By Major W. Cox
Alabama politicians, as well those in other states, are rejecting the fundamental principles of Liberalism in ever increasing numbers. Why are so many politicians, including Alabama Governor Fob James, turning away from our core values, as expressed by the founders of our country in the Constitution?
Religious freedom is one of our core values, stemming in part from the political writings of the influential English philosopher, John Locke. According to Locke's thinking, the state exists not to promote people's spiritual salvation, but to serve its citizens and guarantee their life, property, and liberty under a constitution. Thomas Jefferson echoed Locke in the Declaration of Independence, and in many of his other writings; defending revolutions, against paternalistic government, and in support of free expression of unpopular opinions.
Thomas Paine, the noted American political philosopher and pamphleteer, reflected much of Locke's philosophy in his writings. According to Paine's view with respect to religion, it is inappropriate for government to make any religious demands on free people. This view clearly must have been the intent of the writers of the First Amendment to our Constitution. Any informed reading of the constitution supports this view.
The liberal idea of religious freedom arrived in America on November 21, 1620 with the English Pilgrims. This band of 101 men, women and children landed the Mayflower on the shores of America to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. These families came to America to be free to practice their religion as they saw fit. They didn't want the government of England involved in their religious life.
Religious freedom was liberal ideology, so important to these few families, that they left their home and came to America. This small band of Pilgrims seeded America with the value of religious freedom. This value germinated, grew and bloomed into a precious flower in our Constitution a century and a half later, at the birth of the nation. The founding fathers made religious freedom first among the individual rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
This brings me around to the controversy raging in the media over a judge displaying the Ten Commandments in an Alabama courtroom. Governor James' very public support of a Etowah County judge who requires citizens in his courtroom to view a wooden-tablet of the Ten Commandments and participate in Christian prayer services is an inappropriate use of his office.
The Governor's threat of dispatching a platoon of armed Alabama National Guards or state troopers to defend Judge Roy Moore's religious antics is folly. This "George Wallace" style political prank on the part of Governor James is talk-show TV entertainment for the rest of the country at the expense of Alabama's image.
A few days ago, a reader of this column asked if I intended to write about this issue of prayer and displaying the Ten Commandments in Judge Moore's courtroom. The person who asked is the spouse of a minister and close friend of mind. I have no way of knowing, but I would guess she is a Christian who finds Judge Moore's coercive religious practices personally repugnant. I also suspect that she would never tell anyone that she felt offended by Judge Moore's use of his authoritative status, as a sitting judge, to impose his particular brand of religion on individuals in violation of the letter and spirit of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
I relate this happening because as most readers know too well, the issue of religion makes for treacherous discussions. People don't want to discuss or debate religion, they quietly accept its tenets or wordlessly reject the concept of religion.
In the religious context, we are all the children of God. And during the course of history, many religious demagogues have abused "God's children." The Founding Fathers wanted to protect American citizens from the abusive and scurrilous behavior that rises out of religious demagoguery.
Alabama voters elected their governor to serve as the state's chief executive officer, not as the protector of their religious faith. In America, the responsibility of expressing or manifesting religion is beyond the responsibility of the governor of Alabama.
Let me close with these words about America's wall of separation between church and state spoken by the liberal Supreme Court Justice from Alabama, Hugo Black:
"State help to religion injects political and party prejudices into a holy field. It too often substitutes force for prayer, hate for love, and persecution for persuasion. Government should not be allowed, under cover of the soft euphemism of "co-operation," to steal into the sacred area of religious choice."
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Originally Published: 5 March 1997, Montgomery Advertiser
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