Lecture 13 July 2024

Number 13                                                                                                      July 2024

While browsing through the various books at my house I came across a small volume titled “Great Quotes from Great Leaders.”  When it arrived and from where, I have no idea.  It did occur to me that I might be able to benefit from it in some way. 

A few lectures ago I commented that what we know as the Golden Rule is contained in the writings associated with the world’s major religions.  Skimming through a few pages I found this: “We should behave to our friends as we would wish our friends to behave to us.”  The quote is from the Greek philosopher Aristotle.  His vast intellectual range covered diverse subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, logic, rhetoric, ethics, biology and zoology but not religion.  He was possibly born in 384 BC and died in 322 BC. 

My wife was a music teacher in both a public school and in a Catholic elementary school.  I attended public schools and took religious education at the local Catholic elementary school.  I never saw a poster of the ten commandments anywhere in any school.  My wife was restricted from teaching any Christmas carols as they could be construed to violate the Constitution.  Just about every religion has a celebration that takes place in the months of December and January.  By ‘teaching’ about the history of the carols and including lessons about Hanukkah, Diwali, the Lunar New Year, and Ramadan she was able to include the carols and avoided offending anyone. 

The Louisiana legislature has passed a bill requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every publicly supported classroom in the state.  Texas among other states may soon follow.  Some people will say, “It’s about time.” Others will claim it as a violation of our constitution.  The reasoning is that the commandments form the basis of our legal system.  The legislature apparently failed to identify which form of the commandments were to be displayed and if there should be any consideration as to the content or wording relating to the age of the students.  

The first amendment to the US Constitution states, “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.”

The amendment addresses several issues that were important to the colonists.  The British government had established a state religion, they had persecuted anyone who wished to follow a different practice both Catholic and various Protestant sects.  Parliament had passed laws of libel and sedition attempting to curtail criticism of the government.  Under these laws they had shut down newspapers.  They had limited the number of people who could legally assemble for any reason, and they had repeatedly ignored letters and petitions from the colonists requesting redress for any and all grievances.

Henry VIII wished to produce a son to inherit the throne.  When Queen Catherine of Argon failed to give him one, he petitioned Pope Clement VI for an annulment.  Clement denied Henry’s request. The denial led Henry to establish the Church of England.  The English monarch was and still is the head of the church and over the centuries they used this position to outlaw any religious practices that did not follow the Church of England. His ministers and Parliament realized that the Roman Catholic Church in England was wealthier than the government.  Churches and monasteries were seized, the practice of the Roman church was outlawed, Catholics were imprisoned, exiled and executed.   Soon various Protestant sects were added to the forbidden list.  As England spread her conquest of Scotland and Ireland the Church of England adapting to local practices as the Church of Scotland and the Church of Ireland.

History tells us that many of our colonies were founded by Protestants seeking the liberty to practice their religion which in some ways differed from those of the English church.  The Puritans settled Plymouth Plantation; the Quakers settled in Penn’s Woods.  Lord Baltimore brought Catholics to Maryland.  Roger Williams was exiled from Plymouth and founded Rhode Island and a church which was less strict than that of the Puritans.  Soon others immigrated to the colonies from other countries in Europe seeking some measure of religious freedom.

When the United States was established, Congress enacted the Articles of Confederation.  These laws soon proved to be unsatisfactory.  A committee was formed to amend the Articles, but it became obvious that a new form of government was needed.  The result was the Constitution, giving the Federal government much more power than it had under the Articles.  It soon became obvious that ratification by the individual states hinged on some modifications to the document.  A Bill of Rights was presented containing fourteen proposed amendments.  Ten were approved by the states and became the first ten amendments.  

The first amendment forbids Congress from passing a law establishing a state religion. The term Congress has been interpreted as any level of government.  Does posting the Ten Commandments constitute “a law establishing a state religion?”  Maybe, maybe not.  The ACLU has already started to take action.   I guess the courts will have to decide that question and no matter what the decision is not everyone will be happy.