"Justice Sunday" Blurs the Line between Church and State
By ADA Intern Kate Mewhiney
Conservative Christians gathered in Kentucky on Sunday for the live nationwide broadcast of "Justice Sunday: Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith." The event, hosted by the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, brought members of the Christian Right together to drag religion into the filibuster debate.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist addressed the crowd via taped message. Though he refrained from referring to religion in the video, he has drawn criticism from both parties for his involvement in the politically and religiously divisive event.
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) said Frist's actual words were not as important as the message he sent by speaking at an event that, he said, "Clearly argues that people of one viewpoint have God on their side and all others are faithless."
The hour-long broadcast, which reportedly reached 61 million households, was a spectacle of the Christian right attempting to use religion to dictate legislative process. "Justice Sunday" and the organizations behind it are trying to undermine one of the most basic foundations of this country: the separation of Church and State. In an interview with the Washington Post, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), a practicing Methodist minister, said groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family are engaging in debate "by exploiting God," a move he called a "biblical and theological obscenity."
Speakers at the event addressed the audience from the church's pulpit. Participants railed against Democrats for their use of the filibuster to block judicial nominees. They attacked so-called "activist judges" who Joe Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, said practice "judicial tyranny to people of faith." They even went after their own, broadcasting the names and phone numbers of Republican senators who have not committed to the nuclear option, urging the audience to call and demand their support.
The organizers of "Justice Sunday" were from Christian conservative groups, who were among the most influential Republican supporters in the 2004 election. Now they want what they see as their reward. The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director or Americans for Separation of Church and State, said he thinks Frist has made a mistake in aligning himself with such groups. "The people he's dealing with are not going to rest until there's a constitutional Armageddon in which the religious right controls all three branches of government."
Conservative Christians gathered in Kentucky on Sunday for the live nationwide broadcast of "Justice Sunday: Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith." The event, hosted by the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, brought members of the Christian Right together to drag religion into the filibuster debate.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist addressed the crowd via taped message. Though he refrained from referring to religion in the video, he has drawn criticism from both parties for his involvement in the politically and religiously divisive event.
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) said Frist's actual words were not as important as the message he sent by speaking at an event that, he said, "Clearly argues that people of one viewpoint have God on their side and all others are faithless."
The hour-long broadcast, which reportedly reached 61 million households, was a spectacle of the Christian right attempting to use religion to dictate legislative process. "Justice Sunday" and the organizations behind it are trying to undermine one of the most basic foundations of this country: the separation of Church and State. In an interview with the Washington Post, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), a practicing Methodist minister, said groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family are engaging in debate "by exploiting God," a move he called a "biblical and theological obscenity."
Speakers at the event addressed the audience from the church's pulpit. Participants railed against Democrats for their use of the filibuster to block judicial nominees. They attacked so-called "activist judges" who Joe Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, said practice "judicial tyranny to people of faith." They even went after their own, broadcasting the names and phone numbers of Republican senators who have not committed to the nuclear option, urging the audience to call and demand their support.
The organizers of "Justice Sunday" were from Christian conservative groups, who were among the most influential Republican supporters in the 2004 election. Now they want what they see as their reward. The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director or Americans for Separation of Church and State, said he thinks Frist has made a mistake in aligning himself with such groups. "The people he's dealing with are not going to rest until there's a constitutional Armageddon in which the religious right controls all three branches of government."
3 Comments:
The liberal opinion of Justice Sunday is not only ludarcis, it's hypocritical as well as intellectually dishonest. Kerry, never should have spoken at "Church" events and nor should the Reverends Jackson and Sharton be allowed to be called Reverends in connection with their political activities. Doesn't that blur the lines between Church and State? Oh no, it doesn't. They're liberals. They're smart enough to know the difference. My mistake. Silly old conservative me.
You can't escape the fact that this country is founded on Biblical - Judeo-Christian philosophy. You can seperate church and state (and rightly so) but you can not seperate the Biblcal - Judeo Christian philosophy that is the foundation of our Constitution and other founding documents. When you do, you are left with governments like that of France and Germany. Morally bankrupt.
"Kerry, never should have spoken at 'Church' events and nor should the Reverends Jackson and Sharton be allowed to be called Reverends in connection with their political activities"
I agree that Kerry should have never spoken at what you call "church events," even though I supported him. I don't think that churches, mosques, synagogues, or any other religious body should be in the business of endorsing politicians. It politicizes religion, religionizes politics, and corrupts both church and state. Churches should be able to talk about political and moral issues, but endorsing candidates is wrong. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, however, can still call themselves "Reverend." The Separation of Church and state does not prevent a member of the clergy from running for office or supporting political causes, as long as the church they belong to does not officially endorse them.
"You can't escape the fact that this country is founded on Biblical - Judeo-Christian philosophy. You can seperate church and state (and rightly so) but you can not seperate the Biblcal - Judeo Christian philosophy that is the foundation of our Constitution and other founding documents."
Neither the Constitution, nor the Declaration of Independence, nor this country was founded on any "Biblical-Judeo-Christian philosophy." The man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, was a deist (a person who believes in God only through reason and argument, not through any faith or revelation) not an orthodox Christian, and so was the "Father of the Constitution," James Madison. The God of the Declaration of Indepence is a deistic "Nature's God." Several other Founding Fathers were also deists, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. George Washington, although he didn't speak about religion often, was, as historian Paul Johnson says, most likely a deist. He almost never spoke of Jesus Christ, and preferred the word "Providence" to "God." Others, like John Adams, although not deists, were anything but orthodox Christians. Adams often expressed heretical views on religion. As historian William A. Degregorio notes: "Adams believed that though Christ was a great and good man whose example of piety, love, and universal brotherhood was the ideal that all people and nations should emulate, he was, after all, still a human being, not the Son of God, not the Word made Flesh.... Adams also rejected the idea of a Blessed Trinity. To say that one is three and three is one was, to Adams, sheer mystical gimmickerry." (The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, p. 22) The religious views of many of our Founding Fathers were far more similar to the views of their contemporary Voltaire than they were to their contemporary Jonathan Edwards. To say that this country and its founding documents are based upon Biblical Christianity is dishonest. This country and its founding documents are based on the principles of the secular Enlightenment.
I am amazed that Representative Emanuel Cleaver had the audacity to say the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family were "exploiting God," or practicing “biblical and theological obscenity."
As a matter of fact, Biblical obscenity happens to be a man who calls himself a minister from the pulpit yet backs the efforts of a Pro Choice agenda. Cleaver’s political track record clearly shows he’s a Pro Choice proponent and is evidence that he has chosen to follow man instead of God.
Just a true Christians don’t lost their Christianity when they go to the polls, politicians that are true Christians don’t lose their Christianity on Capitol Hill. You see, it’s more than a belief or set of values, it’s a daily walk with God. How can a man who walks with God and believe his word cast his lot with the destruction of unborn children? A proclaimed Reverend at that?
Cleaver is not a man of God but a man-of-man. The numbers of men like him are increasing to the delight of many. Preaching what feels good and succumbing to popular culture has taken precedence over God’s word. At his point he is not a credible source of God’s word and the Bible speaks of men like him in the scripture:
Acts 20:28-30
20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Jeremiah 23:1-2
23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
23:2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
Cleaver was once a man I looked up to because of the wonderful things he did for Kansas City. I know he loved God at one time and I pray he’ll return to him. His actions aren’t matching up with his profession of faith and that is leading countless people a stray because if “the reverend” says its okay then it must be okay. I hope he’ll see the error in his ways and cry to the Lord for forgiveness.
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