Great site that explains myths about separation of church and state

Myths, Misconceptions and Misunderstandings

Separation of Church and State

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/cs/blcsm_index.htm


Myths about United States Constitution


If It's Not in the Constitution, then it Doesn't Exist

Myth:
The phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear in the Constitution.

Response:
That is true, the phrase "separation of church and state" does not actually appear anywhere in the Constitution. There is a problem, however, in that some people draw incorrect conclusions from this fact. The absence of this phrase does not mean that it is an invalid concept or that it cannot be used as a legal or judicial principle.
The most basic and perhaps common myth is that, because the phrase "separation of church and state" cannot be found in the Constitution, therefore that principle also does not appear there.

Myth:
The Constitution reflects Christian principles and morals.

Response: Another common argument offered by those opposed to the strict separation of church and state is the idea that the Constitution somehow embodies or at least reflects fundamental Christian morals and principles. The point to this claim seems to be that, if true, we should conclude that the Constitution is a Christian document, not a secular document.

Because the laws and government of the United States are based upon the Constitution, this would then lead us to conclude that the United States is a Christian nation - not merely Christian in the sense that many citizens are Christian, but also in the sense that the government and laws are themselves Christian in nature. Therefore, it would be wrong to try and prevent Christian groups from having Christian doctrines embodied, encouraged and even enforced through the power of the state.

Although the argument seems to flow relatively smoothly, the opening premise stands on very shaky ground. For one thing, it is clear that there is no obvious and unequivocal statement in the Constitution which specifies the importance of Christian principles or morals - at no point is Christianity in any way singled out as basis for anything which the text claims. Therefore, anyone who wants to argue that Christianity is indeed present in that text must provide well supported and reasonable interpretations.


Myth:
The Constitution refers to Christianity and Jesus.

Response: One common argument in favor of the separation of church and state is that the Constitution, which is the founding legal document of this nation, makes no reference to religion except in terms which would exclude it from government authority, and certainly makes no reference to Christianity. Therefore, the position which argues that Christianity was essential to the founding of this nation and should continue as a partner with the government is supposed to be refuted.

Accommodationists and others opposed to the separation of church and state respond to this by arguing that the Constitution does refer to Christianity: in Article VII, the Constitution is dated with the words "the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven."

What relevancy does this point have for the debate over religious liberty? Absolutely none. Yes, the authors and signers of the Constitution relied upon a dating system which marks as its beginning the birth of the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ. Yes, it was custom at the time of the Constitution to set forth dates by writing them out in long hand and to use the phrase "the Year of our Lord."

Contrary to what some may think, however, this does not even mean that all of the authors and signers were Christian, much less that they considered Jesus Christ their "Lord" or that they regarded him as somehow the sovereign over the government. Quite the opposite, in fact: the Constitution is designed to ensure the sovereignty of the people, not of any religious figure.

Myth:
The United States is a Christian Nation.

Response: This can be taken a couple of different ways, some valid and some not. It could mean simply that a majority of Americans are Christian and/or have always been Christian. This is true. It could mean that American society has been heavily influenced by Christian beliefs and traditions. This is also true. These are, however, simply factual observations and do not mean much when it comes to political and legal action.

The most common meaning behind the above claim is that America is "Christian" in the sense that it represents Christian doctrines, beliefs and goals. It is "Christian" in the same way that a Methodist congregation is "Christian" - it exists for the sake of believing Christians and is supposed to aid people in being Christians.

Upon what can such a position be based? One way is to argue from the fact that many who came here were Christians fleeing persecution in Europe. Aside from the irony of using past persecution to justify contemporary persecution, this merely confuses the context of how and why the continent was settled with how and why the United States, as a legal entity, was created.

Another argument made is that the early colonies normally had established churches and the governments actively supported Christianity. This is not, however, a very effective argument, because it was exactly this against which many people fought. The First Amendment was specifically designed to prohibit established churches, and at the Constitutional Convention, attempts to write in some sort of nominal support for Christianity always failed. In addition, the people at the time were distinctly "unchurched." The best estimates indicate that only 10% to 15% of the population actually attended church services.

It is true that Ben Franklin proposed that delegates at the Convention open their sessions with morning prayers, and people who oppose the separation of church and state try to make a lot out of this. According to the records, Franklin suggested that "henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business."


What about the "Sundays Excepted" clause?
The Constitution provides for an Sunday Exception for the time given a president for considering a bill passed by the Congress. Does this indicate that the authors were establishing the Sabbath and showing a preference for Christianity?

Myths about the principle of the Separation of Church and State

You have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion

This "separation of church and state" is anti-religion

The "separation of church and state" is unbiblical

This "separation of church and state" is a communist plot

The phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear in the Constitution

The First Amendment only prohibits "establishing" a national church

The First Amendment only prohibits the state from interfering with churches

The First Amendment only applies to the Federal Government

Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists is not important

Myths about American law and government

The United States is a Christian Nation

Religion is necessary for good government

Our "National Day of Prayer" shows that this is a religious nation

Chaplains in the military and Congress prove that there is no separation of church and state

Our national motto is "In God We Trust," proving we are a Christian Nation

The Pledge of Allegiance contains the words "under God," proving that we are a Christian Nation

Presidents have given proclamations calling on days of thanksgiving, fasting and prayer.

The Northwest Ordinance provides for the support of Christianity and demonstrates that the authors of the Constitution did not believe in strict separation.

What about the Declaration of Independence?

The Supreme Court has declared that Secular Humanism is a religion

Myths about School Prayer

An atheist, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, removed God, the Bible and prayer from public schools

School prayer and Bible reading took place in all public schools before 1962

Students should be allowed to pray in school

God was expelled from public schools in 1962

After prayer was removed from schools, performance has declined and social problems have increased.

He's one of the hardest-working atheist bloggers out there.
Keep an eye on that site. It's content-rich to say the least.
You could go through and print out volumes of interesting reading for a plane ride or something. I've done it.
Definately a weekley, or even daily, bookmark read.

-JJ