Rounding Up

What a nice long holiday weekend! I love the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday and then being able to celebrate the miracle that the God of the universe would choose to die for me. This year, being a very important election year and a huge turning point for our nation, I was thinking about how churches and religious holidays have impacted American culture and government.

Religious liberty was a cornerstone of the settling and founding of America. It's the reason that the Pilgrims first sought refuge in the Netherlands before they sailed for the New World. And they were not the only people who left their families and homes in search of the freedom to worship according to their conscience. It is important; there is a reason that it is not only mentioned in the the first amendment of the Bill of Rights but mentioned before any of the other rights. It is part of the American Dream - although no one talks about it anymore. It is a staple of our society. It is what makes us great.

However, religious liberty was not always strictly observed in American history. It still isn't today - for all facets of religion or lack thereof. I don't know that worship and expression will ever fully and completely be free on earth. But, one specific time in American history has led to a very famous phrase regarding the relationship between religion and government.

When Thomas Jefferson was elected president, much of America - and, in fact, much of the world - was happy about the choice. Jefferson had made a distinct name for himself. He was an admired man, and rightfully so. However, a small congregation in Connecticut were worried about their religious liberty. They besought the favor and protection of the President of the United States.

They said, "Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious opinions, [and] that the legitimate power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor."

But, the very Puritan area of New England had been harsh to the Danbury Baptists. They were not necessarily being physically persecuted, yet they had reasons to question their freedom to worship and express their religion as they saw fit before their God. They claimed that the state was only giving them favors instead of acknowledging their inalienable right of religious liberty. Stating quite plainly, they told President Jefferson that they knew that he could not change the laws of any state but that his influence in favor of religious liberty could be just as beneficial.

Thomas Jefferson expressed his gratitude for their letter and reassured the little Baptist association that he saw his duties as president to serve the people of the nation that elected him and to make sure that they were safe, happy, and free.

He went on to say, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature would "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." (emphasis added)

Thomas Jefferson concluded his letter with a prayer for blessing, protection, and well-being to be granted by God, who he referred to as the common Father and Creator. This statement indicates that he never meant for his phrase to be used as a shield against religious liberty. From what I can understand of President Jefferson's actions and writings, he had a similar view of this separation of church and state as mathematically rounding numbers.

When I was young, I was homeschooled. Stay with me because this is going somewhere. When there were some things that my mom - who was an excellent teacher - could not explain in a way that my sisters and I understood, she asked my dad for help. Having a different point of view or new creativity could take a difficult concept and bring it to life. One such concept was rounding numbers in math.

For some reason, the three of us struggled with the rules about rounding up. I guess that we saw numbers as static, things that could not be changed. A number cannot be changed - rounded up or down - because it just is what it is. If it were supposed to be 40 instead of 38, the number would have been 40. It just never made any sense.

Enter my creative father. He took a piece of paper and drew a line. He said, "This line is a fence." Then, he proceeded to explain that numbers 1-4 were like little kids and that numbers 5-9 were big kids. The big kids had a lot of fun and were able to jump over the fence if they wanted to (rounding up). The little kids wanted to jump over the fence, too. But, every time that they tried, they didn't make it; they bounced off and fell down (rounding down).

This visualization and example made math funny and easy to understand. Given the fact that I still vividly remember it, I'm sure that you can tell that is one of my favorite childhood memories.

Now, as an adult, I've taken the view of a child and transferred it to something other than numbers. The state is a little kid, and the church is a big kid. There is certainly a separation between church and state; the first amendment ensures that. However, it only promises to keep government from getting involved in religion. It never says anything about preventing religion from being involved in government.

The religion clause of the First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" A homeowner with a nativity in their yard is clearly not Congress and has certainly not made a law. A student with a Bible at school, an employee wearing a Cross or Star of David jewelry, or a soldier who prays over his meal have not turned into Congress and have not kept anyone from practicing their religion. They have simply exercised their right to freely express their religion - something that the Constitution protects.

A Congressman who wants to vote according to his beliefs has not established a religion. A state legislature that allows a monument to display the Ten Commandments has not prohibited other religions from freely exercising. When the First Amendment says "Congress" and a "law," the words literally mean the federal Congress passing a law that sets up an official national religion to the exclusion of all others.

Religion is a big kid that can jump over the fence of separation. It has historically influenced government and government officials. And it should continue to do so. Without it, government becomes corrupt, evil, and unmanageable. 

But, government is a little kid. It can't jump over the fence; it has to stay on its side. Government should never be allowed to ever tell individuals what religion they can practice and how they can practice it.


Reference:
Letters Between the Danbury Baptists and Thomas Jefferson