The Broken Machine
A Corrupted Body Politic
LIE #2: You Don’t Have to Mention The Bible and Its Principles When You Talk About Politics in America…
The next time I visited my professor after class, he didn’t hesitate to ask me, “Well, have you given any more thought about our last conversation?”
“I have, sir, yes,” I replied.
“And what have you concluded?”
“You mean about why the current state of affairs are so rife with division and anger?”
“That’s right, my boy. Do you see how America would be better off if we followed the advice of the Founding Fathers when they sought to separate church from state? Just imagine if we moderns could simply learn from their foresight; no more religious fanaticism, no more bigotry or hate. