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I noticed the young mother with three children under eight years of age.  A lady in her seventies was pulling her oxygen tank and breathing with a nose-piece.  There were teenagers, middle-age folks, and others.  All had a common goal:  Defend their right to publicly express their faith.  This was their heart cry.  This is why they braved the many miles of snowy roads and the bone-chilling wind here in Washington, D.C.  They had come to the Supreme Court Building to say to the Judges on that Court:  “We want the right of our children to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ acknowledged and protected.”

The Supreme Court was hearing two cases on March 2nd, 2005, which had to do with the Ten Commandments being displayed in public.  These rulings would either stop the advance of anti-Christian forces or greatly encourage them to further strip America of open religious expressions.

Does the First Amendment protect us from exposure to the Bible?  Well let me suggest we do an unusual thing:  Let’s let the Founders speak for themselves!  If you wrote a letter, would you want the person to whom you sent it to be the one to read it; or would you want someone else to read it for them and interpret to them what you were saying.  I dare say many of our marriages would not have occurred had we let someone else interpret our love letters to our spouses!  Why not let the Founders speak for themselves?

Here is exactly what the Founders said in the First Amendment:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  The phrase which has been used against religious expression in public is the phrase, “establishment of religion”.  Now it is being interpreted to say that no expression of a religious nature can be seen or heard in public.  This is not correct!  If we look at the original drafts of the Amendment we can easily see the meaning which the Founders intended.

James Madison, the man who wrote most of the Constitution, originally proposed the wording for the First Amendment.  Instead of “establishment of religion”, he wanted it to say, “…nor shall any national religion be established…”  The second version discussed on that date of September 3rd, 1789, said, “Congress shall make no law establishing any particular denomination.”  The third version discussed said,  “Congress shall make no law establishing any particular denomination in preference to others.”  Fisher Ames, another of our Founders, proposed that the wording be, “Congress shall make no law establishing religion…”  That’s the version that the House finally passed that day to be sent to the Senate for their approval.  Eventually the joint committee of Senators and Representatives agreed on the wording:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”

(The Foundations of American Government, D. Barton (Wallbuiders Press, 1993), p.p. 4-5.)

The meaning is clear.  They were obviously saying they didn’t want the Federal Government establishing a particular denomination as the national church, like England had done with the Anglican Church.  That is what the phrase “establishment of religion” meant!

Fisher Ames, whose wording was finally approved by the House, made clear his position on whether the Bible should be taught to children in school when he said,

“Why then…should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book?  Its morals are pure…the reverence for the Sacred book that is [gained in childhood] lasts long…”

(Education and the Founding Fathers, D. Barton (Wallbuilders Press, 1993), p. 11.)

The Bible says,

“Blessed is the man…who greatly delights in His commandments.” (Psalm 112:1)

Does it not seem that God, as well as our Founders, wanted the Bible in public places?

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children!  And you won’t like what that brings to you.  I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.