The separation of church and state, when adhered to, helps to promote a national unity in the United States. The fewer the barriers among people, the easier we all get along.
Unfortunately, whenever this separation fails, we compromise the rights of people to believe what they want without state interference. The most common infringement comes from advancing religion.
The worst time to breach this separation would be during a national holiday. National holidays are probably the most unifying of days for all people of a nation; young and old, police and hippies, rappers and country singers. Even people who are new to the United States celebrate these holidays.
Everybody, for one day, has something in common. However, the same national holiday, could also strengthen stratification among people by asserting one specific religion as the rightful celebrators.
I believe just this happened during the PBS special “A Capital Fourth,” where there was an extremely noticeable Christian presence on 50% public, 50% government-funded television station.
The show, which has aired every Fourth of July since 1981, is a celebration of our nation’s Independence Day and features more obscure music artists than there are spots on a cow. This year featured Frankie Valli, Faith Hill, the Bee Gees, Sarah Evans, Jordin Sparks and Aretha Franklin, to name a few.
These singers are all great performers; however, some of the songs they performed had strong Christian undertones. For instance, the song “Revival” by Sara Evans features lyrics like “Look at that boy in the river, soaking wet with faith” and a chorus of “Hallelujah, a little revival, Amen to love.”
When juxtaposed with the audience, a figurative sea of red, white, and blue, an association between patriotism and Christianity forms. The big problem here is that this link is imaginary.
A common claim is that the Declaration of Independence is proof of America being founded on Christianity because it contains the word “God.” However, this word in the context of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” references the Deist version of God, not the biblical God. Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence does not affect the principles of America as a nation because the document does not set up any rules for governing.
The concept of “Separation of Church and State” was framed in the Constitution to protect people’s right to express the religion of his or her choice, or no religion.
Events such as “A Capitol Fourth,” though seemingly benign, infringe upon this right and mark a decline in tolerance for anyone who doesn’t share our own views.