 By Richard Cropp September 20, 2005
I grow tired at times of those who site separation of church and state without having the first clue what this clause really means. The U.S. Constitution from beginning to end is replete with references to God. Not some God of mystery, not some God of ones choosing, not some God "in concept". The God mentioned in the U.S. Constitution is the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God of all mankind, the God who delivered unto us a Savior in His Son Jesus Christ. He is not Allah, not a special tree, not a stone statue. Here is the dilemma. The founding fathers recognized that all rights written into the constitution were God given, not given by the writers. So here is the question. If you do not believe in God, then have you not by default relinquished all your rights under the U.S. Constitution as you do not believe in the source from which these rights come? The separation of Church and state was a specific reference that the government cannot establish a religion. They were prohibiting an action such as the Church of England. Thomas Jefferson mandated the reading of the Bible in the public school system. As one of the most prominent framers of the constitution I think he knew the intent of the separation clause. It was written to keep the government out of God, not to keep God out of the government. Every federal judge takes an oath to uphold the constitution. If a judge honestly believes and honestly feels that there is no place for God in government then he should by default have to resign as he does not believe in the source of his own authority. The constitution does not mandate a belief in any religion or God. If you do not want to believe, that is your choice. If you do not want God mentioned in any government document, building, or principle, then you also have a choice, you can move to a country that was not founded and based on the belief in God. What is the big deal, if you do not believe God exists then the statement "Under God" are just words. Words that you can ignore if you wish. You do not however have the right to ask, demand, or sue, to have these words removed from our way of life. Amazing how one would site the old "separation of church and state" clause without reading the entire constitution and seeing the scores of references to God that are not only included by the founding fathers in the opening paragraph of the same document, but that are written on walls of our very own Supreme Court. So in the end, the "Under God" reference is not "illegal" and is not what the founding fathers intended to prevent in the separation clause. One may want to read the constitution a few times before making such rash statements. The 9th Circuit has been overturned more than any other circuit court in the land. Within a matter of months this ruling will also be overturned as it has been in the past and will continue to be every time it comes up. Nobody is forcing anyone to believe in this God. Indeed there is not a single instance where anyone is being compelled to even say the words "under God". These actions are definitely well within your rights to refuse. You do not however have a choice in determining the founding beliefs of our forefathers, nor can you claim constitutional protection on one hand without acknowledging the source of the constitutional authority. The day will come when all will be forced to believe and there will not be a 9th Circuit judge around to intervene on your behalf. As for me, my house, and my country, we will believe in One Nation and One God. It is my prayer that God will continue to watch over our nation. Richard Cropp
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