10/3/2007--Hallowed Secularism requires a new understanding of the relationship between Church and State. Current secularism strongly endorses strict separation: the Wall of Separation. Mark Lilla calls this, on behalf of the New Atheism, The Great Separation, for example.
The first thing to note is how much of a change the Wall of Separation was at the time of its first introduction. The first case to talk much about the Wall of Separation was Everson v. Board of Education in 1947, although I believe the image had been mentioned once before, in 1878.
Surprisingly, in Everson, the secular doctrine of a government neutral as to religion emerged almost full blown and every Justice subscribed to the basic idea. Every Justice would have agreed with the majority that "the wall must be kept high and impregnible."
What we need to think about is how the Court could endorse such a high level of secularism in 1947. To remember how religious America was at that time, let me simply set forth FDR's radio message to the country on the occasion of D-Day, a part of which I heard on Ken Burn's The War on 9/26/2007. I ask you where the Wall of Separation fits in a moment like that?
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June 6, 1944
My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
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FDR's speech was beautifully written and presumably appropriate for the religious sensibilties of the time (1947). However, I doubt that a president today would use such religiously loaded text. The same sentiments CAN be expressed without references to Almighty God, etc.
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