Trego's Mountain Ear

Our Bill of Rights was argued and developed at the end of a period known as “the Enlightenment” – roughly 1600 to 1800.  Even the beginning of the Enlightenment was a time of religious strife – the Thirty Years War, fought between 1618 and 1648, was basically a conflict between Catholic armies and Protestant Armies that killed off about half the population of Germany. 

The battle of Breitenfeld (May 20,1631) is known for shifting the technology of war – but 200 years later, the defeat of Catholic General Tilly was marked there with a simple plaque declaring “Freedom of Belief for all the world.”

In England, it had been the war of the three kingdoms – 1639 to 1653 – won by Oliver Cromwell, followed by the Restoration, and then the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

It’s hard to look at these wars and recall that those European monarchs pretty well served only with the blessing of the established church – the concept of divine right of kings pretty well tells us that this was a time when there was no division between political and religious power.   The Covenant, in Scotland, an agreement on how to run the Church of Scotland – in a manner contrary to the English King’s wishes – led to the War of the Three Kingdoms.  Following the Glorious Revolution came the Jacobite rebellions – supporting the Divine Right of Kings.  The last Jacobite uprising was 1745 – a single generation before Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence.

And that gets us to the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

If we look at the perspective of the founding fathers, the First amendment used very few words to cover the topic.  Stripped to the basics, the Federal government is not allowed to establish a religion or prohibit anyone’s free exercise of religion.  We don’t have the same recent experience – personally, I’m four generations removed from folks who left Europe because of the orders to contribute to building a new church, and 10 generations removed from the Scot who came to America following the 1715 Jacobite uprising. 

So at the school board meeting, we had a lot of discussion about adding an official prayer to board meetings.  In the end, I think the decision was correct – if you want to pray, that’s your business.  Officially sanctioned prayer isn’t to happen.  I think that matches the founders intent – they were a lot closer to family members who had gotten caught up in the church and state bind.

Rudyard Kipling wrote “McDonough’s Song”:

Whether the State can loose and bind
In Heaven as well as on Earth:
If it be wiser to kill mankind
Before or after the birth—
These are matters of high concern
Where State-kept schoolmen are;
But Holy State (we have lived to learn)
  Endeth in Holy War.

Whether The People be led by The Lord,
Or lured by the loudest throat:
If it be quicker to die by the sword
  Or cheaper to die by vote—
These are things we have dealt with once,
  (And they will not rise from their grave)
For Holy People, however it runs,
  Endeth in wholly Slave.

Whatsoever, for any cause,
  Seeketh to take or give,
Power above or beyond the Laws,
  Suffer it not to live!
Holy State or Holy King—
  Or Holy People’s Will—
Have no truck with the senseless thing.
  Order the guns and kill!

    Saying—after—me:—
Once there was The People—Terror gave it birth;
Once there was The People and it made a Hell of Earth.
Earth arose and crushed it. Listen, O ye slain!
Once there was The People—it shall never be again!

Perhaps English History has left a people who are (were?) more understanding of the problems that happen when Church and state are one?