Assault on Religion

The Assault on Religion

Rick Adamson, .9.22.17

© 2017 Rick Adamson

 

Whatever their beliefs, our Founders came from similar religious backgrounds. Most were Protestants. The largest number were raised in the three largest Christian traditions of colonial America—Anglicanism (as in the cases of John Jay, George Washington, and Edward Rutledge), Presbyterianism(as in the cases of Richard Stockton and the Rev. John Witherspoon), and Congregationalism (as in the cases of John Adams and Samuel Adams). Other Protestant groups included the Society of Friends(Quakers), the Lutherans, and the Dutch Reformed. Three Founders—Charles Carroll and Daniel Carroll of Maryland and Thomas Fitzsimmons of Pennsylvania—were of Roman Catholic heritage.

By the year 1702 all 13 American colonies had some form of state-supported religion. This support varied from tax benefits to religious requirements for voting or serving in the legislature. Several colonies had an "established" church, which meant that local tax money went to the established denomination.

Most of the settlers came from Protestant backgrounds in Britain and the Continent, with a small proportion of Catholics (chiefly in Maryland) and a few Jews in port cities. The English and the German Americans brought along multiple Protestant denominations.

As a result, freedom of religion became a basic American principle, and numerous new movements emerged, many of which became established denominations in their own right. Church, for the most part, meant denomination.

Thus, these men never intended for religion to be shunned by government but, rather that government not select one of the prevailing protestant denominations to be the nationally sanctioned church.

They, therefore, said, in the First Amendment to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”

What this really meant was that Congress was to stay the hell away from the subject which they have done, for the most part.

The idea being that the people could believe in and practice as they wished without interference by the secular government. It did not mean that they did not value religious believes or that the government should discourage such beliefs.

Look what John Adams said about the matter:  “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people”. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I think he was saying that, given all of the freedoms Americans have under the Constitution, those rights would be abused and mocked by people of low character and that religious beliefs, of almost any persuasion, promoted moral conduct and improved character.

George Washington said “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. personified this connection, and described it well in his letter from a Birmingham jail: “One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.”

Someone once said if you can’t get what you want by law, use the courts. Just look what the Supreme Court has done:

√ 1962 ban on public school prayer

√ 1980 invalidation of state law requiring Ten Commandment display in public school

√  1992 rule that made it unconstitutional for a Christian club to meet on campus of public school

√  2005 display of Ten Commandments in two KY courthouses ruled unconstitutional

And the assaults continue in state court houses and legislatures, class rooms and the media.

This is all made possible by a United States Supreme Court decision pursuant to Everson v. Board of Education (1947). The Court was asked to interpret the First Amendment's prohibition on laws "respecting an establishment of religion." "In the words of Jefferson," the justices famously declared, the First Amendment "was intended to erect a wall of separation between church and State'...[that] must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach."

Thus the metaphor "wall of separation between church and state" was born. Note that these words are not in the Constitution or any law but have been legislated by the Court.

In arriving at their conclusion the Court relied on a 1802 letter written by President Jefferson (after being elected the third President) to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut. The Baptists had written the President a "fan" letter in October 1801, congratulating him on his election. In a carefully crafted reply, Jefferson endorsed the persecuted Baptists' aspirations for religious liberty:

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & 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 & State.”

The letter was in fact a political statement written to reassure pious Baptist constituents that Jefferson was indeed a friend of religion and to strike back at the Congregationalist establishment in Connecticut for shamelessly vilifying him as an infidel and atheist in the recent campaign.

The Danbury letter was written 15 years after the Constitution was adopted and, in fact, Jefferson was in France at that time.

Contrary to the Court’s finding, Jefferson's record as a public official in both Virginia and the nation shows that he initiated practices and implemented policies inconsistent with the modern Supreme Court's "high and impregnable" wall of separation.

Even among the metaphors proponents, this has generated much debate concerning the proper dimensions of the wall. Whereas Jefferson's wall expressly separated the institutions of church (Protestant denominations at the time) and the central government, the Court's wall, more expansively, separates religion and all civil government.

