Showing posts with label Jefferson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jefferson. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2026

Op-ed: 
Ignoring 'Separation of Church and State' 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor                                                                                                      This an opinion piece, my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com. 

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”                                                                  - These were the words of America's original “Pledge of Allegiance” written on August 1892.* In it there was no mention of the word “God.”

Earlier this month, on Sunday May 17th, at the National Mall, our nation's capital hosted an event for folks to come together in “prayer, worship, and the reading of scripture” ahead of our nation’s “250th Birthday,” to “Rededicate our Nation to God.” And while there is nothing wrong with the saying of prayers for our nation, there surely is something wrong when the “rededicating” seems to be focused on but one particular religion's view of who and/or what“God” is.

Why so...because, in my opinion, a “rededication” of this type tries to put religion not just above what is our Constitutional rule of law, but also has a possibly dangerous undertone of trying to combine a given religious ideology with power...power manifesting in some folks wishing that our nation would become a modern day version of a Christian based theocracy.

And when the “Pledge of Allegiance” is thrown into this “rededication” mix we find religion itself actually encroaching upon “separation of church and state”...a founding principal of our nation...the very principal that defines who we are as both Americans and as a nation. Religious embellishments are not needed to define us for embellishments are not tangible nor proven facts, but instead, in this case, are but words of bravado masquerading behind a facade of pretending to be facts...a dangerous and at times divisive religious based “good vs. evil” scenario indeed.

And this is why I find it odd that certain “of name” politicians today... politicians who relish in wearing religion on their sleeve only when pandering for votes at or near election time...have suddenly embraced the “God rededication,” and hooked it into our nation's upcoming “250th Birthday” celebration. Simply, we as a nation do not need to “rededicate” ourselves to “God” for to “rededicate” means we were already “dedicated to God” which, in actuality, we as a nation never were.

And that, dear reader, is indeed a fact as witnessed by proven cause and effect scenarios that have played out in our nation's history itself. So here let's start with the fact that no matter what some say...no matter what some want to believe...the United States of America is not...I repeat not...a Christian nation nor was she ever intended to be a Christian nation. And while, in part, Christianity did help shape early American culture and ensuing morality, what was to become the actual legal framework for our nation was most decidedly secular in nature, and rightfully so as “separation of church and state,” was indeed a key factor in our nation's founding.

How so? Folks tend to forget, or simply chose to ignore the fact that a number of our great “Founders and Framers”...including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison...saw “separation of church and state” as actually being necessary to protect religious freedom, while at the same time helping to prevent government overreach into ones personal and/or religious life.

I do tend to think that both Jefferson and Madison believed then, as I have always believed, that when an individual’s private beliefs...religious or otherwise...invades what is to be civil governance that its intention is to be` divisive, and thus work to destroy instead of uniting “We the People” together.

And so these very wise men...and some modern day presidents as well (like JFK and Reagan) ...did deem
“separation” to be the means by which to help ensure a stable and more diverse “Republic”...a “Republic” for “all the people” free from the confines of what are truly overly religious zealots, rhetoric, dogma, and of course drama. And it's drama that today tends to see certain branches of the Evangelical movement entwining itself not only into partisan politics, but calling those who do not share their faith or their political beliefs “heretics, infidels, and evil,” while at the same time damning them to hell, of which I myself have been a target of.

And so the truth is that these men...these patriots...understood at the time of our nation's founding what we all should understand today, but foolishly many do not. And that is by keeping religion out of “secular” government it in turn should mean keeping government out of religion, Remember, our “Founders and Framers” hoped to assure that the new “Republic” being formed would never fall into the trap of, or morphing into, a theocracy...the very form of government that did not serve the “Old World” well...the very form of government some not so silently hope America would turn into today.

And it is this not understanding the logic behind the “separation” concept itself...coupled today with an unhealthy dose, for some, of what is but an indoctrinated fear of “hell and damnation”...that has led a multitude to want religion...in this case their particular version of only the Christian faith... brought openly back into both the public and political discourse, as well as into America's public schools.

