The Religion Commandments in the Constitution: A Primer

It was the national Congress, but "not with my approbation approval]," said James Madison (Hunt, Writings, 9:100), which unconstitutionally hired the first congressional chaplain. It was during the Civil War when the words "In God We Trust" first appeared on some national currency, but it was not until 1956, by an act of Congress, when those words first appeared on all U.S. currency. It was in 1954 when Congress put the words "under God" into the national pledge of allegiance, which pledge no longer represents all American citizens. Therefore, the monumental lesson to be learned: religion liberty is in most danger when the national Congress and state legislatures are in session. "Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by ecclesiastical bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history," James Madison, (William and Mary Quarterly, 3:555).

Gene Garman, a religion major graduate from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, has a Master of Divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri, and, for over thirty years, has lectured on the subject of separation between religion and government.