Standing Against Judicial Tyranny

Freedom is fragile.  It must be nurtured, defended, and protected.  That was the original intention of the First Amendment, which states in part:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, “[1]  Unfortunately, the First Amendment has been turned on its head, and our religious freedom is under savage attack by Activist Courts and their conspirators in the ACLU, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the Educational elite, and the Entertainment and News Media.

 

Click here to help Stop Judicial Tyranny.

 

Brief History: Our religious freedom became an endangered species when the 1947 Supreme Court ignored the original intent of the Founding Fathers, trashed three centuries of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, and turned a statement in one of Jefferson's private letters on its head in declaring a two-way “Wall of Separation” between church and state.[2]  This awful ruling has become text and verse for the belief that the First Amendment separated religion and the state, thereby mandating a strictly secular government. 

 

Result: All religious influences must be removed from public institutions.  Succeeding Supreme Courts outlawed public prayer in the schools in 1962.[3]  In 1963, out went public Bible reading from public schools.[4]  In 1980, down came the 10 Commandments from school house walls![5]  This agenda of radical secularization has not only been zealously prosecuted by the activist courts, but by extension, the various public entities, school boards, educators, and teachers. 

 

For example, some have declared it to be unconstitutional:

 

• For a student to pray aloud over his school lunch.[6]
• For Kindergarten students to recite: "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food."[7]
• For a board of education to use or refer to the word "God" in any of its official writings.[8]
• For prayer to be offered in the name of Jesus at City Council meetings.[9]
• For a kindergarten student to ask and for the teacher to answer whose birthday is being celebrated at Christmas. [10]
• For two Middle School students to bring their Bibles to class.  Their teacher confiscated the Bibles, proclaimed: “This is garbage,” and threw them into the trash can.[11]
• For some students to pray publicly anywhere in school.  An Alabama Judge, Ira Dement, even assigned a tax-payer supported “prayer monitor” in schools to ensure that students did not engage in public prayer.[12]
• For a graduation ceremony to contain an opening or closing prayer.[13]
• For a student to pray over the public address system at ballgames.[14]
• For students in nine western states to recite the Pledge of Allegiance including the words: “One Nation Under God.”[15]
• For an Honor Guardsman to say: “God bless you and this family, and may God bless this country” at the graveside of a veteran.[16]
• To have our national motto: “In God We Trust” on a county government building.[17]
• For Former Chief Justice Roy Moore to display a monument of the 10 commandments in the Alabama State Capitol building.[18]

Again, using their perverted understanding of the “Wall of Separation” as the standard for church-state jurisprudence, Activist Courts have taken us down the wrong road, based on bad history, guided by flawed sources, leading to unbearable public policy, resulting in a loss of religious liberty, and ultimately contributing to cultural ruin.

 

We stand with those who support our First Amendment right to public religious expression and who would appoint only those judges and justices who respect that right.  We stand against those who pander to the Activist Courts, the ACLU, Americans for the Separation of Church and State, and others in removing public expressions of our Judeo-Christian heritage and depriving us of our religious freedoms.

What Can You Do About It?

• Find out where the candidates and elected officials stand on issues of "separation of church and state."
• Write your elected officials with your concerns. Visit www.faithandfamily.com.
• Write letters to the editor and phone talk radio programs.
• Begin an Cultural Impact Team in your church.  Contact: tredmon@bellsouth.net
• Click here to help Stop Judicial Tyranny.
• Preach a Message: We Value Freedom

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[1] Annals of Congress, 1:948.  See the published version at the following website: www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/charters_of_freedom/bill_of_rights/amendments_1-10.html
[2] Everson v. Board of Education of the Township of Ewing, 330 U.S. 1 (1947).
[3] Engel v. Vitale 370 U.S. 421, (1962).
[4] Abington School District v. Schempp; 374 U.S. 203, 220-221 (1963).
[5] Stone v. Graham 449 U.S. 39 (1980).
[6] Reed v. van Hoven 237 F. Supp. 48 (W.D. Mich. 1965).
[7] Frank J. Murray, “Federal Court Hears Lawsuit Over Kindergarten Christian; New York School may relent, may let tot say grace at meals,” The Washington Times, June 12, 2002.  While the child was eventually allowed to pray, the fact that her prayer was challenged by school officials demonstrates the point.
[8] State of Ohio v. Whisner 351 N. E. 2d 750 (Ohio Supreme Court 1976).
[9] Catrine Johansson, “City Councils Ban Jesus from Prayer,” The Orange County Register, January 12, 2003; “Pompano Bans Prayer at Public Meetings That Mention Specific Deities,” The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 24, 2003, http://www.sun-sentinel.com.
[10] Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, 494 F. Supp. 911 (U.S.D.C., S.D. 1979).
[11] News Release, “School Officials Trash ‘Truth for Youth’ Bibles and Ten Commandment Covers,” Liberty Counsel, May 19, 2000. [12] Chandler v. Siegelman, 230 F. 3d 1313 (11th Cir. 2000).
[13] Graham v. Central Community School District of Decatur County No. 608, F. Supp. 531 (U.S.D.C., E.D. IA 1985).  Kay v. Douglas School District No. 719, P. 2d 875 (Or. App.1986).  Robert E. Lee v. Daniel Weisman No. 112 S. Ct. 2649; L. Ed. 2d 472, (1992).  Gearon v. Loudoun County School District No. 844, F. Supp. 1097 (U.S.D.C., E.D. VA, 1993).  Harris v. Joint School District No. 241, 41 F. 3d 447 (9th Cir. 1994).
[14] Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 120 S.Ct. 2266, 68 USLW 4525 (2000).
[15] Newdow v. United States Congress, 292 F. 3d 597, 608 (9th Cir. 2002).
[16] David O’Reilly, “Honor Guardsman is Fired for Blessings,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 22, 2003.
[17] “N.C. County Will Fight “In God We Trust” Lawsuit,” The First Amendment Center, August 15, 2003; http://fac.org/news.aspx?id=11828.
[18] Glassroth v. Moore 229 F. Supp 2d 1290, 1297 (M.D. 2002, 11th Cir. 2003).