And this is also one of the reasons why our “Founders and Framers” were so adamant in their “separation” convictions, so adamant that when the Constitution was being drafted these same men made sure that no one religion...Christianity included...was ever to become or even hope to become the official religion of our nation. And this is witnessed by the fact...yes fact...that the words “Christian,” “Jesus,” or “ God” appears nowhere in either the“Declaration of Independence” or in the “United States Constitution.” In fact, the only time an official document used the word “Christian” in relation to our new nation, was in the text of the 1797 “Treaty of Tripoli,” signed by then President John Adams which stated these exact words, “the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

Don't believe me...go read those very documents for yourself...go research the actual religious beliefs and practices of those men who put pen to our founding papers for it will surely surprise you...apologies accepted...as will the fact that many of our “Founders and Framers” were actually “Deists,” and not Christians in what we today consider to be the classical sense. In fact, some famous “Deists” at the time of our nation's founding included the aforementioned Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, as well as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, John Adams (who outwardly rejected orthodox Christian doctrines like the “Trinity” and “original sin”), Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and even George Washington himself who, while attending church is said to have avoided the key element of “communion.”

These men...again these patriots...did indeed have a more what was at the time called a “rationalist” approach to faith itself for they jointly rejected the so called “supernatural elements” of traditional Christianity while at the same time affirming a belief in what they deemed to be but a benevolent “Creator.” And said “Creator” remained unnamed...no words to the effect of “God” let alone “Jesus”...just the word “Creator” who they and their fellow “Deists” believed revealed himself through “acts of nature” solely driven by logic and simple reasoning alone. Sounds to me like our “Founders and Framers” were quite science driven in their thought processes...which again is why the words “Christian, Jesus, or God” appears nowhere in any of our founding documents.

And so here let me say that I personally do not believe or feel we need to “rededicate” our nation to “God”...to what is now being deemed by most to be only the Christian version of “God” meaning in the sense of “Jesus”...for I am not a Christian nor do I want to be one, but know I am not an atheist either. My personal religious beliefs are mine alone, I find no need to make them public for I believe one's religious beliefs, or lack thereof, should be between them, their “God,” and their conscience.

But I will say that as a Constitutional Republican I firmly believe in the “separation of church and state,” after all we as a nation never were officially dedicated to “God” in the first place, Constitutionally or otherwise. And the words “In God we Trust”...which appears on our paper currency...is in no way a “dedication,” but merely hope and wishes for divine protection...whatever protection that might be.

However, the words “a nation under God“ as stated in our in our current “Pledge of Allegiance” is not an issue, for it is not a “dedication” nor a “rededication” per se, for I see it as a “reaffirmation” to return our nation to the Constitution...the true law of our land...the very document whose words have been ignored and corrupted by too many for far too long. Word semantics I know, but sometimes word semantics do need both a semblance of justification and hence “reaffirmation.” Case closed.
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Footnote
 
* The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931) who understood the importance and need for a separation between church and state, and was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. 
 
Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved. 

Monday, July 14, 2025

Op-ed:
A Constitutional Truth Ignored and A Dangerous Misconception 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio
The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google 
 
The United States Constitution is the greatest testament to freedom ever constructed and codified, and yet it often finds its words being misinterpreted or simply ignored by those who deem it either irrelevant or outdated in these modern times. And then there's those who twist its words to meet a given political or religious agenda; while state courts tend to see conflicts between their and federal authority as it pertains to the actual applications of Constitutional law. But in today's volatile world the Constitution's actual intent has come into play both by the religious sorts who still see the Holy Bible as trumping Constitutional law even in secular matters; and by those who believe that they can throw its words aside in a game of what is false altruism, especially if it helps to garner their political party's now hoped for “grab of power.”

So here I will first focus on the wanted by some religious inclusion into what the Constitution deems to be our “secular” governance and law.

“The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The “Treaty of Tripoli,” submitted to the Senate in 1805 by then President John Adams.

