The Establishment Clause

The Establishment Clause

PajamasMedia has published my piece on the First Amendment's establishment clause, citing the very anti-ACLU actions taken by Congress, and Presidents Jefferson and Madison. As you might expect, the atheists are suffering brain meltdowns.

UPDATE: I'm always amused at the ignorance of the atheists intent on proving that they know history better than me. One of the comments on that article says:

“History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose. ”

Oops, how’d that happen? That Jefferson, what a leftist, socialist, pre-Marxist liberal anti-American! Want more? There are tons.

My response:

Suggestion: learn to read in context. Jefferson was referring specifically to the Spanish colonies.

That they will throw off their European dependence I have no doubt; but in what kind of government their revolution will end I am not so certain. History. I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avai1 themselves for their own purposes. The vicinity of New Spain to the United States, and their consequent intercourse, may furnish schools for the higher, and example for the lower classes of their citizens. And Mexico, where we learn from you that men of science are not wanting, may revolutionize itself under better auspices than the Southern provinces. These last. I fear, must end in military despotisms.

Jefferson, like nearly all the Framers, regarded Catholicism with considerable contempt. Hence “priest-ridden" not "clergy-ridden" or "religion-ridden." As another example, John Adams (who became more liberal theologically in his later years) attended Catholic services in Philadelphia when part of the Continental Congress, and described it as superstition.

The atheist zealots (and I recognize that not all atheists are zealots) seem intent on cherry-picking quotes rather than understanding.