What do you think? Is the Constitution of the United States a religious document? You say, "Nooooo." Okay, why? I think many people would say, "Separation of church and state." One part of the first amendment perhaps someone, maybe you, latches on to. It's called the "establishment clause." It reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Without giving him an endorsement, but instead maybe giving him a disclaimer, perhaps you've seen the "church lady" that Dana Carvey does, and the line she says: "Isn't that special?!?" We've got an establishment clause. Aren't we special? I mean, we are going to make no law respecting an establishment of religion, cross my heart and hope to die. Is that true though?
Every nation has a ruling religion.
I grew up being taught great respect of the United States Constitution. This was an amazing document of government. You're not a patriotic American if you don't love the Constitution. It seems a major verbiage of a conservative is, "I love the Constitution of the United States." You've got your little pocket Constitution. You could mock someone who doesn't know it, like Jesus with the Pharisees, "Have you not read?"
Everything about the founding of the country, however, connected itself at least at the beginning with the Declaration of Independence, which was the founding document, with God. Most of all, there's this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." And then there's this: "the laws of nature and of nature's God."
Before the Constitution, the federal government fell under the Articles of Confederation, which didn't do much, but it did result in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which included this:
Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
As Congress then enacted the Ordinance, it put this into affect by having religious requirements. I'm not going to go into detail, but there are trails of official government documents in both the federal government in then in the new states for religion.
There's not just that. You know the argument behind the entire structure of the American government, the three branches, separation of powers, and checks and balances, expressed in the Constitution. All of this, people say, is about an understanding of the depravity of man. Man is by nature evil, not good. Our government protects men from themselves. It assumes the worst about them. There's much more to tease out there as far as enumerating powers essentially for the protection of liberty.
If a group of men are saying that the founding of the country is about God, the function of it is about God, and then the structure of it admits that man can't do it, because he's depraved, it's putting religion right at the top.
The Bible shows and history illustrates that all men are religious. All government is religious. In other words, there is no such thing as neutrality. There is no truly secular state. That is sheer fiction. It is an idea pushed upon the Constitution by implying, insinuating, or inferring its religious foundation without plainly stating it.
Is same sex marriage secular? What about abortion, is it secular? Evolution? Is hatred of God secular? No to all of these. All of these are the evidence of a religion, the wrong religion that is in charge.
The only religion that has dedicated itself to stay out of the public square is true religion. True religionists allow paganism to reign in the land through many various means.
If we are dealing in truth, which is the only way to deal, then everything revolves around God and His pure revelation, the Bible. That is the truth. Lies are also religious, but they are a faulty, failing foundation. We don't do better by lying to say that the truth is only a religion, and what the state is doing is secular. No. They are both religious. One is religion based upon the truth, and the other is a religion based upon lies.
Men are God's creatures. God rules over men. Men should act like it. When they don't act like it, they are failing. They are not statesmen. They are not any term associated with anything good.
As you read this post, you might ask, "Is Brandenburg advocating for a state church?" I'm advocating for functioning in every realm of life according to God's Word, the Bible. Men in the government should start saying it. They follow the Bible. The Bible is the truth. If that isn't happening, it doesn't mean there's no state religion. There's still a state religion. It's just one based upon lies and according to another god, not the one and true God.
Take a modern issue. Russia and the Ukraine. It's too late to put all this back in the bottle, but it's impossible to see this in a right way without looking to God for what He wants in it. A true leader, worth following, should be quoting the Bible and talking about what God would want us to do. Do you think it's better to leave God out?
If this is going to happen, then everyone should start by talking about God like this in every sphere of their lives. Be open about your belief in the Bible. Include God in it all.
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