It is my hope that this erroneous decision can be corrected soon. Keep FedGov and the Courts out of it and let the states and the people do as they please.

For more see: Undeniable

Race Relations and Education

Race Relations and Education

Rick Adamson, 9.8.17

© 2017 Rick Adamson

Race relations in the country are not good and the reasons for that are complex because they involve economic as well as cultural issues. There has been much written about the status of race relations but not as much about solutions.

The gap between the sides is so large that it is not apparent that a solution is achievable.  For example, many Whites say the problems result from the high violent crime rate which results from a break down in the Black family (fatherless children who are not taught right from wrong and respect for authority), etc. Many Blacks say the problem is racism which results in an unfair criminal justice system, abusive police behavior, poverty and unemployment. Typically they do not mention anything about families or crime), etc.

Looking more closely at the arguments you will see that the two sides seem to be describing different problems altogether. It is a classic chicken or the egg dilemma. Which comes first? Does racism result in a dysfunctional community or is it the other way around?

If people can’t agree on what a problem is they certainly cannot agree on a solution!

Let us explore a few facts:

1. It is a fact that racism, bias, prejudices and unfounded opinions exists in America-and the World-on all sides. Perfection is elusive and rarely achievable. But can one say that racism prohibits one from succeeding in America?
2. It is a fact the there are instances of police abuse in America. But can one say that police brutality prohibits one from succeeding in America?
3. It is a fact that many in the African American community feel that law enforcement does not treat them equally, that the justice system is unfair to them, that they are poor because of white supremacy and that there is rampant racist in American society. But can one say that these problems are so rampant that folks cannot succeed in America.
4. It is also a fact that many African American communities are riddled with drugs and crime.
5. It is also a fact that 71% of black children are born out of wedlock, and that 75% do not live with both parents. (Some argue that this is not a problem and just reflects folks’ preferences for not getting married which, of course, is OK if folks can afford to raise those kids.  But if public support is needed for having irresponsible sex it’s not OK.
6. It is a fact that the current civic leaders of the African American community fail to address the cultural problems in their communities and prefer to preach victimization and the need for more economic assistance (welfare).  They shy away from the importance of personal responsibility, the necessity of reducing crime and the benefits of the intact family.
7. It is a fact that society, as a whole (including the police), are scared to death of the violent predatory behavior of many young black men and, in an effort to avoid confrontation, many people simply ignore the community which can be interpreted as racism.
8. It is a fact that whites, out of guilt, have (for at least the past 50 years) been trying to correct earlier unfair treatment of people of color by the implementation of social programs and the war on poverty. More recently, whites elected a black president who appointed a black attorney general and a black female as head of national security. Despite these efforts race relations have not improved.

Since folks can not agree upon the problem, its cause or its solution; we will take another approach. Let’s assume that this problem will not be solved by the current adult population but that it might be by future generations. So, let’s focus on children and the things that are most likely to allow them to be successful and get along.

For example, children do better in school when:

1. their family is intact (father and mother are present) where right and wrong and the importance of personal responsibly is taught
2. they are not poor or surrounded by violence
3. their mother is over 30
4. their parents are educated and they emphasize the importance of education
5. their parents have higher socioeconomic status
6. their parents speak English at home
7. their parents are involved in PTA
8. they have many books at home to read

With respect to item 2 (poverty), we know, from scientific research done by William Galston that one can (without regard to race) avoid poverty by doing three things:

1. graduate from high school
2. wait until age 20 to have children
3. wait until getting married to have children

Galston found that only 8 percent of people who do those three things are poor. Put another way, young people who follow these three simple rules have a 92 percent chance of staying above the poverty line. By contrast, a young person who breaks just one of these rules has a 79 percent chance of ending up below the poverty line.

Upon reflecting on the above lists it becomes apparent that the overriding determinant of probable success and assimilation is education (including formal schooling but also the teaching of family values, morals and personal responsibility). In order for our children to get an education they need a stable, reasonably mature family environment and parental participation. Educated parents tend to assimilate, attain a higher socioeconomic status, emphasize the importance of education to their children and believe in personal responsibility.

