christian in a secular america
TRANSCRIPT
Parkside Bible FellowshipAdult Summer Sunday School
September 6, 200913th Session
WELCOME!
The Separati
on of Church
and State
Matthew 22: 36-38
36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38"This is the great and foremost commandment.
The Christian life is summarized
As Christians we must understand our culture and its
challenges because we are followers of Christ. We are called to be faithful and
ready to think as Christians when confronted with the crucial issues of the day.
Verses 39 to 40
39The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Jesus commanded love of neighbor!
As Christians, we are commanded to care for our neighbors. Because we love God first, our neighbor and
neighborhoods, it is imperative we know about
the current issues of the day. Our Savior left us on earth for
a reason.
Matthew 5: 13-16
“We are the SALT and LIGHT
in a dying world.”
America, the Beautiful….A Country God Has Blessed!
1. Why Has God BLESSED This Nation?
• Joshua 24:13-15• Psalm 56: 1-4• Ephesians 5:1, 20• Isaiah 33:22• Proverbs 14:34• 2 Chronicles 7:14• Psalm 33:12• Psalm 9:17
• Ezra 7:25
• Fear and serve God• Put our faith in God, not man•Be Godlike and thank Him•God is our ultimate authority• Stay true to God’s Word•God’s promise to His people•God blesses who heeds Him•God’s wrath upon nations who forget Him•Choose Godly leaders
True Meaning of“Separation of Church and
State”First Amendment“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.”
TWO CLAUSESEstablishment clauseFree Exercise clause
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
•CHURCHAny religious group in this
country
•Worship freely as long as it
does not violate any law
ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE•STATE
US Government•No national
religion can be established
•“No governmental involvement or entanglement with religion”•Government
promotes religion but
remains neutral
establishmentestablishment
The complete and radical disassociation between Christianity and the State that is sometimes advocated TODAY is not what our
Founding Fathers had in mind.
It's clear that our FOUNDING FATHERS had seen entirely too
many religious wars and religious tyrannies in Europe.
The intent of First Amendment was to prohibit the federal government from
establishing a National church
Like the Church of EnglandOr, becoming a THEOCRACY
While the AMENDMENT does not recognize a differentiation between church and government, it does not mean that they could not cooperate
with each other!
True Meaning of“Separation of Church and
State”It was used by Thomas Jefferson in 1803, nearly 12 years after the Bill of Rights was ratified.
Used the phrase to assure the Connecticut Danbury Baptist Ass’n that the Federal government lacked jurisdiction over religion
The Founding Fathers intended to protect against government encroachment on Christian
practice, but certainly not the other way around.
“The 1st AMENDMENT has created a wall of separation between church and state, but that
wall is a one directional wall, it keeps the government from running the church, but it
makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government.”
Thomas Jefferson
X X
This quote is someone’s interpretation of Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury
Baptist Association. Thus; not authentic!
Website: Jefferson’s Separation of Church and State Letter to Danbury Baptist
So, What Has Happened to
the True Meaning of
“Separation of Church and
State?”
Life has no absolute meaning… Individuals are accountable to themselves… There is no god… There is no absolute morality total
freedom All that awaits us, the void… There are no rules experimentation…
Life has no absolute meaning… Individuals are accountable to themselves… There is no god… There is no absolute morality total
freedom All that awaits us, the void… There are no rules experimentation…
Rise of Humanist thinking (trust in man, not God) in
Europe prior to World War I in 1914, led to,
Relativism extended into all parts of society and secular
humanism continued to be the driving force.
Darwinian RevolutionDarwinian Revolution“Fundamental changes in
culture . . . were affected . . . decisively by
the intellectual and philosophical revolution we
associate with Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) . . . .
“Fundamental changes in culture . . . were
affected . . . decisively by the intellectual and
philosophical revolution we associate with Darwin’s
Origin of Species (1859) . . . .
What shattered that traditional world was science, which in almost every arena including the law.. . .substituted the
operations of the law of evolution for the laws of God.” (Henry Steele Comager,
1978)
The first conflict between religion vs. science being
taught in school was in 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee.
John T. Scopes
Respected high school biology
teacher arrested in Dayton,
Tennessee for teaching
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Clarence Darrow
Famous trial lawyer who represented
Scopes
William J. BryanSec. of State for
President Wilson, ran for president three times, turned evangelical
leader. Represented the
prosecution.
Dayton, Tennessee
Small town in the south became
protective against the
encroachment of modern times and secular teachings.
The trial was conducted in a
carnival-like atmosphere. The
people of Dayton are seen as ‘backward’ by
the country.
The right to teach and protect Biblical
teachings in schoolsVs
The right to teach evolution and new
ideas introduced into American society
The acceptance of science and that all
species have evolved from lower forms of
beings over billions of years.
“The natural law (God’s Law) has been thoroughly
purged from law school curricula and replaced with
secularist ideologies. A lawyer who does not
understand the roots of jurisprudence (concerned with the principles of law
and the legal system) is no lawyer at all.”
“The natural law (God’s Law) has been thoroughly
purged from law school curricula and replaced with
secularist ideologies. A lawyer who does not
understand the roots of jurisprudence (concerned with the principles of law
and the legal system) is no lawyer at all.”
Dr. J. Budziszewski, professor of Government and Philosophy at the University of Texas
at Austin. 1990
Today’s Meaning of“Separation of Church and
State”“Over the past half century, the U.S. Supreme Court has accomplished a
feat America’s Founders would surely have found to be inconceivable. They
have created a perverse cloud of confusion over the question of
religious liberty and the place of religious language and symbols in the
public square.”
Albert Mohler from his book, Culture Shift
CONTRADICTIONSCoins---in God we trust
Congress opens with a prayer but no prayer in schools
President sworn in with hand on the Bible
Pledge of Allegiance “under God”Armed forces have a chaplain
but schools cannotOur national monuments, government
buildings have scriptural phrases, 10 Commandments and religious symbols
posted
wallwall
For more than 50 years
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
has attempted to eliminate public
expression of our nation's faith and
heritage. Through fear, intimidation,
disinformation and lawsuits, threats of lawsuits that would:
• Eliminate Christian and historic faith symbols• Ban public prayer in schools and at school
functions •Deny Christians the right to use public facilities
• Stop Christians from expressing their faith at work
James DobsonAlliance Defense Fund
15333 N. Pima Road, Suite 165
Scottsdale, AZ 852601-800-TELL-ADF
The Alliance Defense Fund, defending the right to hear and
speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation. We defend religious
liberty by empowering our allies, recognizing that together, we can accomplish far more than
alone.
Matthew StaverLiberty CounselPO Box 540774,
Orlando, FL 32854Phone: 800-671-1776 Email: [email protected]
Liberty Counsel is a nonprofit litigation, education and policy
organization dedicated to advancing religious
freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is specifically
dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-
given rights. We are your repsentatives in the courts and
halls of Congress.
Jay SekulowAmerican Center for Law and
JusticeP.O. Box 90555
Washington, DC 20090-05551-800-296-4529