Church and State

This is my response to all those who believe that separation between church and state means that there should be no reference to God in the public arena and that “the church” should not get involved in governmental matters. I would have liked to have taken more time to polish this before publishing, but time is something I have very little of today…perhaps later I can polish it up.

The separation between church and state is a very misunderstood concept. What I think it means is as the first amendment says that government…or congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. What does that mean? What then is religion? Is it not the set of beliefs and standards on which a person bases his life and decisions of right and wrong? If a person believes that there is no god…atheism…is not that their religion? How is it then that this religion of “no God” is promoted and promulgated in our government in recent years? Because that is what I see happening…and it is being taught in our schools as well. The ironic thing is that those who do this…who would strip our nation of anything to do with God…are doing it using the very amendment which was designed to protect our religious freedoms. This amendment was put in place not so that we would be a God-LESS nation, but so that all could worship God as they chose and as their conscience dictates. It does not mean that there can be no reference to God in our public arenas…in fact, our founding documents and the words of our founding fathers are full of references to God and to Providence. It is the foundation on which our government rests. That is why our Declaration of Independence makes reference to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” and also makes reference to the fact that all men are “created” equal and are endowed by their “Creator” with certain inalienable rights. Where do these inalienable rights come from? From “their Creator”. Any rights granted by any other means are subjective and could be withdrawn at any moment by the same governmental system that “granted” them…a king, a parliament or whatever. Any government that is not based on God’s law (or natural law) is nothing more than tyranny of one man over another. Here is how Cicero said it, "...Law is not a product of human thought, nor is it any enactment of peoples, but something eternal which rules the whole universe by its wisdom in command and prohibition...Law is the primal and ultimate mind of God, whose reason directs all things..." (Cicero, Laws II, 8). Our founding fathers were very familiar with Cicero’s writings and it shows in our founding documents.

We are doing ourselves and our posterity a great disservice by kowtowing or by buying into this notion that our belief in “a” God is trampling the rights of others to worship as they choose. Yes…we must be very careful that government does not dictate what a person believes…but that also means government cannot dictate what we are NOT to believe as well. And when we take God out of our government we cut it off at the knees…it is the very foundation upon which our constitution rests. Without God, where do we get right and wrong? With no right and wrong, how then can we impose any law at all. Who is to say what is right or wrong. The “law of the jungle” or “every man for himself” would then have just as much legitimacy as anything else. Lehi said it like this,

“And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.” (2 Nephi 2:13)

My point is that if God is not at the basis of our law, then law is nothing more than tyranny of man over man, and one man’s “law” is just as right as any other man’s “law”.

In D&C 101 the Lord says,

“And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.”

The Lord tells us right here that HE established this constitution through WISE MEN whom HE raised up to that very purpose. On what law then is the constitution of the United States based? On “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” of course.

Should the church ever speak out on “governmental issues”? Here is what Ezra Taft Benson says about that...I like the way he put it...

"Speaking out against immoral or unjust actions of political leaders has been the burden of prophets and disciples of God from time immemorial. It was for this very reason that many of them were persecuted. Some of them were burned, many were imprisoned. Nevertheless, it was their God-given task, as watchmen on the towers, to speak up. It is certainly no different today." (An Enemy Hath Done This p.38)

Furthermore, he said,

"One of our most serious problems is the inferiority complex which people feel when they are not informed or organized. They dare not make a decision on these vital issues. They let other people think for them. They stumble around in the middle of the road to avoid being "controversial" and get hit by traffic going both ways." (An Enemy Hath Done This p. 45)

We must not only know what is right, we must know why it is right…and then we must not be afraid to stand up and defend it. Here are some things I recommend for further study on the matter.

“The 5000 Year Leap” by Cleon Skousen,
“The Proper Role of Government” by Ezra Taft Benson, and
“This Nation Shall Endure”…also by Ezra Taft Benson.

I also recommend these Ensign articles which are available on the church website...just type the titles into the search engine on the magazines page:

“God’s Hand in the Founding of America” by L. Tom Perry
“Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints” by Ezra Taft Benson
“These Are Not Men to be Conquered” by Vaughn J. Featherstone
“The Divinely Inspired Constitution” by Dallin H. Oaks