Following is a list of things we can do to help our children:

1. introduce courses into schools, churches and the national media which emphasize Mr. Galston’s three key principles, among others, and reward participants for their successful completion. Reintroduce stigma for having children out of wedlock and for not completing one's’ education/skill development.
2. require parents to insure their children attend school and finish high school (reward them if they do –with vouchers and tax credits and punish them if they do not-with fines and no tax credits, vouchers or welfare).
3. offer free of charge 2 years of college or technical training.
4. create a no crime zone around all K-12 schools so that children do not feel threatened as they attempt to learn.
5. require all young people to serve our country either in the military or in another capacity. They would receive training in American civics, the Constitution and other topics that promote patriotism.
6. require all recipients of public support to enroll in a State run system that would provide them with a counselor whose job would be to assist the recipient to set and attain goals which are important to them. The State’s goal would be to help the individual get off of public assistance while the individual’s goals might be to finish high school, get a GED or to get off drugs and get a job.  The counselor would insure the person receives the State and Federal support required for the individual to attain his or her goals within a reasonable period of time.  Such support could be cash payments, housing assistance, child care, among other things.
7. stop discouraging the breakup of families. (Revise or eliminate all government assistance programs that discriminate against intact families i.e., those which offer rewards for being a single parent.)
8. revise drug crimes and punishment.
9. eliminate ghettos; they should either be cleaned up, in short order, by residents or closed down. Residents would be relocated to other communities.
10. eliminate violent predatory crime (violent crimes committed using deadly weapons) from our society.  Make it clear that there is no place in our society for these horrendous violent crimes and that they are not welcome here. Revise the criminal justice system to make incarceration a very undesirable place to be and increase the apprehension rate for violent predators by hiring more law enforcement personnel.
11. require all citizens to vote
12. work, no free rides. Everyone must work.

We need to make it very clear to parents that the children they produce are their responsibility and that they must provide for them; that they are expected to work and strive to attain success and happiness limited only by their abilities.  And to children, of a certain age, that their future is their responsibility and their poor decisions will not be subsidized by the state; that their poor decisions about skill and education will result in low pay and long hours.

There are no free rides. Everyone must work. Whether it be as a doctor or janitor matters not but work and civic participation is to be expected of all citizens.

Citizenship

Citizenship

Rick Adamson, 9.8.17

© 2017 Rick Adamson

Considering all of the problems we have I feel that we need to round the wagons and focus on our citizens, nationalism, and patriotism.

We are a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality as set forth in our Constitution and other founding documents.

 

At the risk of sounding proud or boastful I proclaim that the USA is an exceptional country.  No one knows this more than foreigners because so many of them want to come here.  They stand in line by the millions to do so.  Also, some of the proudest citizens I know are legal immigrants (naturalized citizens); they are thrilled to be here.

Many of us, unlike immigrants, take our heritage for granted.  We do not appreciate this great country into which we were born. We forget, or were never taught, the significance of our Constitution and the resulting right of “life, liberty, and freedom to pursue happiness in almost any way we choose. Please note the words “freedom to pursue happiness” because happiness is not a “right” as some seen to believe. It must be pursued; it cannot be awarded.

We have been bequeathed freedom, justice and opportunity from the deeds and commitments, even the spilled blood, of Americans who came before us. We did not earn the inheritance.

We really should step back and think about it. Most people do not live under a Democratic Republic as we do and they do not have the rights that we do.  We have a unique Constitution which provides for rights and obligations that only apply to us. Our Constitution, and our rights, do not apply to non citizens even though, many people think and speak as if it did. Some act as if the whole world has rights under our Constitution and that we owe them something. They do not and we do not.

When, and if, we choose to allow foreigners to immigrate here we are extending a privilege to them because they have no inherent right to come here.  So, we should be very thoughtful to our citizens before we extend such invitations.  Citizens’ must come first.

Every citizen is the brother or sister of every other citizen.  We need to start to treat our fellow citizens in a way that is consistent with this notion.

We need to encourage our government to promote our citizens’ rights and make sure their well being comes first and that their rights are respected. We should remind our representatives that we have a government of, by and for the people and that they are responsible to us for their positions.