So as we're now less then a year away from America's 250th birthday...a day for both joyous celebration and reflection on who we are as a nation and as a people... it's also a day to acknowledge that while our nation was born not from religious conflict in the classic sense it still, nevertheless, bore the markings of a religious conflict in some ways. How so...because the original British colonists who came to the “New World” were, for the most part, seeking refuge from not just the autocratic rule of the kings of England, but from what was a theocratic style of government where thanks to power hungry Henry VlII and his 1534 “Act of Supremacy,” England not only broke away from the Catholic Church, but Henry deemed himself and all future British kings to be the head of what then became the “Church of England.”

And so, Henry VIII gave to himself unlimited power by mingling together both religion and governance seeing England becoming a theocracy in principal, the very thing our “Founders and Framers” abhorred. And thus they formed a “secular” government where freedom of religion was to be just as accepted as “freedom from religion” in regards to the roll religion played in our new government or their hoped for lack thereof.

We know our “Founders and Framers”...some of the Christian faith, some deists, and a few actually nonbelievers...designed the Constitution to be the “rule of law” as it pertained to their agreed upon founding principal of “separation of Church and State.” No one religion was deemed to be our new nation's “state religion,” while the “Establishment Clause” prevented the government from favoring one religion over another. In fact, no specific religion or even “God” himself was mentioned by any given name other than the ubiquitous word “Creator”...a word deliberately chosen to leave its meaning open to one's individual beliefs and/or personal interpretation.

A well thought out and applied concept that was driven by what was then deemed to be “enlightenment”...as in the European “intellectual movement” of the late 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized both “reason” and “individualism” rather than simple religious traditions and/or blind following. These ideas were embraced by many of not only our “Founders and Framers,” but by the general population as well.

And in their embracing of “enlightenment” our “Founders and Framers” actually did strive for a “pluralistic society” of sorts...a society where differences of both faith and ideologies would be accepted if they not only served the common good, but followed the actual rule of law that was intended to be “secular” in nature. Simply, our “Founders and Framers” wanted to put aside religious doctrines, tenets, dogma, and beliefs in all matters of actual governance while at the same time protecting the individual's right to believe as one chose to believe...or chose not to believe at all.

Simply, at the time of the Constitution's writing what was to become our new nation was tired of war in general, as well as being tired of all the oppressive orders, both religious and otherwise, being mandated from Britain's King James' autocratic based theocracy that lay “across the pond.” And in their wisdom and foresight these four main Constitution “Framers” openly advocated for “separation of Church and State.”

  1. James Madison, a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1776, was chosen to be the “Architect of the Constitution” and is now more commonly known as the “Father of the Constitution.” Madison was an advocate for a strong yet limited federal government, and was also the chief proponent of a “separation of Church and State” saying that“separation” would “keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries”

  2. Thomas Jefferson, believed religion was a “personal matter” that should be kept “separate” from political affairs. Saying“separation” was“essential to protect both religion and government from corruption,” and thus “would protect both religious and non-religious citizens,” it was Jefferson's ideas on “individual rights” and “limited government” that helped to shape the first ten amendments of the “Bill of Rights.”

  3. Benjamin Franklin not only promoted “deism” and criticized “organized religion,” but he believed that morality could exist “independently” from religion. Also believing that government should not interfere in religious matters, Franklin believed that a “secular government” could “better promote peace and unity among diverse faiths,” and thus was able to secure the needed consensus amongst the Constitutional Convention's delegates.

  4. Alexander Hamilton, whose writings reflect a “commitment to pluralism and tolerance in society,” believed that religion could coexist with government but that it must be without any direct involvement. Hamilton also deemed“separation of Church and State” as essential in preventing religious conflict and tyranny, and publicly advocated for a “secular government framework.” while being seen as a driving force behind the Constitution’s final ratification.

Simply, what these wise men were proposing and what became Constitutional law was that religion must be kept out of government while government must be kept out of religion...a fair and equal trade indeed. But sadly, we now find some very vocal sorts wanting one specific religion and their interpretation of it to become an integral part of our government from the local to the state to the federal level, basically trying to put their religious views over Constitutional law. This is something “We the People” must never allow let alone be open to discussion, for if this were to happen our beloved America could well become just like the theocratic based governments our “Founders and Framers” sought refuge from.

