Religious liberty, then, now and for the future

No other country in the world has drawn a hard line between church and state quite like we have here in the United States.

In the history of our country, no religious group has been more influential in establishing and maintaining that hard line of separation than have Baptists. Baptists have a difficult time agreeing among themselves about much of anything. We cherish local control of our churches and bow to no church hierarchy. However, we can be principled people, and when the time of need for cooperation comes, we hang together. That is the way it is when the subject of religious freedom and separation of church and state is discussed.

The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is a powerful Washington, D.C., lobby that has only one purpose — keep government out of religion, either by support or restriction. Almost every Baptist group in America belongs to and supports BJC. The Southern Baptist Convention is a notable exception, but thousands of churches that belong to SBC break ranks from the larger body and support the BJC.

New occasions to protect religious liberty and separation of church and state appear regularly. Hurricane Sandy brought the latest issue. Can government funds be used to repair damaged houses of worship? The legal staff of BJC was quick to respond. Absolutely not! To put it in simple words, government money was not used to build the buildings and cannot be used in rebuilding them. It is a matter of principle and the American principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state apply in all situations. A person can be sympathetic toward the congregations that have damaged buildings, but not a dime of government money is to go toward repairing and rebuilding. It is a matter of principle.

We all owe a great debt to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson never claimed to be a Christian, but he had Baptist friends who had his ear. They had a powerful influence on Jefferson. On Jan.16, 1787, the Virginia Assembly passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Jefferson penned the legislation. It was the Virginia Statute that became the model for the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution and formed the intellectual model for all the states of the United States.

Alaska is the 49th of these 50 states. Alaskans benefitted from the experience of Virginia, the U.S. Bill of Rights and the 48 states that preceded them into the union. In Article One, Section Four of the Alaska State Constitution the basic principle was laid down. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. In Article Seven, Section One, a further clarification is set. No money shall be paid from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.

While it is true that the words “separation of church and state” are never used in the U.S. Constitution, the intent is clear. No action of the federal government can ever be used for the support and establishment of religion, nor can the federal government take any action against the free exercise of religion. The writers of the Alaska State Constitution took a step beyond the U.S. Constitution. No state money is ever to go to private schools, whether they be religious or secular.

At the present time, the Alaska Legislature is considering a constitutional amendment that would nullify Article Seven, Section One. While the sponsors deny intent to establish education vouchers, much of the public believes otherwise.

Alaskans are becoming involved in a great debate. Arguments will be strongly for and against. One side will project benefits, and the other side will cite looming damages. I prefer to avoid that kind of argument. What is at stake is a principle that has served the nation extremely well. The issue is keeping government out of religion.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. As our forbearers came to the American shores, they brought their religions. The result is that we are an incredibly diverse nation; racially, socially, politically and religiously. Religion in America is filled with both creativity and chaos. And religion in America is alive and well.

In recent decades, the United States has received many immigrants who are neither practicing nor cultural Christians. Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus abound. Religious diversity is the wave of the future. America is well equipped to handle its religious future because of the principle of separation of church and state. Even the slightest infringement on the separation principle must be resisted vigorously.

The United States was never intended to be a Christian nation. The intent of the founders was a secular state in which religion was practiced freely without the interference of government. Baptists, at one-time a persecuted sect, like it that way. I cherish my heritage of religious freedom. Let’s keep it that way.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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