Our system is not perfect, however, it is the best in the world.  It is, by design, cumbersome (and slow) because, in order that it be thoughtful to the needs of citizens, it requires collaboration and agreement of many parties before action is taken. But, over the long run it has worked.  So be patient but get involved.

What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States?

A citizen is a person who is a member of our country. As a citizen, you give your loyalty to the U.S.A. In return, the government protects you and all your rights granted in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. These rights, amoung others, include:

• Freedom to express yourself.
• Freedom to worship as you wish.
• Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury.
• Right to vote in elections for public officials.
• Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship.
• Right to run for elected office.
• Freedom of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

A citizen is free to pursue what ever lifestyle he or she chooses, so long as it does not infringe upon another citizen’s rights.  The government’s responsibility is to protect us from foreign powers and from infringements upon our liberty and property so that we can go about our pursuits without fear.

Note that these rights do not include 3 squares a day, clothes for your back, a place to live or an income from the government.  Each citizen is expected to take personal responsibility for these things and to provide for his family through hard work.  These rights also do not protect your feelings as they will probably be ruffled from time to time.

These right are not without costs as our responsibilities, as citizens include:

·        Support for and defense of the Constitution.

·        Staying informed of the issues affecting your community.

·        Participating in the democratic process.

·        Respecting and obeying federal, state, and local laws.

·        Respecting the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others.

·        Participating in your local community.

·        Paying income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities.

·        Serving on a jury when called upon.

·        Defending the country if the need should arise.

With respect to these responsibilities, some are concerned about a shortage of civic awareness and engagement and voting. Above all, we are responsible for tending to our own democracy, making it work for all and transmitting it to our children better than we inherited it.

What We Owe

We begin with gratitude. We are lucky to have been born here or to have become naturalized if we were not born here. This nation of unequaled wealth and power, of freedom and opportunity, was given to us. But no matter how rich and powerful it becomes, America is not and never will be a finished project. It is always evolving.

Democracy is not fixed like a monarchy. It is dynamic. Democracy reflects the will and above all the action of each generation of American citizens. So what do we owe? As Americans we owe a profound debt of gratitude for the actions of those who preceded us, and we owe those who will follow an America that is even greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.

We must learn and we must teach our young the importance of  the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the other grand documents of American history.

Lincoln said at Gettysburg: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced”.  He spoke of a new birth of freedom so that government of, by and for the people would not perish.

The State of the Union

There is a sense, particularly among many young people, that being an American citizen is no big deal, with no obligation attached to it; an endeavor not particularly worthy of their time and talent.

All of us are aware of a disconnect between people and their elected representatives. People do not trust them. People think they do the bidding of powerful interests. People think they are not relevant to their day-to-day lives. People think that citizenship is hollow.

Some are concerned because they know that if we are apathetic, passive, and cynical about our democracy, then we will invite leaders who abuse power. There is an old observation: a society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.

Citizens should be concerned because we stand on a precipice. If American citizens increasingly become disengaged, then the entire American democratic enterprise is at risk. If civic participation continues to decline as it has I wonder whether our democracy can continue as we know it.

What We Should Do

Civics

Why should you and I and others engage in civic activity?

We have plenty of important things to worry about-doing our jobs, paying our bills, taking care of our families. No doubt, these private interests are civic virtues in their own right.

We are good, in this country, at speaking out for and protecting our individual interest. But all of us can benefit from giving at least some of our attention to advancing the public interest, or as the founding fathers called it the common good.

Look around you. Many things need to be done in your community and country. Perhaps you are upset by the actions of your representatives, or the school that your children attend, or the quality of your health care. Or, maybe you are concerned about the conditions of the roads that you drive on or even our nation's foreign policy.

Tending your own business and the affairs of your family is important. But civic engagement is your way of influencing, for the better, your neighborhood, community, state and nation. If we become involved our cynicism will dissipate and our morale will improve. We may even see life become better, richer, and fuller for our fellow citizens.

Some folks vote and say and believe that their civic duty has been fully discharged. Voting is important but not enough. Do you know who does not disengage when the voting is done? Special interest groups! They begin their work the day after an election; they know that's when the real work begins. They know it and so should the rest of us.

