Separation Of Church And State

There is a great amount of noise on the right currently related to bringing religion back to public education.  It is their belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that we must return to that reality to reverse their perception of moral decline in the country.  This has given rise to a White Christian Nationalism movement that promotes removing the walls separating Church and State affairs.  Even the newly appointed Secretary of Defense has ties to this movement, and his tattoos indicate that he identifies himself as a modern day crusader.  Christian Nationalism is on the rise in America, and it is frightening that those now in power have the ability to push legislation that advances this agenda.  As a Father, it is difficult to believe that my child might be forced to study Christianity in public schools as if it were any other subject.  Those who so loudly denounce and fear Sharia Law are the same people who wish to implement Christian ideology into political practice in the United States.  It is hypocritical to decry the actions of another ideology and then attempt to promote your own against the wills of the people.

There is nothing wrong with the study of religion so long as it is done objectively and not as a source of indoctrination.  Additionally, there should be a study of all religions of the world to help children and young adults understand how culturally diverse we are as a species.  However, a Christian Nationalist agenda is not about religious freedom and education, but rather about conversion to a specific belief system determined to be superior to all others.  Organized religion has been used a political tool since the inception of government and is an effective form of compliance and control.  Throughout history, many atrocities have been committed in the name of one god or another for wealth and political gain.  This is why it is crucial that we maintain the separation of these powers so that we do not fall into the same dark places of history as previous generations.

James Madison, Founding Father and 4th President of The United States, demonstrated this understanding in his "Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, [ca. 20 June] 1785".  In this work he states plainly that religion has no place in governmental policy and history has proven it degrades the governmental authority as well as the religion it seeks to promote.  "Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?".  When discussing Christian Nationalism you must also ask the question, which version of Christianity are you attempting to implement?  There are more than 200 different denominations of Christian Churches throughout the United States.  It is a fallacy to prescribe universal policies based on a non-unified religious affiliation and believe that you are somehow serving your divine creator in doing so. "Such a Government will be best supported by protecting every Citizen in the enjoyment of his Religion with the same equal hand which protects his person and his property; by neither invading the equal rights of any Sect, nor suffering any Sect to invade those of another."  Madison spoke out against taxes being used to state-fund churches, because he believed that no religious sect deserved to be promoted by the state more than any other sect.  He was a true believer in religious freedom for all persons no matter their beliefs and that no one religion should be the guiding force behind policy making for the state.  

The question that I keep coming back to is this; How are we still having these conversations after all of this time?  A Founding Father felt that the population was facing moral decline and proposed a state-led effort to institute Christianity, and another Founding Father opposed it and implemented the concept of the separation of church and state into our national policy making.  Over 200 years have passed and we are once again having to discuss the same concepts in today's political climate.  At what point do we acknowledge that the human race is the same as it has always been.  No matter how advanced we perceive ourselves to be, our mindsets never truly evolve.  Religion will always be used as a means for the advancement of human agendas.  It will always be used to pit one group as righteous warriors against an immoral group of non-believers.

If you do not align with these values you are now the outcast and public policy will be used against you.  If we look at historical events surrounding times such as these, it is obvious that we can expect great upheaval and turbulence in the years to come.  If you are reading this it is because you do not prescribe to the delusion that God has chosen Donald Trump to lead America to greatness. He has alluded to his survival of an assassination attempt as God anointing him to lead this country.  Believer or not, it is well known that Donald Trump in no way aligns with Christianity, but instead deceives those of faith to join his forces and ensure that he was elected.  He is a hypocrite and a bigot and is now in control of the United States along with a republican majority in the House and Senate.

We did not choose to live during this time and would have much preferred to live quiet lives of peace and comfort.  However, our circumstances require that we stand against the rise of White Christian Nationalism in our country.  It is time to become politically active and restore facts and realities as our guiding principles rather than falsehoods and feelings.  It is time to re-affirm the separation between church and state now before it becomes a lost principle.  We must respect those of faith and their pursuit of that faith, but never let it be forced upon us and our children.  We must denounce the formation of religious indoctrination in our public education systems that are sprouting from state to state.  Just as the Founding Father, James Madison, once stood against the promotion of Christianity as policy we must now do so again.  It is our duty to continue his legacy so that future generations may enjoy freedom of religion no matter their beliefs.

 

Read James Madison's words referenced at the archive listed below.

“Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, [ca. 20 June] 1785,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-08-02-0163. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 8, 10 March 1784 – 28 March 1786, ed. Robert A. Rutland and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973, pp. 295–306.]

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Women's Rights

  • Women deserve bodily autonomy, a right to privacy, and should not be disenfranchised in any way.
  • Single and low-income mothers should be given additional support to cover costs associated with food, clothing, school supplies, and general expenses associated with raising children.

Immigrant Rights

  • Residents that follow the law, are employed, pay taxes, and act in good faith to become a legal U.S. resident should be given a pathway to stay in Tennessee.
  • All those with criminal histories, not attempting to seek U.S. legal residency, or act in bad faith to subvert the system forfeit their rights to remain in Tennessee.

