Australian Politics Forum - New AG - no separation of church & state

Raven

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New AG - no separation of church & state
Feb 10^th, 2017 at 6:32pm

New Attorney General Jeff Sessions rejects the separation of church and state and claims secularists are unfit for government service.

The AG has argued in the past that the separation of church and state is an “extra-constitutional doctrine” and “a recent thing that is unhistorical and unconstitutional.”

He has also argued that the Establishment Clause of the Constitution has been overinterpreted and the Free Exercise Clause has been ignored. The result, he said, is the unnecessary prohibition of expressions of faith in public spaces.

"The Constitution says we shall not establish a religion — Congress shall not establish a religion. It doesn’t say states couldn’t establish a religion."

Anyone who claims the separation of church and state is an “extra-constitutional doctrine” and “a recent thing that is unhistorical and unconstitutional” is simply unqualified to serve as the attorney general of the United States. The fact that Sessions also denigrates and demeans secular Americans only underlines the point that the man is not qualified to serve.

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longweekend58

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #1 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 7:58am

Raven wrote on Feb 10^th, 2017 at 6:32pm:

New Attorney General Jeff Sessions rejects the separation of church and state and claims secularists are unfit for government service.

The AG has argued in the past that the separation of church and state is an “extra-constitutional doctrine” and “a recent thing that is unhistorical and unconstitutional.”

He has also argued that the Establishment Clause of the Constitution has been overinterpreted and the Free Exercise Clause has been ignored. The result, he said, is the unnecessary prohibition of expressions of faith in public spaces.

"The Constitution says we shall not establish a religion — Congress shall not establish a religion. It doesn’t say states couldn’t establish a religion."

Anyone who claims the separation of church and state is an “extra-constitutional doctrine” and “a recent thing that is unhistorical and unconstitutional” is simply unqualified to serve as the attorney general of the United States. The fact that Sessions also denigrates and demeans secular Americans only underlines the point that the man is not qualified to serve.

it seems odd but also rather pedantic and theoretical. The states are not planning on establishing a religion anyhow nor have they ever sought to do so.

But the fact that Trump appointed him is enough of a reason to be wary of him. He is just another 'from the swamp'.

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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NorthOfNorth Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 17258 Gender:	Re: New AG - no separation of church & state Reply #2 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'... Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...
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longweekend58

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #3 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 1:11pm

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am:

The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'...

Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...

its hardly a Church State. Sometimes people need to remember that 'separation of Church and state' actually means.

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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NorthOfNorth

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #4 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 2:46pm

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 1:11pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am:

The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'...

Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...

its hardly a Church State. Sometimes people need to remember that 'separation of Church and state' actually means.

True, the US does not have an established church like the UK, but any mention of god associated with the establishment of the American Republic is not what the founding fathers intended. Many of them were either atheists or "lukewarm" deists.

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longweekend58

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #5 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 4:25pm

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 2:46pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 1:11pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am:

The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'...

Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...

its hardly a Church State. Sometimes people need to remember that 'separation of Church and state' actually means.

True, the US does not have an established church like the UK, but any mention of god associated with the establishment of the American Republic is not what the founding fathers intended. Many of them were either atheists or "lukewarm" deists.

the UK doesnt have an established church either. The separation of church and state is not a hands-off arrangement but rather, that the state makes laws and enforces them, not the church. It means neither more nor less than that. Some clowns seem to think that this disqualifies christians from positions of office or of church leaders lobbying for changes they want. It is simply about having a secular government, not a secular country.

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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NorthOfNorth

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #6 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 6:03pm

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 4:25pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 2:46pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 1:11pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am:

The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'...

Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...

its hardly a Church State. Sometimes people need to remember that 'separation of Church and state' actually means.

True, the US does not have an established church like the UK, but any mention of god associated with the establishment of the American Republic is not what the founding fathers intended. Many of them were either atheists or "lukewarm" deists.

the UK doesnt have an established church either. The separation of church and state is not a hands-off arrangement but rather, that the state makes laws and enforces them, not the church. It means neither more nor less than that. Some clowns seem to think that this disqualifies christians from positions of office or of church leaders lobbying for changes they want. It is simply about having a secular government, not a secular country.

The Queen as the UK"s head of state is the supreme governor of the Church of England making the c of e the established church and Christianity as the state religion... it explains why one of the sovereign's titles is fidei defensor - defender of the faith.

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Conviction is the art of being certain

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longweekend58

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Re: New AG - no separation of church & state
Reply #7 - Feb 11^th, 2017 at 6:38pm

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 6:03pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 4:25pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 2:46pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 1:11pm:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Feb 11^th, 2017 at 11:39am:

The slow creep of church and state union in the US has a much longer history than 'last week'...

Read the history of the motto of the US - 'In God We Trust' and the pledge of allegiance - 'One nation under god'...

its hardly a Church State. Sometimes people need to remember that 'separation of Church and state' actually means.

True, the US does not have an established church like the UK, but any mention of god associated with the establishment of the American Republic is not what the founding fathers intended. Many of them were either atheists or "lukewarm" deists.

the UK doesnt have an established church either. The separation of church and state is not a hands-off arrangement but rather, that the state makes laws and enforces them, not the church. It means neither more nor less than that. Some clowns seem to think that this disqualifies christians from positions of office or of church leaders lobbying for changes they want. It is simply about having a secular government, not a secular country.

The Queen as the UK"s head of state is the supreme governor of the Church of England making the c of e the established church and Christianity as the state religion... it explains why one of the sovereign's titles is fidei defensor - defender of the faith.

The Queen doesnt make law. Nothing about the church makes laws.

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AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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