If you are upset about the influence exerted by special interests; if you are upset about the actions of a public official; if you are upset about the condition of your local school; even if you are upset about a pothole in front of your house-civic engagement is a way of taking action to make your corner of the world better. What do we have on our agenda that is more important?

The key to good governance is simple: it is to hold power accountable. Civic engagement does just that. We engage because it improves our democracy, and it is the only way to make our government responsive to the people.

How, then, do we engage? After all, the American system is one that is run for the people by the people. Let your elected officials know that you know this.

Most Americans want to be better people living in better communities, a better state, and a better nation. Often, they want to become involved but don't know how don't know where to go, whom to talk to, what to do.

Like the attitude of the builder who said: I cannot solve the world's problems, but I can help build this house.

We would all like to engage to resolve the big problems: fixing health care, saving social security, changing the tax code or defending our nation against its enemies. Some of us have those opportunities, but most of us don't.

All of us can engage most effectively through small, incremental changes. A school is rebuilt. Ramps for the handicapped are carved into street corners. A safety signal goes up in a dangerous intersection. A worthy, young disadvantaged student enters medical school. A young woman steps into the world with more opportunity than her mother.

These are not insignificant examples. They save and improve lives and communities. This is the wellspring of our American democracy countless small actions that make a better nation.

We engage by looking around us, seeing something that needs fixing, and doing something about it:

We can stay more informed about issues in our own communities, as well as the issues of the state and nation.

We can run for elective office or work for candidates of our choice.

We can vote in elections and hold each of our representatives accountable-from the president on down to a town council or commissioner.

We can join institutions of service - be it the peace corps, the armed services, Americorps, or local uniformed services.

We can volunteer for charitable causes and organizations.

We can join the sometimes messy, rough and tumble dialogue of democracy by writing letters to local papers or elected officials, asking questions or advocating positions.

We can give speeches or ask questions why things cannot be better across the street or across the world.

We can organize petition drives or letter writing campaigns.

We can join-or begin-organizations that reflect our views and enlarge our collective voice.

Set goals; craft messages; organize; and when successful share the credit.

Civic engagement is the greatest antidote for cynicism; it is also a great-maybe the best lesson of democracy.

When we become engaged in community life we no longer feel distant from the centers of power and decision-making. We come to understand our own communities, and appreciate how we can influence change. Perhaps most important, we gain an appreciation for the hard work of democracy how to understand different points of view and forge a consensus behind a course of action towards a solution in a complex, busy and diverse society.

If we engage, we lessen the distance between ourselves and those who govern. And we gain understanding and appreciation for our country that can only make it and the ongoing experiment of American democracy stronger.

Crime

One of our responsibilities is to respect and obey federal, state, and local laws. Every citizen is the brother or sister of every other citizen.  We need to start to treat our fellow citizens in a way that is consistent with this notion.  If we could do this, crime would be reduced for people are less likely to harm a brother or sister than a stranger.  We, as citizens of this great country, should adopt a zero tolerance attitude toward predatory violent crime.  We have no place it society for this behavior-killing and robbing with guns or other weapons.  Those determined to commit violent criminal acts should be removed from society and put away in a not so pleasant place so that they cannot harm peaceful citizens.

Immigration

As a sovereign nation we should, like all other sovereign  nations, regulate and control our borders.  This is more important today than ever before due the prevalence of terrorist, human trafficking and drug cartels. Our borders have never been effectively managed and this must change. This does not mean the elimination of immigration, but, rather the careful regulation of those individuals who entering our great country, including their names, addresses and the purpose of their being here.  This sounds elementary but, the fact is, we do not know this information concerning up to 20 million people who live among us. This is due to our failure to enforce immigration laws that are on the books and due to our porous borders. It is a matter of national security!

 

Summary

Let’s refocus our efforts on the well being of our country and its citizens. Our government’s entire job is to protect and promote the wellbeing of our citizens not the citizens of foreign countries. It should, as part of that effort, encourage citizens to learn and understand the importance of being a citizen. Let’s all rally around this great country and all of our fellow citizens and promote the good ole USA.