As fellow members of the Morgan Hill Times Editorial Board, Lisa Pampuch and I are often at odds with one another. It was with great pleasure that I read her recent column on separation of church and state and found myself in complete agreement with her.
The religious right in this country is no less a threat to freedom and “the American way” than the Islamo fascists referred to in another letter in the same paper. Both groups represent fascism – an authoritarian and nationalistic right wing system of government and social control. As such, both groups are un-American and deserve passionate opposition from all who value freedom and democracy. As extremists, neither group represents the spiritual intent of the religion they espouse.
The uninformed rantings of many conservative Christians, claiming that Christianity is the basis of democracy and freedom in the United States, lead many to think that our founding fathers were Christians. The fact is that many of the most influential founding fathers were very specifically and adamantly not Christian.
Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, was a deist. That is a believer in a supreme being who DOES NOT interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the universe. He very specifically DID NOT believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God. His position on Christianity and religion in government can be discerned from his bill in the Virginia Legislature regarding religious liberty and his comments on its passing into law.
In June 1779, Jefferson’s proposed bill on religious liberty began a quarrel in the Virginia Legislature that lasted for eight years. At the time no other state, or nation for that matter, had laws providing for complete religious freedom – meaning freedom of, and from, religion.
Jefferson’s bill stated “that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions on matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.” Many Virginians regarded the bill as an attack on Christianity. In a real sense it was more a defense against religious extremism – much like the extremism which exists on the religious right today.
When the bill finally passed the Virginia Legislature in 1786 Jefferson’s comment was “it is honorable for us to have produced the first legislature who had the courage to declare that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinions”. Unlike the religious right in the U.S. and in Moslem countries, Jefferson believed that each human being possessed enough spirituality to make his or her own judgments about day to day conduct and morality. He absolutely did not want that to be impaired by the state.
Strictly interpreted and enforced separation of church and state is the only way to keep our citizens free from the tyranny of religious beliefs imposed by others. Sadly George W. Bush and the current administration have jeopardized our freedom and democracy by imposing laws allowing religious groups to use tax money to further their belief systems through social welfare programs. This administration has also bumbled the possibility of democracy in the Middle East by maintaining these un-American positions in blindly supporting Israel in overriding democratic elections in Palestine.
Another great failure is the disastrous handling of Iraq after the fall of Saddam. Here the anti-democratic actions of this administration have created a breeding ground for the terrorism they claim to seek to eliminate. It is time for Americans who really believe in democracy and the rights of men and women as individuals – what I think of as the American Way – to stand up and be heard. Through public debate and political activism we can retake our government and way of life from those who would destroy it in the name of religious and political extremism.
If you disagree with the self righteous, you must speak out. If you fail to do so, the last word will be theirs and the basis of governmental and social actions will be dictated by their attitudes. This is what happened in Germany when Hitler came to power. The fanaticism of the Nazis went largely unopposed and they became the voice of the German people. Don’t repeat these historic mistakes. Speak out loudly and often. The dissonance created by many passionate voices disagreeing is the fertile sound of democracy at work.
Veterinarian John N. Quick is a 25-year resident of Morgan Hill. He’s been operating the Animal Medical Clinic since 1983, which was expanded in 1997 and is now the Animal Care Center. He’s one of the founders of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center and Furry Friends Foundation.
