Whose Belief System Shall Govern Us?
By William J. Federer

The ACLU, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, and similar groups, want ‘under God’ taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Ten

Commandments removed from public places, prayer prohibited in schools, and teachers fired for wearing cross necklaces. At the same time, the ACLU defends pornography, abortion, polygamy, the North American Man-Boy Love Association, and printed Getting Hitched in Canada - a guide for homosexual marriage. These groups state they simply want the government neutral with regards to ‘religion.’ Their argument sounds reasonable...until one looks up the definition of ‘religion.’ Definition of Religion The Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines ‘religion’ as: “a set of beliefs.” Webster’s New World Dictionary defines ‘religion’ as: “a system of belief.” The word ‘belief’ is defined as: “opinions, convictions - thoughts upon which one bases their actions.” Thus, it follows, that as long as a person is doing ‘actions,’ they have ‘thoughts’ preceding those actions - and that collection of ‘thoughts’ is that person’s ‘system of belief’ or ‘religion.’ As long as the government is doing ‘actions,’ the government has ‘thoughts preceding those actions’ - and that collection of thoughts is the government’s ‘system of belief’ or ‘religion.’ Can Never Have Separation So, there can never really be a separation of ‘religion’ and government - as long as the government is doing ‘actions’ there are

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thoughts or beliefs underlying those actions. The ACLU is not trying to be ‘religion neutral,’ but, in fact, is promoting a religion - a non-deity-based secular, humanistic system of belief.

Religion of Secularism

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Abington Township v. Schempp (1963), wrote: “The state may not establish a ‘religion of secularism’ in the sense of affirmatively opposing or showing hostility to religion, thus ‘preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe.’...Refusal to permit religious exercises thus is seen, not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism.”

The U.S. District Court, in Crockett v. Sorenson (W.D. Va. 1983), wrote: ”The First Amendment was never intended to insulate our public institutions from any mention of God, the Bible or religion. When such insulation occurs, another religion, such as secular humanism, is effectively established.”

Whose Belief System?

The question is not whether a religion should or should not be in government, the question is whose religion - whose belief system - will be the basis for the government actions.

The new non-deity-based belief system was demonstrated as intolerant when winning Nebraska football Coach Ron Brown was turned down for a coaching job at Stanford University because of his faith. The Daily Nebraskan (4/13/02) reported: “Pat Tetreault, co-chairwoman of the Committee of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns at University of Nebraska at Lincoln, stated ‘We shouldn’t be discriminating on religion either, but you get into a slippery slope on whose belief system you value more.’“

‘Deity’ vs ‘Non-deity’ Belief Systems

Belief in a Supreme Deity was acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence: “All men are endowed by their CREATOR”; in oaths of office: “So Help Me GOD”; on coins: “In GOD We Trust”; in the Gettysburg Address: “This nation, under GOD”, etc. Even the U.S. Supreme Court, in Zorach v. Clauson (1952), admitted: “Our institutions presuppose a SUPREME BEING.”

Why A Deity-Based Belief System?

America’s founders had a ‘deity-based’ belief system. Why? Because: 1) Your RIGHTS cannot be taken away by a government if they come from a power ‘higher’ than the government - i.e. God; 2) There are no second class citizens if everyone is EQUAL because each is made in the image of God; 3) You can live in freedom with few laws if the populous keeps internal laws because they are conscious of their ACCOUNTABILITY to God.

Government cannot be ‘neutral.’ It will always have thoughts underlying its actions. It will always have a belief system. It will always have a religion - the question is whose?

Whose belief system will be the basis for the government’s actions? If our founder’s ‘deity-based’ belief system is removed, then the rights, equality and limited government based on that belief are also removed.

William J. (Bill) Federer is a nationally acclaimed speaker and best-selling author on America’s Godly heritage. He is also a candidate for Missouri’s U.S. 3rd Congressional District. To purchase books and other materials which Mr. Federer has written or to arrange speaking engagements call 1-888-USA-WORD.