Northpinellas: God is mentioned a lot, but should stay out of politics

Good God. Dear God. For God's sake. Omigod. God, we mention God a lot in this country! And yet, many of us have asked that he stay out of politics.

Take the case that the U.S. Supreme Court will soon be reviewing involving government funding for "faith-based initiatives." It's a good example of how so many feel that God should stay out of politics.

"Stay out of" politics. Also known as "separation of church and state," a phrase quoted so often that you would swear it was part of the First Amendment.

Well, it's not. Nowhere in the First Amendment do we find that phrase. What we do find, however, is, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion ..."

I'm no constitutional lawyer, but I think this meant there could never be a national religion. "Respecting," I suspect, was the authors' clumsy way of saying, "as far as" or "with regard to."

Yet, every time someone complains about a Ten Commandments plaque displayed in a government building or a nativity scene placed on public property, they scream separation of church and state. Not so.

A religious display on government property does not mean that it represents the government's religion. There is no government religion. Congress is prohibited from establishing one. A religious display is not illegal, then, it is merely ill advised, because it invariably incites controversy. A similar display on private property is protected (allowed) by part of the rest of the amendment (Congress "shall make no law ... prohibiting the free exercise thereof...")

So, there is no law that says we must worship one way and no law that says we can't worship another way. In fact, we're free to exercise whatever way we choose. Those guys were good.

It amazes me that we easily accept "In God We Trust" on our currency, easily say "so help me God" at the end of an oath, proudly proclaim "one nation under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance, yet go ballistic when we see public displays of God's existence.

So, who is this God? It seems to me that if we are using his name so freely (not in vain, necessarily), we should know more about him, don't you think? Maybe we'll learn that we have nothing to fear if we allow him to be in our lives in more than name only.

Jack Bray is a retired broadcasting executive who lives in Dunedin. Views expressed by guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.

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Comments on this article

by Lowell	04/06/07 09:28 PM
Danielle, you claim "We've always had God on money, in the pledge". You are quite ignorant of our history. Our paper money and Pledge were godless until the 1950s. Why don't you leave MY country if you can't be bothered to learn our true history?

by Iris	04/06/07 12:05 AM
I believe the only reason for anyone to get offended by the Gog of the Ten Commandments, is because not just those peo[le, but all people want to live their lives the way they choose. God gives us all free will, but lawlessness has a price.

by Lisa	04/04/07 11:07 AM
Go back to your homeland? Danielle I am from the US. I am proud of it. What you have glossed over is that yours is not the only God (contrary to your belief). Without using religion tell me why yours should be above the belief of others?

by danielle	04/03/07 12:49 PM
We've always had God on money, in the pledge, etc.,this is the United States, if you wish to come here, this is how we do things here,you don't have to say God if you don't want to, you can always go back to your home land, stop trying to change U.S.

by danielle	04/03/07 12:41 PM
God bless you for writing this, I very much so agree with your views, but there are people everywhere that just like to complain about everything, from religion, holidays,doctors, food, everything...freedom of speech,right?God bless America!

by Mike	04/03/07 09:42 AM
Jack Bray, you just don't get it. There's no need for "god" on our pledge, our money or our public buildings. Those of us that are offended by one, are offended by all of those things. It's a private matter.

by Steve	04/03/07 08:42 AM
God Bless all of you atheists. Christians truly love you. Nice article Jack.

by David	04/02/07 11:26 PM
When someone says he knows what the Constitution says and means better than the Justices of the Supreme Court, to say he is skating on very thin ice is a big understatement.

by Drew Finn	04/02/07 08:23 PM
If God is supposed to be seperate from government - then why do we have "In God We Trust" on our money ????

by Joey	04/02/07 05:49 PM
The liberal prayer; Oh, gender-neutral multicultural power greater than I, bless us in a non-religious way, and guide us without giving us unfair advantage over others, in the name of your son who we can't mention, in whatever year this is. Aperson."

by Elizabeth	04/02/07 05:11 PM
Pagans do not assume you are pagan. But assuming a pagan ran for office and won, would he/she be required to take an oath on the Christian bible? Can "God" be legally left out of any American oath? Is Santa Clause a god? Is the Easter Bunny?

by Pat	04/02/07 03:52 PM
In Wicca We Trust? In Scientology We Trust? In Buddha We Trust? No? National religion? No. Then stop trying to add God.

by Kara	04/02/07 03:30 PM
The Pledge of Alligeance was altered to add "under God". It should not be there. You want to believe - go ahead. Stop forcing your religious preferences on me.

by JT	04/02/07 02:55 PM
Nice work Jack. You put things in perspective nicely and may God Bless You.

by Rob	04/02/07 02:28 PM
I think it should be unethical for politions to utter religious statements. The President should be agnostic on the surface. No policy should ever be set in the name of god or religion.

by Rob	04/02/07 02:23 PM
As an atheist, I am slightly offended by the words "In God We Trust" on our money. What right does our government have pushing religious statements like that? A better statement would be "United We Stand" or "In Democracy We Trust"

by Alan	04/02/07 01:40 PM
Mr. Bray, "We" do not go ballistic, however a small vocal minority does. This small minority is unfortunately changing our way of life. Thank you for writing your article. Now if silent majority will speak up, life can return to normal.

by June	04/02/07 01:04 PM
God is something you should discuss with your family and yourself. Do not force other people to worship "your god".

by Sandra	04/02/07 11:22 AM
Showing preference for a particular religion is condoning a state/national religion. You are a believer. Ok great. But why just your God. There are religions with other deities that have been pushed aside by showing the display. Keep it private.

by Christy	04/02/07 11:21 AM
This article will bring out the religious fanatics those spouting scripture. People who pick and choose the parts of the Bible they want to use. That is why religion should remain private. Read their comments you will know what I mean.

by Tina	04/02/07 11:16 AM
Who is this God? Go to the church of your choice and find out. If I want to go to a church I will find out. Leave it out of politics and do not force me to have to follow your choice.

by Carrie	04/02/07 11:16 AM
I do not have a problem with religious displays but if one shows then you have to allow others. How many out there would protest if it was a Wiccan display? People want it only if it is their belief. That is not fair to the other religions.

by Lisa	04/02/07 11:13 AM
The problem with displaying religious monuments such as the Ten Commandments is that it opens the door to other religions too. Then there are hundreds of monunuments and the messages are lost. Keep it fair and display nothing.

by Ellen	04/02/07 11:12 AM
Unfortunently those who are religious wish to push it on those who are not. You are a devout beliver-more power to you. But do not push your belief on me. I am a good person all the time-not just one day a week.

by Marsha	04/02/07 10:31 AM
Thanks Jack, my sentiments EXACTLY... GOD BLESS!

by Gerry	04/02/07 10:17 AM
Using "In God We Trust" violates the first ammendment by advocating a Christian God. "God" is the Christian word for a diety. Don't believe me? I think you'd object to our money saying "In Allah We trust".

by Gerry	04/02/07 10:15 AM
Thomas Jefferson, to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802, wrote the "legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

by Lisa	04/02/07 08:28 AM
Tell me what year it is without any reference to religion. We live in 2007 A.D., or Anno Domini, which means "the year of our Lord" (as opposed to B.C., or before Christ). It's been 2007 years since Christ's birth, and that's a religious reference.

Guest Column

God is mentioned a lot, but should stay out of politics