Education

  • Tennessee tax dollars should not be used to subsidize private schools and religious institutions. Funding for public schools should be increased, teacher pay should be raised, and schools should provide healthy lunch options free to all students.
  • Tax-based funding allocations should prioritize facility improvements, technology and material expenses that directly impact education outcomes while extracurricular activities should be funded solely through true surpluses of funding or local fundraising efforts.

Minimum Wage

  • The Federal Minimum Wage has not been increased from $7.25/hr. since 2009, but the Poverty line for a single earner in 2025 is $7.52/hr. The legal minimum to pay an employee is below the poverty line which is unacceptable. The State Minimum Wage needs to be raised to at least $12.05/hr by 2030.
  • 37% of Tennessee households are single-parent homes, and by 2030 a single-parent with one child would need to earn $12.05 just to be equal to the poverty threshold. This is the baseline by which we should dictate the State Minimum Wage for future increases to ensure that at the bare minimum a single parent can earn a poverty wage.
  • The increase would be done through a gradual year over year increase to allow businesses time to adapt and prepare them for a potential Federal Minimum Wage increase that surpasses these numbers. If the Federal Minimum Wage remains stagnant, then we would continue to raise the State Minimum Wage every 2 years to maintain a single-parent, single-child household at the poverty level.

Economy/Job Growth

  • Our primary focus should be onsmall business growth and local ownership of the companies that serve our communities.
  • Local ownership improves the quality of life of our residents, creates new job opportunities, and builds an avenue to close the gap of wealth inequality in our country.

Public Safety/Crime

  • A pivot to addressing the underlying issues that cause crimes is the best source of prevention. Stricter penalties for serious repeat offenders should be implemented to stop revolving door criminals.
  • Lesser penalties and financial hardship for non-violent offenders as well as more community-based programs increases likelihood of successful criminal reformation.

Homelessness/Poverty

  • The Tennessee State minimum wage should be increased to $10/hr with a root-cause analysis of poverty in our state in each county to be conducted to understand which factors are most likely to impact a person’s socioeconomic status.
  • County-Level plans to address economic disparity should be enacted to help improve the lives of our citizens and in turn provide a framework for a future generation to escape poverty.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Illness are often the driving factors behind homelessness and an evaluation of local resources in each county should be conducted to understand how these resources are utilized, which types of people take advantage of them, and how funded can best be allocated to support the areas that need it most.

Drugs/Addiction

  • Addiction is a disease and must be treated as a mental illness and not just a lifestyle choice.
  • All counties should be given grants for qualified professionals to provide access to accredited, evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment programs.
  • Licensed Counselors, Case Managers, Probation Officers, and Court Staff should cooperate with one another to provide a holistic approach in treating addiction and ensuring an individual has an opportunity to reform and be a useful member within their communities.

Healthcare

  • Tennessee has become a hub for healthcare companies, and is an industry we should continue to strive as leaders in.
  • To ensure access to quality healthcare in more rural communities, Tennessee should create a program to incentivize new graduates in health fields to work in remote and underserved populations throughout the state in exchange for a stipend that multiplies each year based on time of service in these communities to offset the lower salary cost these areas tend to provide.

Government Efficiency

  • Each state controlled or funded agency should participate in process audits with each sector having a subject matter expert dedicated to improving the departments.
  • These personnel would serve as an advisor to the director of each department, but would bypass the bureaucratic chain of command through direct access to personnel at all levels ensuring all employees voices and ideas are heard.
  • By identifying time and monetary waste we can promote policy changes, facility upgrades and investment opportunities that would increase efficiency and reduce overall costs to operate these agencies without requiring a reduction in staff.

Environment/Energy/Natural Resources

  • Water management systems should be evaluated to account for the projected growth of urban population areas to ensure these resources are not overexerted.
  • Water and energy efficient appliances and fixtures should be mandatory for all new construction and renovations to help conserve resources and programs that offer rebates and incentives for energy efficiency should be expanded for both homeowners and contractors alike.
  • LEED certified contractors should be given priority for obtaining government construction contracts and all government facilities should be evaluated for energy-saving upgrades.

Infrastructure/Transportation

  • Public transportation needs to be evaluated for its current efficiency, use rates, and capacity for future growth and expansion.
  • All roadway and public space projects should prioritize long term growth potential over immediate use, because lack of planning in the past has left us with congested roadways incapable of handling our increasing population.  
  • A review of electrical grid and water management systems needs to be completed immediately to understand the impacts of population growth on aging infrastructure and a detailed plan to upgrade any outdated systems needs to be factored into future budgets to prevent costly maintenance and repairs.

2nd Amendment/Gun Control

  • The 2nd Amendment is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States of America and should continue to be the right of capable, law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and prioritizing firearm safety training for the general public can help prevent negligent discharge accidents as well as prepare citizens to engage in self-defense effectively should they ever find themselves in danger.
  • Common sense laws can help ensure that those purchasing and carrying a firearm are capable of doing so in good faith such as; Universal Background Checks, Age Restricted Conceal Carry and Handgun Purchases, Violent Offender Sales Bans, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
  • To protect Law Enforcement Officers from engaging in unnecessary high-risk encounters, public open-carry must never be allowed for rifles.