[Vision2020] Public Prayer and the Founders

[Nick Gier]

Greetings:

Just for the historical record, I draw your attention to the following:
    * Ben Franklin suggested that the Constitutional Convention in 
Philadelphia be opened with prayer.  The assembled delegates voted the old 
boy down;
    * Jefferson and Jackson refused to make a presidential declaration of a 
national day of prayer and thanksgiving;
    * James Madison believed that churches should pay taxes and that there 
should be no congressional chaplains.
There is lots of support among the founders for reading the establishment 
clause as a "wall" (Madison used the word "line") between church and 
state.  The brutal history of European religious wars and executions was 
too fresh in their minds.

Thanks, Keely, for your personal testimony about private prayer and Jesus' 
rejection of public prayer.

Finally, one challenge for Roger Falen: show me a Supreme Court decision 
that used only the words of the Constitution in the text of the 
decision.  Interpretation requires going beyond the mere words.

Nick Gier

"The god you worship is the god you deserve."
~~ Joseph Campbell
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20050817/71aaa7d2/attachment.htm