Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Monday, May 12, 2008
God and government
I don’t mean to copy what everybody else is doing, but I found this information:
The Constitution mentions nothing about separation of church and state. This document explains how our leaders are elected, their responsibilities, why we have,and how the judiciary is to work.
The Declaration of Independence, mentions “Nature’s God,” and “Creator.” This doesn’t specifically say Christianity, but it does mention a higher power.
If you Google the Wisconsin State Constitution, the preamble reads: “We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ....”
Section 18 of the Declaration of Rights for said state is a rather interesting read: “The right of every person to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed; nor shall any person be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, without consent; nor shall any control of, or interference with, the rights of conscience be permitted, or any preference be given by law to any religious establishments or modes of worship; nor shall any money be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of religious societies, or religious or theological seminaries.”
A cross is none of these things. This says to me that I can worship, and you can choose not to have anything to do with it, and neither one of us has the right call the other wrong. Any separation here would be that not one form of religion is to take precedence over another.
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