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America’s Established Religion is Neither Secularism Nor Christianity

The U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the opening of monthly town meetings in Greece, NY with prayers by clergy is problematic because contrary to its stated intent, it does establish a religion for the civil sphere. The high court says they’re okay with the town meeting prayers, as long as the city invites other religions and not just the clergy of the Christian religion.

We in 20th century America are accustomed to the Christian religion being primary; however, for most of human history, the major religions of the world have not been the Christian religion. The religion of Rome, Greece, and many other nations and empires of ancient history were polytheistic. Others turned to local deities that typified the local people’s understanding of nature and the world they lived in.

For example, the coastal fishing people of Phillistia worshipped a fish-man god which they imaged with a statue in their temple. The Supreme Court is trying to avoid “establishment” of religion in violation of the 1st amendment, but are we officially atheist? That’s clearly not what the founders wanted. Or is there some religious vacuum into which statist politics automatically fall when you claim to have no “established religion?” A religious no-man’s land?

From the Supreme Court’s opinion, it looks as if this country’s actual established religion is – Constitution or no Constitution – polytheism. Everybody’s god gets a say, but the word of the one, true God, the triune God of the bible, is treated like just another member of the list of acceptable gods in the pantheon. He has no more authority than anyone else, whether Zeus or Allah or Zarathustra or whatever. All very nice and equal, but not at all correct.

So how is it progress to return to the polytheistic, pagan, religious culture of Greece and Rome? To have no standard but what we write on a “blank page?” What did Hitler write on a blank page? What did Stalin write? Didn’t they have Constitutions in their nations? When will we outgrow the rule against excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishment, free speech and religious freedom and write new stuff onto our blank pages, which the U.S. Constitution has become for liberals? When will we go back to the good ole days of debtor prisons, crucifying enemies of the state, state worship of the emperor who unites us all (no matter what religion) or something worse?

The U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t seem to understand what can happen on a blank page when there’s no God who rules all and determines right and wrong, good and evil. You get the chaotic, humanistic, cruel world into which Christ entered and said,

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” John 5:22-3.