Religion remains both a source of hope and growth for the individual, as well as an aspect of conflict in American society. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.” … While this may seem fairly clear, some secularists would have us believe that rather than establishing the freedom of religion, the Amendment reads “freedom from religion.”

Secularists included, virtually all Americans believe our Constitution guarantees the freedom to adopt any religion or no religion at all. This is clear both in the clause regarding the free exercise of religion as well as the freedom of speech.

Much of the population that emigrated from England was fleeing the Church of England as well as the secular aristocracy. The United States was chartered both without a King and without an official church. Our country does not recognize an official religion, nor has it established a national church, nor does it impose a religious ideology on the citizenry.

Why, then, is there continuous groaning from secularist groups like the ACLU, Organization for the Separation of Church and State, as well as others?

In no official government document does the phrase “separation of church and state” exist. Thomas Jefferson wrote a private letter to the Baptist Association of Danbury in 1801. “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'” … And in describing the meaning of that clause he writes, “religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals … no man ought to suffer in name, person or effects on account of his religious opinions.”

There is no separating religion from the public realm in the way today’s secularists suggest. Following this letter, Jefferson went on to initiate a school program in the Washington, D.C. area that used both the Bible and Isaac Watt’s Hymnal as the primary textbooks. Also, before the Bill of Rights was written, recall that Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, perhaps the first official government document, and included such words as “Creator,” “God,” “Divine Providence” and “Supreme Judge of the World.” Jefferson clearly opposed incorporation of religious law into the role of government, but did not oppose religion in the public realm all together.

There is a concerted effort to separate religion from other forms of speech, even though religion is perhaps the most important form of expression humans have. Religion could simply be summarized as a belief in something beyond what our traditional senses can reveal, often including the presence of a higher power. Religion is no different a form of speech than political ideology. Political liberalism is certainly allowed in our educational system, and that is fine as long as it is well-balanced by other ideologies. Since religion is not a separate, off-limits form of speech (as there is no such thing), the same standard can apply to it. No student at Iowa State should be forced to be a Libertarian or a Christian, but exposure to both is appropriate.

The truth is that secularists often act as though the Constitution only grants individuals the right to exercise religion in certain places and situations. Quite often you can hear secularists declare “We have churches for that sort of thing” and “You can pray in church.” In reality, the Constitution grants us the freedom to exercise religion not just in church, but in every venue available. And while it may be illegal to impose religion on children in a public system, it is appropriate to allow a time for prayer or other non-disruptive religious practice in grade school. It is appropriate to have a Christmas tree in a fire station, as a community in Oregon had before a citizen, backed by the ACLU sued the city because it made the man uncomfortable.

It is important to recognize exactly what our rights are under the Constitution. We have the right to be free from a government-established religion, and the right to exercise religion anywhere and everywhere in America. Our beliefs concerning God are legally no different than our beliefs concerning abortion or politics, and our freedom to convey these beliefs is protected. These rights may seem straightforward, but some confuse them for the right to remain comfortable and unoffended.