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Jack's Main Memorial Page
December 30, 1994
Other Voices
Dayton Daily News
P.O. Box 1287
Dayton OH 45401
Dear Editor
"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?"
Job 38:2. This verse came to mind as I read Congressman Mottley's
Dec. 26 letter to the editor. Mottley purported to tell the "rest
of the story" concerning Thomas Jefferson and the first amendment.
A serious problem arose when he only set forth part of the truth.
Mottley made a point out of discrediting the view that the Jefferson
held the wall of separation to primarily protect the Church from
the State. However, he quoted Jefferson's letter in which Jefferson
said, "Believing with you ...." That quote shows that
Jefferson was in agreement with those Bap tists on the doctrine
of separation of church and state. Jefferson used the metaphor
of a wall of separation used by Roger Williams who was a Baptist.
Williams taught that the separation of church and state was primarily
needed to protect the church from the state.(1) Jefferson surely
knew the Danbury Baptists held to the view of Williams. Now unless
Mottley would have us to believe that Jefferson was only playing
mind games with the Baptists and was really fooling them, it must
be construed that Jefferson also believed the First Amendment
was to protect the Church from the state. He mentioned the fact
that Jefferson was the only President to refuse to proclaim a
'national' day of prayer. However, he failed to mention that as
governor of Virginia Jefferson did support state sponsored days
of prayer.(3) John Eidsmoe states, "Another interesting fact:
In 1803 President Jefferson recommended that Congress pass a treaty
with the Kaskaskia Indians which provided among other things,
a stipend of $100 annually for seven years from the Federal treasury
of the support of a Catholic priest to minister to the Kaskaskia
Indians. This and two similar treaties were enacted during Jeffer
son's administration---one with the Wyandotte Indians and other
tribes in 1806, and one with the Cherokees in 1807."(4) Mottley
mentioned Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address. But again, he
failed to quote from that address the part in which Jefferson
said, "In mat ters of religion I have considered that its
free exercise is placed by the constitution independent of the
powers of the General [Federal] Government. I have therefore undertaken
on no occasion to prescribe the religious exercise suited to them,
but have left them, as the Constitution found them, under the
direction and discipline of the church or state authorities acknowledge
by the several religious societies." One must conclude that
Jefferson interpreted the 10th amendment as leaving the relation
of the state and the church up to the states. Jefferson made clear
that was his interpretation of the 10th Amendment in an 1808 letter
to a clergyman. (See Walter Williams, Dayton Daily News, Dec.
26 for an excellent article on the 10th amendment.) One must also
consider Jefferson's relationship with the University of Virginia
in order to better understand his views on the separation of church
and state. Jefferson was very involved in the opening of the University
in 1824. Under his direction "they allowed no form of religious
worship within the precincts of the University."(5) However,
it soon became obvious that education without the influence of
Christianity was godless education and produced students in chaos.
Within two years Jefferson proposed that "each denominations
of Christians should be invited to establish a professorship of
theology in connection with the University."(6) Jefferson
died before the plan was enacted and it was modified to have only
one professorship of theolo gy with the Christian denominations
taking turns to provide the professor on a yearly basis.(7) Conceding
that Jefferson was no believer in orthodox Christianity, I still
conclude that he would never support the liberal's use of the
First Amendment to oppress Christianity, or to keep Christian
symbols off public property. I do not think Jefferson, or any
of the founding fathers, can honestly be thought to support the
liberal's view that the First Amendment forbids a student from
singing Silent Night at a Winter break celebration. I do not believe
that Jefferson would support the liberal view that the First Amendment
forbids the display of the 10 commandments in government schools.
I also don't believe that Jefferson would support a state sales
tax to secure the religious monopoly of secular humanism in government
schools.
Yours for one nation under God
Charles J. Arnett
111 Worman Dr.
Union OH 45322
513 836-3272 or 836-0862p