imdatruth: Church or State

"Steak or lobster?" That's the first thing the waiter asks you as you prepare to order your main entrée. Problem is, it's the day after the election and you're "hella tired" from having pushed, worked, and extended yourself so hard over the last few months in trying to ensure victory for your candidate of choice by working on their campaign.

You tend to fade in and out.

Waiter: Steak or Lobster
You: ...
Waiter: Sir? ... sir?!... SIR?!
You: "Huh, what?"

Sometimes it can be like this when we see the results of a decision made. In the beginning it seems all well and good. Things will be the way you imagine and hoped for. Everything you did will be worth it...until you realize that this is not the case and somehow despite your efforts, there were others who felt the opposite of what you wanted was best. Such is the case with democracy. Such is the case between church and state.

We have a long history of the separation between church and state, beginning with the "founding fathers" of the United States of America. No one really wants a particular religion taking over the affairs of everyday citizens or vice versa. It's interesting though because even with there being a "separation of church and state", there's more of a bonding than anything else.

Let's take a look at what I found while visiting a nearby courthouse to take care of some business.***

Paying respects with the proper attire.

All love Jesus and trust in God
when at the courthouse.

Can't hand down justice without a copy.

#riddleMeThis Why is there a copy of the Ten Commandments outside of a state courthouse?!

Going back to our restaurant scenario, when the waiter asks which you want, the steak or the lobster, you must respond by selecting only one because it's apparent you can't have both. These days people seem to feel the same way about church and state. You either have all of one and none of the other, or you leave room for some "holy-roller" to come in and make us all say prayers in the name of _______. Interestingly enough many people have and continue to take certain laws, statutes, and rights to extremes without understanding the basics behind their stated status. For example, the separation of church and state is more about the distance between the two then it is about them not being together at all.

Amendment 1: Freedom of Religion, Speech (Expression), and Assembly

"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."

Here you can clearly see that Congress is being prevented from establishing a religion of the state. It's also very common for prayers and scriptures to be read/recited before certain meetings and gatherings that involve our elected officials. I'm not sure what the makeup is of Congressional officials from a religious standpoint; however, I believe for the most part it has been overwhelming some form of "Christianity". On the other hand, it'd be interesting to be a fly on the wall when someone of another faith (who isn't too particular on ecumenism) is "forced" to endure scripture recitations or prayer readings.

The last thing I want to point out is about this great tool of ours entitled democracy. Democracy is a great way to go about things when done correctly. However, in the "wrong hands" it can be used for as much "evil" as it can for good. In that sense I believe democracy to be an #antiChrist. Why? Well, Christ is all about peace. With democracy, the general basic tenet is that majority rules. Having the majority always decide something isn't always in the best interest of everyone. People are whimsical, therefore, people are able to get what they want through the democratic process. For example, Jesus Christ was once asked a question about divorce in his discussion on marriage. Jesus quickly responded, "Moses permitted you to divorce." In understanding this, we come to realize that it's not as if divorce was always considered a "valid" option but that folks were given this "option" as a result of what they want. (To get a more full understanding of Jesus' views on marriage, divorce, etc you'd need to do a word study on the specific words that were used.)

"In our so-called democracy we are accustomed to give the majority what they want rather than educate them to understand what is best for them" #miseducationOfTheNegro #drCGWoodson

In governing ourselves (because the point of democracy is self-governance), we must constantly answer a serious question. One that our waiter alludes to every time we order: "Steak or lobster?" More importantly, "Church or state?" Is it possible for the two to truly live in harmony, and will people ever really get the understanding they need to grasp what it means? You can thank Thomas Jefferson for the phrase, but I'm not even sure if he's able to answer that question.

Other entries of interest:

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Church or State