PART V
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Author's Note by Kent Holland: Some who read this paper might
surmise that I am an atheist. That is not the case. I am a Christian. I
am a Baptist. I am working toward a Master of Divinity degree at the John
Leland Theological Seminary in Arlington , Virginia , and I am a Christian
author, having written The Winning Way: A Spiritual Journey to a Life of
Success and Significance, describing my own life-transforming spiritual
experience. I have written this particular paper because I am a Christian
and because I don't want to see religious institutions harmed by the
well-intended but misguided actions of those who would tear down the wall
of separation between church and state. For more information and articles,
see www.KentHolland.com.
[i] Walter B. Shurden, How We Got That Way, ( Washington , D.C. ,
Baptist Joint Committee, 2002), 15.
[ii] Axioms of Religion, p. 44.
[iii] Quoted by Joseph M. Dawson, Baptists and the American
Republic (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1956), pp. 106-107; and cited in
Axioms, p. 44.
[iv] Joseph M. Dawson, Baptists and the American Republic
(Nashville: Broadman Press, 1956), p. 117.
[v] See
http://www.Christianlaw.org/separation_church_state_pf.html, "The Truth
About ‘Separation of Church & State'"
[vi] I have been a member at various times in my life of Baptist
Churches belonging to either the American or Southern Baptist Conventions
and have also been a member of non-denomination "Bible Churches." It is my
observation is that since the non-denomination Bible Churches are closer in
theology and practice to the Baptist denomination than they are to any
other denomination. Consequently, the Baptist History should be of equal
concern and applicability to them
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting a March 1993 sermon, (reported in Church &
State, May 1993, p. 14).
[ix] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting Falwell Fax, April 10, 1998, (reported in
Church & State, May 1998, p. 18).
[x] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting Pat Robertson in "The 700 Club," October 2,
1984, (reported in Church & State, April 1996, p. 10).
[xi] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting Pat Robertson from Interview with Conservative
Digest, January 1986, (reported in Church & State, April 1996, p. 10).
[xii] Technically, the United States Constitution, including the
First Amendment, applied only to the federal government and did not apply
to individual states in matters concerning the establishment of religion.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, has been interpreted by
the U.S. Supreme Court to make the provisions of the Bill of Rights
(including the 1st Amendment's provisions concerning religion) applicable
to the states. Therefore, the individual states cannot establish a
religion or impose restrictions upon religion that contrary to the
provisions of the 1st Amendment.
[xiii] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting Pat Robertson from Road to Victory address to
Christian Coalition Conference, Oct. 12, 2002.
[xiv] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting from a January 1998 Focus on the Family
fund-raising letter.
[xv] They Said It!: Religious Right Leaders In Their Own Words,
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Resources at
http://www.au.org); quoting James Kennedy, Character & Destiny: A Nation in
Search of Its Soul, (Zondervan Publishing House, 1997)(written with Jim
Nelson Black)
[xvi] Mark Wingfield, Perceptions of culture divide Baptists on
church-state separation, scholar says, (Associated Baptist Press News, Feb.
21, 2001 – Vol. 01-15.
[xvii] Ibid.
[xviii] A Shared Vision: Religious Liberty in the 21st Century,
(The American Jewish Committee, the Baptist Joint Committee on Public
Affairs, the Interfaith Alliance Foundation, the National Council of
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and the Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism, 2002).
[xix] Ibid., 1.
[xx] Adopted by the American Baptist Convention in 1961; affirmed
as an American Baptist Churches Resolution by the Executive Committee of
the General Board – September 1983; revised by the Executive Committee of
the General Board – March 1993 (General Board Reference # - 8117:9/83)
[xxi] As revised in June 2002 edition.
[xxii] Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, website. May,
2004, See, http://www.bjcpa.org.
[xxiii] Thomas R. McKibbens, A Baptist Passion: Religious Liberty
and Separation of Church and State (website)
[xxiv] Ken Camp, Dunn: ‘True Baptists' Defend Liberty , The
Baptist Standard ( Feb. 19, 2001 ).
[xxv] Simpson v. Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors (Nov.
2003), as quoted in November 14, 2003 Press Release of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State.
[xxvi] All quotes are from November 14, 2003 Press Release of
American United for Separation of Church and State. See http://www.au.org.
[xxvii] J. Brent Walker, Where do the Ten Commandments belong?
(Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs – position paper, August 28,
2003 . (Posted at http://www.bjcpa.org).
[xxviii] J. Brent Walker, Where do the Ten Commandments belong?
(Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs – position paper, August 28,
2003 . (Posted at http://www.bjcpa.org).
[xxix] Ibid.
[xxx] Robert Marcus, Supreme Court agrees to hear Pledge of
Allegiance Case, Associated Baptist Press ( Washington , D.C. , October 15,
2003 ).
[xxxi] Robert Marcus, Supreme Court agrees to hear Pledge of
Allegiance Case, Associated Baptist Press ( Washington , D.C. , October 15,
2003 ). See also, Press release of Baptist Joint Committee
(http://www.bjcpa.org).
[xxxii] Press Release of Americans United for Separation of Church
and State, Oct. 14, 2003 . (http://ww.au.org).
[xxxiii] Speech to the Religious Liberty Council of the Baptist
Joint Committee in a June, 2002 meeting in Charlotte , NC .
[xxxiv] Vol. 58, No. 13, July-August 2003 Newsletter of the
Baptist Joint Committee.
[xxxv] Under the Civil Rights Act, religious organizations are
already exempt from the requirements concerning religious discrimination.
Thus, a specific denominational organization is permitted to hire only
employees of that denominational faith. While this has been accepted by the
Supreme Court in the context of privately funded religious organizations,
there could be an entirely different result when the Court eventually looks
at the question of whether the same exemption can be applied to such an
organization that is accepting federal funding. The question for the court
will be whether the free choice of a religious organization to take federal
funds does not forfeit the exemption that originally intended only for
privately funded organizations. Once an organization accepts tax funds,
every citizen of the country is contributing to the organization whether
they want to or not. To require a citizen to contribute financially to an
pervasively religious organization with which it disagrees, and then to
tell that citizen that because it is of a different religion than that
organization, the organization can discriminate and refuse to hire this
individual would appear to run directly against the Constitutional
protections.
[xxxvi] Robert Marcus, Bush Faith-Based Plan Sparks More
Constitutional Debate, ( January 8, 2003 ) (http://www.bjcpa.org).
[xxxvii] "A Pastoral Letter to the Catholic Faithful of the
Diocese of Colorado Springs on the Duties of Catholic Politicians and
Voters," By Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan, (May 2004)
[xxxviii] Benjamin Franklin: Quote from "Should Tax Dollars
Finance Parochial Schools?" in a brochure published by Americans United for
Separation of Church and State, Silver Spring, Maryland as further quoted
by Robert Maddox, Separation of Church and State: Guarantor of Religious
Freedom, (Crossroad, New York, NY, 1987).
Copyright ©, 2004, J. Kent Holland, Jr., McLean, VA
Permission for copying and posting this paper for use in other publications
and websites, with attribution to the author, is hereby granted.
Copyright © 2003, 2004 Kent Holland
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