Group's Petition Urges Constitutional Protection of Motto, Pledge

Anything that will counteract the insanity propagated by Michael Newdow and his ilk, I'm all for.

Apparently there is a move in place to send a petition with one million signatures to congress in order to press them to start a Constitutional Amendment protecting our nation's moto and pledge. In other words, "In God We Trust" and "one nation under God" would be protected from nut cases like newdow. Apparently there are over 400,00 signatures already. See the article from AgapePress here.

Now I've commented on the "establishment clause" before on other blogs, but I've never given the complete rundown here.

The first amendment to the constitution says:
Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression.
Ratified 12/15/1791.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Now let's examine what is meant by this:
Respecting: 1 a : to consider worthy of high regard : ESTEEM b : to refrain from interfering with 2 : to have reference to : CONCERN
Establishment: 1 : something established : as a : a settled arrangement; especially : a code of laws, b : ESTABLISHED CHURCH c : a permanent civil or military organization d : a place of business or residence with its furnishings and staff e : a public or private institution 2 : an established order of society: as a often capitalized : a group of social, economic, and political leaders who form a ruling class (as of a nation) b often capitalized : a controlling group 3 a : the act of establishing b : the state of being established

OK, now "Respecting" seems to be pretty self explanatory, but let's break out the word "established" from the definition above:
1 : to institute (as a law) permanently by enactment or agreement 2 obsolete : SETTLE 7 3 a : to make firm or stable b : to introduce and cause to grow and multiply 4 a : to bring into existence : FOUND b : BRING ABOUT, EFFECT 5 a : to put on a firm basis : SET UP b : to put into a favorable position c : to gain full recognition or acceptance of 6 : to make (a church) a national or state institution 7 : to put beyond doubt : PROVE

How anyone can look at the First Amendment and the definitions above and come to the conclusion that saying a prayer before a meeting, having "In God We Trust" on our money and saying "One Nation Under God" is the establishment of a State Religion, I have no idea. Well, actually I do...it is nothing more then a relatively small group of anti-Christians trying to force their views on the majority of Americans.
Part two of this is "What do you people think you're doing when you keep me from practicing my faith?" Well guess what...you are in direct violation of the second part of the amendment "prohibiting the free exercise thereof"!! My Constitutional Right of freedom to practice my religion is spelled out in no uncertain terms in the Constitution, where your argument can only be developed by a very loose and intentional corruption of the amendment.

Some might say "What about the separation of Church and State?" Many believe this is actually part of the Constitution. Guess what? It's not in there. This statement comes from Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 to answer a letter from them written in October 1801. The Danbury Baptists were a religious minority in Connecticut, and they complained that in their state, the religious liberties they enjoyed were not seen as immutable rights, but as privileges granted by the legislature. Jefferson didn't comment about the state issues they were experiencing, but did about what the federal governments view was on it. In his response back to them he wrote:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, 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, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. [Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect.] Adhering 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, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

The text in brackets was removed from the final copy but was in the first draft, so it is typically left in order to provide further clarifications. You can see that what Jefferson was telling the Baptist was that the federal government would not take the rights of one religion over that of another and that there was affectivly a wall of separation between Church and State.

If you have not done so already, I would recommend signing the online petition.

The letter from the Danbury Baptist.

All definitions are courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online.