Rob Boston: Separation of Church and State

Rob Boston, author and political analyst with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, speaking in Portland Oregon in late March of 2011.

He writes many of the feature articles that appear in AU's Church & State magazine and is the author of three books. He has attended oral arguments on every church-state case at the US Supreme Court since 1988.
Rob has represented Americans United on CNN's "Anderson Cooper," Fox News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor," MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and other programs.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Separation
• of
• Church
• and
• State

[bRizzle2009100]

Creationism was taught in schools in America for over 300 years before Americans United and the ACLU came about. The Bible was the primary textbook in schools until the 1963 ruling. Prayer was said at graduations, in the classroom, and at public events since the 17th century. Individual states and the federal govt set aside days of prayer and fasting. Church was held in the Capitol Building on Sundays.

This secular concept of separation of church & state only existed the last 50 years.

[PhilosopherSeed]

@bRizzle2009100

It was also taught that the black race was inferior and perfectly within the religious principles of the Bible to enslave them. We are making progress, and the separation of Church and State is a large part of that departure from this line of thinking............

[bRizzle2009100]

@PhilosopherSeed The Bible doesn't teach that blacks are inferior. It teaches to treat everyone with compassion and kindness, Jews and Gentiles both. The Bible says we all are created in the image of God and that in the eyes of God, we are all equal. So, with all due respect, you are incorrect.

Religious principles had nothing to do with the enslavement of blacks. If anything it had to do with there liberation. It was the Second Great Awakening that led to the Civil War.

[PhilosopherSeed]

@bRizzle2009100

It seems obvious that I was referring to how people practiced their religion. I'm sure that back in those days they had bible quotes ready that would justify their enslavement of the black race and decimation of the red race, all in the name of Christ.

[bRizzle2009100]

@pmuaddib12 Right so Alexis de Tocqueville had no idea what he was talking about. He probably had a secret agenda that we don't know about. He traveled to many of the different states and visited for 4 years and wrote down everything he saw. He probably interviewed thousands of ppl. A book that has been studied in history classes for decades has been dethroned by some unknown grandmother in minnesota.

Give me a break. If the best defense you have is your grandmother then stop replying.

[pmuaddib12]

@bRizzle2009100

Yet my grandmother said those things weren't true in rural minnesota int he 1930's . Just pointing out that what you're saying is a lie. That's all.

[pmuaddib12]

@bRizzle2009100

"The Bible was the primary textbook in schools until the 1963 ruling. Prayer was said at graduations, in the classroom, and at public events since the 17th century. Individual states and the federal govt set aside days of prayer and fasting. Church was held in the Capitol Building on Sundays.

This secular concept of separation of church & state only existed the last 50 years."

[bRizzle2009100]

@pmuaddib12 I never asked you about your grandmother's experiences. What does her experiences have to do with what we are talking about if it has nothing to do with religious instruction in schools?

[pmuaddib12]

@bRizzle2009100

Nope. I said my grandmother didn't recall praying or using the bible in a one room school in the 1930's. They were too busy doing school things. Like learning. I never said that religion wasn't taught in schools. Clearly you engage in a lot of projection straw manning of your opponents.

[bRizzle2009100]

@pmuaddib12 You think your slick & you might get most ppl but not me. You changed the subject. You said religion was never taught in schools. I referenced a book "Democracy In America" that disproves your point. You never responded to this point bc you had no response. You had no facts to back anything up.

By the way, the First Amnd says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." A restriction on Congress. Nothing else.

[pmuaddib12]

@bRizzle2009100

Hey how about this. The Constitution is a completely secular document that doesn't establish a christian state or a theocratic government. The phrase "separation of church and state" was a phrase used by several of the founding father to describe what the first amendment was intended to do. Clearly non of these facts has any impact on what you believe about the US and your willingness to lie about the history of your country is indicative of your character.

[bRizzle2009100]

@pmuaddib12 Exactly.... you have no facts or anything valuable to add to the debate so you resort to calling names lol.

Again.... I am not surprised.