{"id":1786178,"date":"2022-12-25T06:30:12","date_gmt":"2022-12-25T11:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1786178"},"modified":"2022-12-25T08:04:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-25T13:04:09","slug":"scott-hogenson-rebuilding-jeffersons-wall-of-separation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scott-hogenson-rebuilding-jeffersons-wall-of-separation\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott Hogenson: Rebuilding Jefferson\u2019s Wall of Separation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fscott-hogenson-rebuilding-jeffersons-wall-of-separation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1786178&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/a7a051b8-13bf-4f28-8bb1-ec7f87342a40.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\"   style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"isPasted\">The American Left loves to harp on us about the separation of church and state, and this is a busy time of year for them.<\/p>\n<p>From griping about\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/angry-residents-push-atheist-groups-call-town-move-nativity-scene&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2H6p9_iKajv6SLz1peyNoh\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/angry-residents-push-atheist-groups-call-town-move-nativity-scene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nativity scenes<\/a> in Maine to agitating against prayer at city\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.redmondspokesman.com\/opinion\/columns\/opinion-redmond-council-meetings-should-not-start-with-a-prayer\/article_991ef382-7595-11ed-aa0e-27543ca0278f.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw25wpgDgVD0Kte_a_QYIYeE\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redmondspokesman.com\/opinion\/columns\/opinion-redmond-council-meetings-should-not-start-with-a-prayer\/article_991ef382-7595-11ed-aa0e-27543ca0278f.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">council meetings<\/a> in Oregon, ungrateful beneficiaries of America\u2019s Judeo-Christian founding firmly believe the reason for the Christmas season is to lecture the rest of us on how separation of church and state is vital to democracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some totalitarians cite Thomas Jefferson in their opposition to religion in general, and Christianity in particular. A couple hundred years ago, Jefferson wrote a letter to a group of Baptists about \u201cbuilding a wall of separation between the church and state,\u201d This, we are told, is the predicate for restricting the free exercise of religion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But in citing this sentence fragment from Jefferson\u2019s letter, the American Left corrupts the true meaning of religious liberty. Jefferson was not talking about protecting Americans from religion; he was talking about protecting Americans from government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Baptists first arrived in the colonies during the 17th century and were often objects of persecution. One notorious episode took place in Massachusetts in 1651, when\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.historyisnowmagazine.com\/blog\/2020\/1\/19\/the-role-of-the-baptists-in-the-pursuit-of-religious-liberty-in-america-part-1-baptist-persecution&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2y7rW_QFqOgF7PDger6f2y\" href=\"http:\/\/www.historyisnowmagazine.com\/blog\/2020\/1\/19\/the-role-of-the-baptists-in-the-pursuit-of-religious-liberty-in-america-part-1-baptist-persecution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Obadiah Holmes\u00a0<\/a>was flogged after refusing to pay a court ordered fine for the crime of practicing his Baptist faith. Holmes received 30 lashes, the punishment typically meted out to rapists.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The persecution of Baptists was not limited to colonial New England courts. They faced\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/scholarworks.boisestate.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article%3D1305%26context%3Dtd&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3lct6VFXR8A4DaSeLxQCrn\" href=\"https:\/\/scholarworks.boisestate.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1305&#038;context=td\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">similar problems<\/a> in the southern colonies as well, which continued even after the Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n<p><span>North American Baptists suffered varying degrees of persecution for 150 years so they were naturally motivated to explain their plight to their recently elected president, Thomas Jefferson. While Leftists love to quote a sliver of Jefferson\u2019s response to the Baptists, they never talk about the letter sent\u00a0<\/span><em>to<\/em><span> Jefferson\u00a0<\/span><em>by<\/em><span> the Baptists.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In their\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/founders.archives.gov\/documents\/Jefferson\/01-35-02-0331&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3rU52AvL6AiLUTkxgcY7t6\" href=\"https:\/\/founders.archives.gov\/documents\/Jefferson\/01-35-02-0331\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October, 1801 correspondence<\/a> to Jefferson, (the original text is quoted), the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist Association vigorously argued that, \u201cno man aught to suffer in Name, person or effects on account of his religious Opinions\u2014That the legetimate Power of civil Goverment extends no further than to punish the man <em>who works ill to his neighbour.