Yesterday, David Bradley and Ken Mercer, two members of the Texas State Board of Education offered to pay $1,000 each to anyone who could find the words "separation of church and state" in the United States Constitution. They owe me $2,000
Now, when you're arguing with rational, open-minded people, and they say the words "separation of church and state" do not appear in the U.S. Constitution, you could make several arguments:
- The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for separation of church and state, although it doesn't use those exact words.
- Founding Father Thomas Jefferson described the original intent of the First Amendment as "a wall of separation between Church & State."
- The Founding Fathers who were in the Senate in 1797 unanimously approved the Treaty of Tripoli, which states "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
But, clearly, Misters Bradley and Mercer are not rational, open-minded people, or they could not have been elected to the Texas State Board of Education and still legitimately believe there is not a wall of separation between church and state. For some reason, in their fervid little minds, if the exact words "separation of church and state" are not in the U.S. Constitution, then they are completely free to establish a Christian Theocracy.
Therefore, I have gone ahead and identified the words "separation of church and state" in the U.S. Constitution, right at the beginning. For ease of reading, I have highlighted the phrase in bold below:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.
Article 1.
Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the
United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Misters Bradley and Mercer, you owe me $2,000! I will immediately donate that money to two intelligent women who are running for the Texas State Board of Education, to shift its focus away from grandstanding partisan politics toward educating Texas schoolchildren. Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau deserve all of our support. Please donate whatever you can afford!
Also, Misters Bradley and Mercer, if you send me your check for $2,000 right away, I will also show you where in the U.S. Constitution the phrase "well regulated militia" appears.