Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle on Saturday, January 13, 2007 11:11
PM MST
Separation of powers?
Rise of religion in politics was after WWII
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/local_news/03local_01-14-07.txt
By Shauna Stephenson
CHEYENNE - The 59th Wyoming Legislature's general session began this past
week with a lot of pomp and circumstance.
It also began with a prayer from the Rev. Gary Ruzicka, pastor at St.
Mary's Cathedral.
"As we begin this work of government, send us your spirit and wisdom to
lead us and guide us," he said.
Members of the House of Representatives bowed their heads. Some closed
their eyes, hands folded.
"Amen," Ruzicka ended.
"Amen," echoed the crowd.
In recent years, religion has taken the spotlight on the national political
stage. But how big of a role does it play in Wyoming politics?
Religion and politics have been intertwined for thousands of years. Kings
fought long, arduous battles over religion. In America, God is everywhere.
"In God We Trust" is on our currency, and "One nation under God" is in our
Pledge of Allegiance.
But the rise of religion in the political scene, as we know it today,
didn't really happen until after World War II.
The Rev. Warren Murphy, director of the Wyoming Association of Churches,
said there was a large increase in mainline denominations after WWII.
"Those denominations thought they needed to be heard on issues that related
to their concerns," he said.
Jim King, professor of political science at the University of Wyoming, said
the seeming rise of religion in the past few decades isn't necessarily
because it wasn't there before, it just has received more exposure as
technology has changed.
For a time there was a feeling that talk of religion shouldn't enter the
political arena at all.
Paul V. M. Flesher, director of the religious studies program at the
University of Wyoming, said some groups tried to apply the separation of
religion and state in the cultural sphere.
"Over the last couple decades, you really have this notion that people
should not be speaking from a religious viewpoint or they were kooky," he
said.
Flesher said the separation of church and state is law to protect religion,
not to keep it from the political arena.
Most recently, the nation has seen the rise of a militant Christianity, he
said.
"There's clearly a group related to the right wing," he said. "They're
militant about bringing their beliefs into the public sphere, A. as
legitimate and B. as the only legitimate religious views."
[end excerpt]
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You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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