AMERICAN THEOCRACY

"Separation of Church and State" by Julian Varah-Sikes

We found this photograph while doing research for the article, and were immediately taken with it.  The image is moving, and the fact that it was created by a 15 year old student makes it even more striking.  We asked the photographer, Julian Varah-Sikes to share with us what he was thinking and feeling when he created this haunting photograph. 

CLN:  This project was a class assignment to produce a photo using the American flag.  What was on your mind when you created this particular image with a shadow of a cross seeming to loom over an American flag?

JV-S:  I felt as though I needed to do something meaningful and different for my assignment, as opposed to a standard photo of a folded flag with dog tags on it. 

CLN:  A folded American flag with dog tags on top evokes thoughts of the sacrifices made by our military men and women.  But, your striking image reminds us that it is the obligation of ALL Americans to be vigilant in protecting our Constitution.  As a teenager, is the issue of separation of church and state something that you and your friends think about? 

JV-S:  I worry about this less than other issues, but it is still an important one.  My friends tend to think less about politics than I do.

CLN:  Do you think that America could move toward establishing a national religion? 

JV-S:  While it is certainly possible, I doubt that anything of the sort will happen in the near future. It is possible that it could happen later in this nation’s future.

CLN:  Is this an issue that could motivate you to get involved with politics by voting and encouraging your friends to vote when you are 18? 

JV-S:  While I was already planning on voting when I turn 18, I feel like this is one of the less important issues that face us today. I feel like issues such as gay marriage and our rather depressing public school system are more pressing at the moment, but yes, it will eventually be an issue. 

CLN:  Thank you, Julian! 

This 15-year-old student reminds us of the importance of protecting our Constitution from the promoters of theocracy in America.  And so, we are particularly jolted by Sarah Palin’s recent remarks on the subject. 

Sister Sarah claimed at a religious gathering in Kentucky that religion shouldn’t be separated from the state.  Her exact quote is, “Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our Founding Fathers, they were believers.  And George Washington, he saw faith in God as basic to life.” 

Talk about revisionist history — these right-wingers are working hard at revising the American story!  In fact, the Founding Father’s even wrote into the Bill of Rights that:  “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.” 

In a letter written by Thomas Jefferson this Founding Father interpreted those words by using the phrase, “separation of church and state.”  And James Madison said, “The general government is proscribed from interfering, in any manner whatever, in matters respecting religion.” 

The Founders of America intended, quite clearly, to establish a secular government and wrote the Constitution entirely as a secular document.  And yet, for years — despite the fact that many of the Founding Fathers were Deists, not Christians — the right has been calling the U.S. a Christian nation. 

They make this claim based on the fact that most of the country’s population is Christian.  While accurate, it is entirely irrelevant.  Most of the population is white, but that doesn’t make us a white nation!  They also claim that most of the writers of the Constitution were Christians, and again, while accurate it is irrelevant.  Most of them were also male, but that doesn’t make the U.S. a man’s nation! 

For us to consider the U.S. a Christian country would be to align our nation with other theocracies around the world — theocracies like Iran, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia.  These are not generally countries we try to emulate. 

The concept of separation of church and state has long been one that all Americans have embraced, and has been a model for other countries to follow our lead. 

Separation of church and state is one of our nation’s greatest strengths.  President Obama said in a speech to the Arab world that though the U.S. has, “a very large Christian population — we  do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation.  We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideas and a set of values.” 

Amen.

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