America, the Secular, Part 3

I've written here two posts on "America, the Secular," emphasizing the fact that the United States was established as the world's first secular nation, having no preferred state religion---official or unofficial. Brent Walker, of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, in Washington, DC, has written an excellent article concerning " Top Five Myths of Separation of Church and State." I commend this article to you---just click on the article title to read it.

The Need for Grace

Today (Mon., Sep 13) follows a weekend of extreme highs and lows, a weekend of remembered pain and sorrow, a weekend in which the already-volatile emotions of people around the world simmered everywhere and exploded in some places.

Many Christians began this day, as they do many days, with a prayer to God we call "A Collect for Grace" which (in its classic form) reads:

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God,
Who has safely brought us to the beginning of this day:
Defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
neither run into any kind of danger;
but that we, being ordered by thy governance,
may do always what is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I commend this prayer to you (modernize it, if you desire), as one good way to begin each day.

If you wish to read more about this prayer and how it has been prayed by various Christian faith groups over the centuries, Click Here. The article is by a friend and colleague, Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, OSL, of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.

A Case of Butterflies

May little things always surprise us and increase our joy.

I went out this morning (Monday, July 12) to take bags and boxes to the curb for pickup---for me dreary but necessary.

Recently I've added 3 planters full of yellow Lantana which, this morning, due to yesterday's torrential rains are awash in blooms. During the 20 minutes or so I was in and out, I was surprised, first by a gorgeous butterfly---black outlines and irridescent blue wing panels---the first I've ever seen in my yard.

Soon the first one was joined by another---black outlines and panels but covered with lots of sun-yellow spots. They intertwined and danced together flitting from bloom to bloom.

What a way to begin a day. (Especially a Monday!)

America, the Secular, Part 2

Excerpts of a recent editorial by Wayne Laugesen published in The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo., were reprinted in today's edition of The Villages Daily Sun, The Villages, Fla. The Daily Sun ran this on their Opinion page under the title "God is concept, not a religion, U.S. court rules."

The full text of the Gazette editorial can be seen at:
http://www.gazette.com/opinion/stop-95654-claus-view.html

Essentially, this item reiterates the legal/constitutional distinctions made between use of the term "God" in American social discourse and how/whether using the term "God" is, in and of itself, an affirmation of religion and a violation of the principle of "separation of church and state."

The case, brought by athiest Dr. Michael Newdow, was heard and dismissed by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, often referred to as "the most liberal federal court in the land."

Laugesen's editorial is not only interesting to those of us who strongly adovcate for separation of church and state, but is compelling in the construction and presentation of his argument. I recommend his editorial for your consideration.

America, the Secular

This is not a comfortable discussion, but in recent weeks several people have asked me to comment on emails and news items they’ve read concerning that broad topic, “separation of church and state.”

Growing up as I did in Virginia, where one can hardly take a step without bumping into a historical marker or artifact, and growing up Baptist, where it was expected that we understood the First Amendment and its implications quite as thoroughly as we knew each week’s Bible memory verse, I’m always surprised that others don’t seem to know or understand this one basic fact of the American Experience: The United States of America was never, is not now, and—God willing—will never be, a Christian nation.

What we call “the American Experiment” is the fact that the USA was conceived and constituted as the world’s first intentionally secular state, where government and religion might coexist side-by-side, but where they stayed discreetly and absolutely out of each other’s affairs.

If you’ve been down Tampa way in recent weeks, you may have seen the billboards posted around Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, featuring supposed quotes by founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, etc.) supporting integration (what Baptists call “entanglement”) of church and state. I say “supposed” because some of the quotes were never said by that person. Yet the “Community Issues Council” there seems to say, they would have said it if they’d thought to.

Obviously, the folks at this “issues council” have not bothered to read the Federalist Papers, the correspondence of the Patriots, the records of the Continental Congress, and the debates on toleration vs. liberty which led up to adoption of the Bill of Rights.

Obviously, these folks have never read Article VI of the Constitution which states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” and they clearly do not understand what “disestablishment” is all about.

The First Patriots had had their fill of church-state intrigues in the “old world.” Many, if not most, who came to these shores came looking—not just for freedom, but—for liberty. And when they finally had it, they were not about to let it go. The “new way” in America meant no state church(es), no clergy paid by tax revenues, no political-religious elite ruling church and congress. The “new way” was a different, secular, way.

Old Ben Franklin is supposed to have said, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Whether or not he did, the message is true, if we are to have a free church in a free society, we must learn and teach the truth about our Republic and our Religion. When they asked Jesus about this, he gave his famous answer which was, in essence, “Caesar is not God, and God is not Caesar,” and we need to continue to assert that one must never be confused for the other.

Missio Dei / Tikkun Olam

From time-to-time, I write or speak about Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of Repairing, or Healing, the World. With all the issues swirling these days about ecoresponsibility, global warming, etc., I find it refreshing when responsible Christian leaders come forth and attempt to help those of us in the church think theologically about God's Mission and whether or not we're working in harmony with it, or off on some tangent of our own.

Rev. Daniel Vestal writes compellingly about Missio Dei and gives us much to consider, both in adjusting attitudes and in adjusting behavior. CLICK HERE to read his article.

A Day to Pray

Any day---every day---is a good day to pray. And for those of us for whom prayer, meditation, or thoughtful contemplation is part of our way of life, it is certainly not a strange thing to do. And considering the present state of our religious institutions, nation, and world, we could probably stand to pray a bit more than we do. But do we really need anyone---religious, political, or governmental leader---to tell us that one day or another is a particular day to pray or a day to pray for a particular thing?

This video was recorded on May 7, 2009, designated the National Day of Prayer in the USA.

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