could become a kind of presidential litmus test worries as many, if not more, Americans than it reassures - among them, Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek.

"We are veering very close to violating the article in the Constitution that says, there should be no religious test for federal office," Meacham told Teichner.

Meacham is the author of "American Gospel," an attempt to put the tension between God and politics in historical perspective.

"You have 46% of Evangelicals, in a poll that Newsweek did in Iowa, saying that Romney's Mormonism makes them less likely to vote for him," said Meacham. "That, in and of itself, is a very dangerous battle to have because it pushes religious affiliation to the center of debate in a country that has done very well when it has kept that kind of religious debate to the sides, or off the table altogether."

The living embodiment of that notion of separation is the neighborhood of Flushing, in the New York City borough of Queens.

Here you'll find every nationality imaginable - every religion. Within a few blocks, there are churches, a Quaker meeting house, Buddhist temples, synagogues, a mosque. As a sign of how mixed-up everything is, in front of the Queens public library, the Christmas tree and the Menorah were sponsored by the Chinese Businessmen's Association."

All of which makes what's inside that much more remarkable. It's called the Flushing Remonstrance (pictured, left), on loan from the New York State Archives, signed December 27, 1657 - 350 years ago this week. It is a bold, historic declaration of religious freedom.

Professor Kenneth Jackson, who teaches New York history at Columbia University, described the significance of the remonstrance:

"This is one of the really great documents of American history that's preserved by the archives. It's the first thing that we have in writing in the United States where a group of citizens attests on paper and over their signature the right of the people to follow their own conscience with regard to God - and the inability of government, or the illegality of government, to interfere with that."

In 1657, Flushing was a farm village, and like Manhattan, part of New Netherland, a Dutch colony governed by Peter Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant persecuted followers of religions other than his own Dutch Reformed Church. When he barred Quakers from Flushing, thirty local citizens, none of them Quakers themselves, petitioned Stuyvesant, claiming the ban violated Dutch custom.

"It's just elegantly and eloquently written," Jackson said. "They say, 'We desire, therefore, in this case, not to be judged, least we be judged. Neither to condemn, lest we be condemned, but rather let every man stand and fall to his master.'"

Peter Stuyvesant, no man to be trifled with, fined the petitioners and threw them in prison until they recanted - but there's more.

An important part of this story is the role played by a man named John Bowne, who lived here. Bowne allowed the Quakers to meet in his home. He was arrested, jailed, and sent to Holland for trial. The outcome was not what Peter Stuyvesant expected - Bowne was exhonerated.

And the principles set forth in the Flushing Remonstrance - essentially, freedom of worship and the separation of church and state - became practice.

"It didn't just come out of thin air, the First Amendment to the Constitution. We believed this already, in 1791, so it could become the cornerstone of the Bill of Rights," Jackson said.

Remember, most of the original 13 colonies had established churches and actually taxed citizens to support them. The end of that led to an explosion of religious fervor.

"In other words," Teichner asked Jon Meacham, "the separation of church and state enables the tolerance of someone else's religion?"

"Absolutely," Meacham agreed. "The separation of church and state is like oxygen to the fire of religious liberty."

So if you thought the tug-of-war between religion and politics is something new, think again.

"Religion has always been a weapon in the political arena," Meacham explained. "In 1800, there were advertisements that said you could have Jefferson and no God … or Adams and God."

[prayer4u2]

IN GOD IS OUR TRUST is a KeyPhrase in the last verse of The Star-Spangled Banner: "Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the wars desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land (that''''s U.S.) Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! (that''''s HIM!)
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto:
IN GOD IS OUR TRUST Psalms 16:1)
And The Star-Spangled Banner
in triumph shall wave O%u2019er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" If prayer is outlawed, then you have also outlawed the poem & song aka The National Anthem! Begin the trend as all U.S. sporting events should begin with the last verse of our National Anthem (a poem, a prayer, a song never wrong; 3 in One like our God). Happy Holy Days (holidays) & Merry CHRISTmas

[prayer4u2]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof means the Supreme Court nor any other court can continue to perpetuate the fraud of godless secular humanism to replace America''s Congressionally established Judeo-Christian Heritage, "so help me God", Federal Judiciary Act of 1789. If Congress shall MAKE NO LAW, NO LAW is broken where none can not exist except the continued corrupt policey of fraud & hoax of political correctness. CHRISTmas is a FEDERALLY FUNDED HOLY DAY except for those trying to rewrite His Story in history, so much for separation. In 1777 Congress had Bibles printed during the Battle of Brandywine as the need was so great. Today I have grave doubts The People of Congress would attempt a return to truth "so help me God", Federal Judiciary Act of 1789. Law & Reason, Christ Jesus The Law-Giver & Reason for the Season. Yet, others will deny reason by denying the Reason for the Season. How unreasonable to continue to deny "our Lord" in the 7th Article of the U.S. Constitution.