So here let's now switch gears and now focus on the misconceptions regarding both illegal immigration and the now in effect deportations of the worst of the illegal criminal element type.

“I am going to create a new special deportation task force, focused on identifying and removing quickly the most dangerous criminal illegal immigrants in America.” - President Donald J. Trump in 2016 during his first term in office.

And while the original Constitution did not address “immigration” in the same way as it addressed the aforementioned “separation of Church and State,” several key Constitutional provisions adopted years after its ratification does address the issue. For example, Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress not only the power to establish a “uniform rule of naturalization,” but allows Congress to set the “criteria and process” for one becoming a U.S. citizen. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, guarantees “equal protection” under the law to all including immigrants and non-citizens, while both the 5th and 14th Amendments provide “due process” rights to all persons, regardless of their immigration status. Simply, this is taken to mean that all immigrants are entitled to certain legal protections.

But in today's reality the fact does remain that what are true “immigrants” are few and far between for the vast majority of those having entered into our county during the four horrendous Biden years were what amounts to an “invading army” of persons “non-grata”...as in those sorts here only for their Biden promised “free stuff” in exchange for their vote...with a not so healthy dose of murder committing gang members and even terrorists embedded amongst them.

So what does the Constitution say about removing these vile sorts from our country? Unfortunately, at the time of the Constitution's writing immigration was not an issue that our “Founders and Framers” addressed. However, the still in effect“Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965” does outline the procedures for deportation. So while the Constitution itself does not explicitly address the deportation of illegals, it does allow for the “enforcement” of our on the books immigration laws whether they be based upon federal or state policies.

And to that affect President Trump is deporting these “persons non-grata”...specifically gang members... with some actually being convicted rapists and murderers... by his retroactively applying the on-the-books process known as “expedited removal,” with said removal being the legal process that allows immigration authorities... as in I.C.E agents...to arrest and “rapidly deport” these undocumented anything but lawful immigrants, and to do so without these folks having access to a full court hearing before a U.S. immigration judge.

Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.

So here the question now becomes, is President Trump legally allowed to order the deportation of these persons without “due process?” I believe the answer to be a resounding YES for these individuals not only pose a direct danger to the “health, safety, and welfare” of “We American citizens”...the very people Trump took an oath to protect...while also presenting a threat to our national security and overall public safety while at the same time undermining the very integrity of our U.S. immigration laws.

And here is where misconceptions abound for while bleeding heart liberal politicians and their media cohorts want you to believe that these what they call “undocumented migrants” are just poor misunderstood folks, the fact remains that since their unfettered arrival during the Biden years, over 527,459+ actual arrests of illegals, to date, have been made. And that does not include the 1,141,047 detentions of illegals with known criminal convictions or those with pending criminal charges, as well as those with no current convictions or pending charges but who have knowingly and willingly broken U.S. immigration laws. And whether the said illegals detentions are short or long term, the verified numbers I presented should scare every law abiding American citizen while the reality of the situation hopefully starts to sink in.

Simply, no matter what the liberal media reports to be truth, no matter what Democrat politicians claim to be truth, truth is not a concept either of them take to heart. And when it comes to illegals and their right...or their lack thereof ...to “due process” we cannot and must not accept at face value anything either of them have to say. And why so...because misconceptions by its very nature does tend to cater to public sentiment instead of to what is usually verifiable truth, for truth is as foreign to these sorts as is the art of deception to we American patriots.

And so we now, as a nation, stand on a dangerous precipice where Constitutional truth regarding the “separation of Church and State” fights with misconceptions regarding the deportation of criminal illegal aliens. And while those specific issues remain quite different in nature, it's important to remember the fact that what truly is important is that Constitutional law alone...whether it be its original text or amendments added after the fact...does remain the highest law of our land. Case closed. 

Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, Texas Tragedy - Liberal Depravity.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                         Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15th from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'A Constitutional Truth Ignored and A Dangerous Misconception'; 'Texas Tragedy - Liberal Depravity'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.