We’re creeping toward a theocracy

Residents of colonial Virginia were forced to pay taxes to support the Anglican Church, whether or not they were members. Working in concert with the colonial government, the church controlled people’s lives and imposed laws requiring church attendance. Other colonies and European countries had similar laws funding their dominant religion and enforcing its beliefs on all citizens. Church and state were twisted together.

In grade school history classes we learned that people came to America seeking economic opportunity and to escape the tyranny of governments. In addition many also sought escape from the tyranny of the church.

Aware of the political power churches held over citizens, our nation’s founders deliberately framed our Constitution to separate government from religion. The first sentence of the first amendment of the Bill of Rights states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The United States was not founded as a Christian nation. It was, and is, a secular country. The word “god” is not in the Constitution.

Some founders were religious, while others were not. Several were deists. Together they crafted a constitution respecting religion and assuring everyone the right to worship, or not, in the way they chose, without intervention.

The separation of church and state was supported by then religious minorities, including Roman Catholics, Scots Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and Jews. They recognized that separation allowed them to practice their beliefs without being forced to adhere to, or pay for, the tenets of then majority Episcopalians and Congregationalists.

Broadly, our Constitution was crafted to protect minorities. America is not perfect, but in the past 250 years equality has expanded. Slavery was abolished. With still a ways to go, the Civil Rights Movement helped advance equality for racial minorities. Women gained full citizenship rights and nearly a century later same sex couples were allowed to marry. Gradually, and often following intense struggle, our nation has made strides to legalize fairness.

Despite a legacy of protecting minorities, we are distressed that dominant religious groups today exert political and financial clout to promote legislation backsliding fairness. Perhaps most egregious is Iowa’s recent removal of civil protection for people with different gender orientations. Adding to this insult is the forced diversion of tax money to support religious schools.

It is ironic that sects once protected by separation have grown in numbers and power and now successfully influence politicians to pass laws benefiting their beliefs at the expense of others. It is counter to the separation of church and state and is wrong.

As Unitarian Universalists we hold these beliefs:

We respect the founders of our nation for their courageous effort to forge a just society. Following 250 years of gradually increasing fairness we abhor governments reducing freedoms and cruelly evicting immigrants who came here for the same reasons as our ancestors. It’s stated well in Matthew 7:12. In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.

We call upon Americans to embrace the vision of our nation’s founders to advance fairness for all people and to practice the Golden Rule.

Marion and Rich Patterson are members of Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist.