We have an enormous amount of work to do in educating the American people about our First Amendment freedoms.
Even after 28 years of work at Americans United, I am still amazed and appalled at the misinformation, intolerance and just plain of meanness that often erupts when church-state issues appear in the public square.
USA Today’s online edition is carrying a Religion News Service account today of developments in a Utah legal dispute over the display of large roadside crosses to honor fallen state troopers. State officials there say 12-foot crosses are secular symbols of death and not representations of Christianity. The state insisted that symbols of other faiths would not be used as part of the project, even if the trooper being honored was not a Christian.
A federal district court sided with Utah and held that the displays did not violate the separation of church and state.
To set the legal record straight, a group of religious and religious liberty groups submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The signers were Americans United, the Anti-Defamation League, the Hindu American Foundation, The Interfaith Alliance, the Union for Reform Judaism and Dr. Eugene Fisher, retired associate director, Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
These groups made a few simple points: The cross is the preeminent symbol of the Christian faith, and it is offensive for the government to contend that it is merely a secular symbol of death. The Constitution forbids government to favor one religion over others. Both religion and government do best when there’s a clear separation between the two.
The reaction to the article on USA Today’s Web site, however, has been fierce – at last count there were 180 comments – and many of the observations reflect an astonishing bigotry, xenophobia and ignorance of our constitutional heritage.
Said one respondent: “I’m glad the State of Utah stood up to these ANTI AMERICANS. If they dont like our way of life,traditions,customs, holidays etc… They can use one of there freedoms and move some place else.”
Said another, “Why don’t ALL these *Hindu-Jewish-Wacko-Activists* just go crawl back into their *Spider-Holes* and GO-AWAY, ay?!?!?!? If you don’t like practiciing YOUR chosen religion in the *WE THE PEOPLE* USA America, then go BACK to where you came from, or where your ancestors came from ?!?!?!?!?!?!”
Observed one post, “If this Cross offesnd you you need to find something useful to do with your time. Most people that complain about stuff like this are people that noone really likes, they hate to see some people enjoy feeling good. Majority rules,…go find someone to care about you and you will see fighting things like this are trivial!!!”
And, of course, this oft-repeated jewel: “There is no ‘Seperation of church and state’ in the Constitution. There is an establishment clause stating the the government cannot establish a state church. Placing a cross is not creating a govenment based church. Hey I’m not even a lawyer and I can figure it out. I just read the constitution. Give it a try!”
To their credit, quite a few folks weighed in with thoughtful responses to these comments. But all this serves as a reminder that we have an enormous amount of work to do in educating the American people about our First Amendment freedoms.
Separation of church and state is a fundamental principle of the American way of life. Our Constitution mandates it, and it ensures freedom of conscience for each of us. The majority does NOT rule when it comes to matters of faith. All Americans are free to join one of the 2,000 different denominations and faith traditions that practice here or reject religion altogether.
Those of us who believe in church-state separation aren’t going to “go away,” and we aren’t going to go “back where we came from.” Whether our families came over on the Mayflower or just got here last week, we’re going to stay right where we are and insist on full religious liberty for each person — and a government that respects and protects our fundamental freedoms.
The dispute over the Utah crosses may not be the most important church-state conflict in the United States. But the principles at stake in that legal wrangle are extremely important. As James Madison put it, “It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.”
© 1947 - 2008