The Preaching Humanist 06.38 Keeping Church and State Separate LOST EPISODE! cover art

The Preaching Humanist 06.38 Keeping Church and State Separate LOST EPISODE!

The Preaching Humanist 06.38 Keeping Church and State Separate LOST EPISODE!

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 Keeping Church and State Separate | The Preaching Humanist 06.38Host: David OliverioThe Preaching Humanist Mission: The show promotes the philosophy that the good life is guided by reason, informed by science, and motivated by human compassion, empathy, and love. The focus is on promoting a well-balanced philosophy called secular humanism. Secular humanism works to promote the good for all and decrease suffering. This philosophy also includes resistance against the approachment of fundamentalism, fascism, authoritarianism, and Christian theocracy in government and in people's lives.Episode Topic: Church-State Separation The host emphasizes that keeping church and state separate is very important. While the host is not an expert on the topic, the episode provides a refresher on the basic principles of church-state separation that everyone should understand. Key Discussion Points: A Constitutional Refresher The episode covers four quick points that reinforce the secular foundation of the United States Constitution: 1. Article Six of the U.S. ConstitutionThe No Religious Test Clause: This clause mandates that a religious test shall ever be required as a qualification for any kind of government office. This is noted as the only reference to religion in the entire Constitution.Supreme Law of the Land: Article Six clearly establishes that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and not the Bible.A Secular Document: The Constitution is described as a secular document, in fact, the first pure secular constitution in the history of the world.2. The First Amendment (Bill of Rights)The Establishment Clause: This clause dictates that government shall make no respect for the religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof.Dual Protection: This clause means that the separation of church and state prevents religious control over government and, crucially, prevents government control over religion.Government Neutrality: The government is prohibited from establishing or sponsoring a religion and is supposed to remain neutral on religion. If Christians were permitted to talk about their beliefs in government, then other religions (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Secular Humanism) would also have to be allowed, reinforcing the need for separation.3. The "Wall of Separation" (Thomas Jefferson)Origin: The famous phrase "a wall of separation" originates from a letter to the Danbury Baptist in 1802 by Thomas Jefferson.Interpretation: The phrase is an analogy and an interpretation of the establishment clause from the First Amendment. The idea of separation is described as prevalent and pervasive throughout the entire Constitution due to the zero mention of a god in the document (the only religious reference being the No Religious Test Clause).Intent of the Founders (James Madison): The founding fathers, whether they believed in God or not, understood the necessity of separation.Purity: James Madison stated that religion and government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together.Preventing Strife: Madison also highlighted that the purpose of separation of church and state is to keep the ceaseless strife (wars and blood-soaked soil from Europe centered around personal beliefs) from the new world.4. The Treaty of Tripoli (1796)Context: This was a treaty of peace and friendship between the U.S. and Tripoli (modern-day Libya in North Africa).Official Ratification: The treaty was ratified, approved by the US Senate without debate, and signed by President John Adams.Explicit Statement: The treaty contains the explicit declaration that the U.S. government is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion. The Constitution exists to provide liberty, justice, freedom, and equality for all.Resources and Action Items Recommended Reading The host recommends listeners go deeper into the topic by consulting experts, including:Andrew Seidel's book, The Founding Myth (Seidel works for the Freedom From Religion Foundation).Katherine Stewart's book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.How to Resist Theocracy As secular humanists, listeners must resist the encroachment of theocracy.Vote: Individuals must vote for people that believe in the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.Support Groups: Individuals should find and support major groups that fight for constitutional freedoms and work to maintain the wall of separation between church and state. These groups include attorneys, such as Andrew Seidel, who fight for people's freedoms.The Atheist Community of Austin (ACA), is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas. The Atheist Community of Austin is dedicated to promoting atheism, critical thinking, secular humanism, and the separation of religion and government.The ACA serves the local Austin community through outreach programs, providing informational resources and various volunteer activities. In addition, the ACA serves the ...
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