Is It Time for the United States to Become a Theocracy?
At a National Prayer Breakfast a few years ago President Trump said during his speech:
“Among those freedoms is the right to worship according to our own beliefs. That is why, I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. I will do that.”
At issue is the Johnson Amendment which exempts churches from funding political parties and endorsing or opposing politicians. If churches violate this law, they are liable to lose their federal tax-exempt status.
President Trump appears to want to eliminate the Amendment using the argument of “religious liberty” by claiming churches and religious organizations should be able to freely endorse or oppose the party or candidate of their choosing.
This is fraught with multiple religious liberty “land mines” as it is a direct threat to all religious liberty in the United States of America. Why? President Trump, strongly supported by the evangelical community, Jerry Falwell, Jr., Liberty University et al, is preparing to break down one of the biggest barriers that prevent religious organizations and churches from influencing the Government and lawmakers. Learned from a seasoned lobbyist to always “follow the money”.
It is a shame that President Donald Trump claims he wants to “Make America Great Again” while he is open to eliminating of one of the things which make America great: the separation of Church and State. According to the Treaty of Tripoli 1797 which was signed by President George Washington we are a secular nation, “ not in any sense a Christian nation.
If the Amendment is destroyed, Churches could impose their political ideology in their religious services. This has the potential of radicalizing church attendees and by doing so, the Christian fundamentalist dream would be achieved, destroying the separation of Church and State, creating a society markedly influenced by Christian belief systems hungering for power and influence over the people. This could lead to the U.S. to become a theocracy.
This would allow churches to influence politicians as easily as corporations do now. “Follow the money”. This means politicians could legislate in favor of corporations and of churches.
Separation of Church and State is critical for freedom of religion to exist. Our Founding Fathers got it right. So did Senator Lyndon Johnson. Let’s keep it that way.
