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The
entire nation seemed to condemn last week’s federal court ruling that
the pledge of allegiance cannot be recited in schools. The notion that the
phrase "one nation under God" renders the pledge unconstitutional
is ridiculous to most Americans, who strongly believe that expressions of
religious belief should be an integral part of public life. Yet although the
public outcry against this terrible ruling is understandable, the real issue
of religious freedom has not been addressed by Congress or the media.
The
judges who made this unfortunate ruling simply do not understand the First
amendment. It does not bar religious expression in public settings or anywhere
else. In fact, it expressly prohibits federal interference in the free
expression of religion. Far from mandating strict secularism in schools, it
instead bars the federal government from prohibiting the pledge of
allegiance, school prayer, or any other religious expression. The politicians
and judges pushing the removal of religion from public life are violating the
First amendment, not upholding it.
It’s
important to recognize that the First amendment applies only to Congress. Remember,
the first sentence starts with "Congress shall make no law..." This
means that matters of religious freedom and expression should be decided by
the states, with disputes settled in state courts. The First amendment acts
as a simple check on federal power, ensuring that the federal government has
no jurisdiction or authority whatsoever over religious issues. The phony
"incorporation" doctrine, dreamed up by activist judges to pervert
the plain meaning of the Constitution, was used once again by a federal court
to assume jurisdiction over a case that constitutionally was none of its
business.
Similarly,
the mythical separation of church and state doctrine has no historical or
constitutional basis. Neither the language of the Constitution itself nor the
legislative history reveals any mention of such separation. In fact, the
authors of the First amendment- Fisher Ames and Elbridge Gerry- and the rest
of the founders routinely referred to "Almighty God" in their
writings, including the Declaration of Independence. It is only in the last
50 years that federal courts have perverted the meaning of the amendment and
sought to unlawfully restrict religious expression. We cannot continue to
permit our Constitution and our rich religious institutions to be degraded by
profound misinterpretations of the Bill of Rights.
I
previously introduced legislation entitled "The First Amendment
Restoration Act" to address this kind of judicial overreach and reassert
true First amendment religious freedoms. The bill becomes especially timely
now, as it clarifies that federal courts have no jurisdiction whatsoever over
matters of religious freedom. It also restores real religious freedom by
making it clear that the federal government cannot forbid expressions of
religion, including the Ten Commandments, in either public or private life.
Ron Paul
www.house.gov/paul
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Congressman
Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for
liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington
for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return
to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. For more
information click on the Project Freedom website.
Published
with the authorization of Dr. Paul.
Copyright
Dr. Ron Paul
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