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Baptists said the Constitution was \u201cnot specific\u201d enough in protecting people of faith by correctly noticing, \u201cwhat religious privileges we enjoy (as a minor part of the State) we enjoy as favors granted, and not as inalienable rights: and these favors we receive at the expence of such degrading acknowledgements as are inconsistant with the rights of freemen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They also worried that dishonest politicians might attack another lawmaker as, \u201can enemy of religion Law &#038; good order because he will not, dares not assume the prerogative of Jehovah and make Laws to govern the Kingdom of Christ.\u201d In essence, they were afraid that authoritarians would gaslight Americans in matters involving the free exercise of religion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sound familiar?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>All the Baptists wanted was some assurance that the government would leave them alone to practice their faith unmolested. That was the assurance Jefferson gave them when he wrote of \u201cbuilding a wall of separation between the church and state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jefferson agreed with the Baptists in his\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/loc\/lcib\/9806\/danpre.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw14HTRRUURsDSCQYGmMbAxn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/loc\/lcib\/9806\/danpre.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 1, 1802 response<\/a>, writing that, \u201creligion is a matter which lies solely between Man &#038; his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, &#038; not opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In keeping with the First Amendment\u2019s prohibition on the establishment of religion and preventing government from interfering with the practice of one\u2019s faith, Jefferson wrote, \u201cAdhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is the natural right of people to worship as they see fit. Jefferson\u2019s \u201cwall\u201d was to protect people of faith from government, not the other way around.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is the concept that is uniformly bastardized by the American Left. They know the free exercise of religion is antithetical to the tyrannical government they seek, so they work overtime to impede it. If necessary, they lie to achieve their goals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Regrettably, Jefferson\u2019s wall is crumbling thanks to the efforts of America\u2019s home grown authoritarians. Football coaches who engage in voluntary prayer\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/washington-state-praying-football-coach-joe-kennedy\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2dyBRnl_4Z0BX7pdv75ahX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/washington-state-praying-football-coach-joe-kennedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lose their jobs<\/a>. People who use their faith to advocate for the lives of the unborn\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/crime-and-justice\/commentary\/fbi-justice-department-twist-federal-law-arrest-charge-pro-life&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw30In-2IsPv7wr0KxD7kp3Y\" href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/crime-and-justice\/commentary\/fbi-justice-department-twist-federal-law-arrest-charge-pro-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are jailed.<\/a> Christians who believe in biblical marriage\u00a0<a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/religion-colorado-b3892f44fe98711fdbfe9390c8836eff&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1671889826818000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3QTRP879lxKlOkpAgaw0-3\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/religion-colorado-b3892f44fe98711fdbfe9390c8836eff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are persecuted<\/a> by the government.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The wall meant to protect the natural rights of these and other Americans from a government that doesn\u2019t agree with them and their faith is in need of repair. Thankfully, some jurists are working as cultural masons in rebuilding it, but all of us need to take some brick and mortar to the First Amendment if we want to keep it.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The American Left loves to harp on us about the separation of church and state, and this is a busy time of year for them. From griping about\u00a0nativity scenes in Maine to agitating against prayer at city\u00a0council meetings in Oregon, ungrateful beneficiaries of America\u2019s Judeo-Christian founding firmly believe the reason for the Christmas season is &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1786181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[6962,5458,8061,11712,11713,3819,8063,10587,4354],"class_list":["post-1786178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-the","tag-bongino","tag-hogenson","tag-jeffersons","tag-rebuilding","tag-report","tag-scott","tag-separation","tag-wall"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1786178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1786178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1786181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1786178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1786178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1786178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}