Christopher Hitchens on Religion and the Separation of Church and State (1994 Part 9)

November 21, 1994 http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww....

Watch the full program: http://thefilmarchived.blogspot.com/2010/08/christopher-hitchens-and-mona-cha...

The election of William Linn as Chaplain of the House on May 1, 1789, continued the tradition established by the Continental Congresses of each day's proceedings opening with a prayer by a chaplain. The early Chaplains alternated duties with their Senate counterparts on a weekly basis. The two conducted Sunday services for the Washington community in the House chamber every other week.

In addition to opening proceedings with prayer, the Chaplain provides pastoral counseling to the House community, coordinates the scheduling of guest chaplains, and arranges memorial services for the House and its staff. In the past, Chaplains have performed marriage and funeral ceremonies for House members.

The Chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session (excluding Pro Forma sessions) of the United States Senate with a prayer. The Chaplain is appointed by majority vote of the members of the Senate. All chaplains have been Christian-based, however there is no rule saying that a person of a different religion is barred from this position.

The current Chaplain is Barry C. Black.

Article Six of the United States Constitution provides that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States". Prior to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, this was the only mention of religious freedom in the Constitution.

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Amendment XIV) is one of the post-Civil War amendments, intended to secure rights for former slaves. It includes the due process and equal protection clauses among others. The amendment introduces the concept of incorporation of all relevant federal rights against the states. While it has not been fully implemented, the doctrine of incorporation has been used to ensure, through the Due Process Clause and Privileges and Immunities Clause, the application of most of the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights to the states.

The incorporation of the First Amendment establishment clause in the landmark case of Everson v. Board of Education has impacted the subsequent interpretation of the separation of church and state in regard to the state governments. Although upholding the state law in that case, which provided for public busing to private religious schools, the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment establishment clause was fully applicable to the state governments. A more recent case involving the application of this principle against the states was Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet (1994).

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[benehan]

0:28 "I certainly didn't say that" *mumbled*

[kennyingram]

at 1:52 she is essentially mocking that arguement that we don't want indoctrination of school children. What a ridiculous statement

[8Zeitgeist]

1:18 im glad that babbling bitch shut her mouth

[lovesXtoXspoog]

@rusty2029 He just wants schools to be secular, he says nothing of schools convincing kids that God is not real. And religion should stay out of school. What does the rest of the world think of America, when a teenager does not know the basic principles of Evolution? Most adults don't know what evolution is or what a theory is.

[folkhippy]

2:29 - I LOVE his shameless book promotion! "Available at fine bookstores everywhere"

[df61660a]

@mr19932001

i would say there is no "root" of all evil- but forcing religion on children is unquestionably evil.

[mr19932001]

Religion is the root of a lot of evil in this world. Just my opinion.

[Killerjosh89]

@rusty2029 school is about education and talking about facts and theory- NOT what people believe is going to happen in the afterlife and comparing moral systems. Religion needs to stop forcing its way into public schools, if you dont like it, send you're kid to private school but dont have my tax dollars pay for kids to be taught babble just because some parent's weak faith feel threatened. boo hoo, get over it.

[rusty2029]

The School is an institution of indoctrination and teaching. If Children are to be educated by such an establishment then where is there a limitation against spiritual or moral instruction? Hitchens is presenting a fallacy. There is a variety of religious experience inside the home and outside. What he wishes is for the absence of religious instruction to be by default Atheist indoctrination. Where is the equal protection in that?

[Relbl]

I'll never get tired of whenever Hitch slips in little plugs for his books... 'available in fine bookstores everywhere' ALWAYS makes me laugh from him.