[prayer4u2]

This is a Christian Nation...Holy Trinity Church vs. U.S. Supreme Court with over 87 legal case precedents in regards to those facts! Read it & research it as our U.S. Constitution in Article 7 was adopted & ratified "in the year of our Lord". Which Lord were the Founders referring to? The Truth of "our Lord" is self-evident and is the same Judeo-Christian Deity mentioned as Creator in The Declaration of Independence. GOD is mentioned in the last verse of the National Anthem. Whether or not Americans accept Truth is free choice. Denying "our Lord" in the Constitution under the HOAX of church/state separation is FRAUD!

[uzzisanta]

We''re not a Christian country. We never were. Christians don''t create governments to teach them their religion. Christian create government to fill the potholes. And build the roads. And build the bridges. And provide a secular common core education. And thats it. There''s no destiny.. There''s no guidance. There''s no inspiration. There''s no pre-empted wars.

[uzzisanta]

But don''t you see how unfree that is? You''re assuming Christ is the only way! A thing true in a religion, and not in a state. And that people who don''t know Christ can''t separate church from state. Because they''re selfish. Because they''re cynical. Because they only care about themselves. That assumes an awful lot about a complete stranger. Too much for a peaceful democracy.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

It all boils down to our nature in the core of our heart. Are we Self or Christ driven? If Self we are left to our own direction, if Christ driven we are living by the power of the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So you see we cannot really separate church from state only if we come from the direction of self. Through Christ we can live apart from our old nature.
It is really not an issue of separation of church and state. Its an issue of self, what you want when you want it and how you want it and Christ, this contains equal justice from an unselfish volition. This also contains love from an unbiased agenda. So really the self centered person really has not religion as an problem but self verses Christ. At the end the day that is who we will have to answer to. Whoever you may be.

[prayer4u2]

Of The People, by The People, for The People...means we are the church & the state these two one can not separate because we are united which does not imply united for SEPARATION. United for separatism is still division. I recommend watching FoxNews'''' One Nation Under God on Christmas Eve & Christmas. It isn''''t like CBS hit piece on religious divisions within the Judeo-Christian denominations. This is a Christian nation...Holy Trinity Church vs. U.S. Supreme documents over 87 legal precedants in that opinion alone. The Treaty of Tripoli (1787) declared we were not a Christian nation only to save American hostages held by Islamofacists & almost 200 years later Americans were held hostage during the Jimmy Carter administration. A war against terror since the inception of our nation. 7th Article of U.S. adopted "in year of our Lord" & all the denials doesn''''t change that fact "so help me God", Federal Judiciary Act 1789. America has forgotten legal precedence in regard to Holy Trinity Church vs. U.S. Supreme Court Feb 29, 1892. I did my homework & recommend the same for others. If God is not part of ones constitution as one continue to deny "our Lord" contained in the U.S. Constitution, could it be said they have lost their god or their mind?

[prayer4u2]

My Country Tis of Thee last verse,
Our fathers''''s God to Thee, Author of Liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedoms'''' Holy Light, protect us by Thy Might Great God our King! Protected by "our Lord" mentioned in the 7th Article of The U.S. Constitution supposedly The Supreme Law of The Land. If your constitution is godless, which god do you serve? America has forgotten legal precedence in regard to Holy Trinity Church vs. U.S. Supreme Court Feb 29, 1892.

[prayer4u2]

IN GOD IS OUR TRUST is a KeyPhrase in the last verse of The Star-Spangled Banner: "Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the wars desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land (that''s U.S.) Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! (that''s HIM!)
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto:
IN GOD IS OUR TRUST Psalms 16:1)
And The Star-Spangled Banner
in triumph shall wave O%u2019er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" If prayer is outlawed, then you have also outlawed the poem & song aka The National Anthem! Begin the trend as all U.S. sporting events should begin with the last verse of our National Anthem (a poem, a prayer, a song never wrong; 3 in One like our God). Happy Holy Days (holidays) & Merry CHRISTmas

[prayer4u2]

CHRISTmas a FEDERALLY FUNDED HOLY DAY except for those trying to rewrite His Story in history, so much for separation. In 1777 Congress had Bibles printed during the Battle of Brandywine as the need was so great. Today I have grave doubts The People of Congress would attempt a return to truth "so help me God", Federal Judiciary Act of 1789. Law & Reason, Christ Jesus The Law-Giver & Reason for the Season. Yet, others will deny reason by denying the Reason for the Season. How unreasonable to continue to deny "our Lord" in the 7th Article of the U.S. Constitution.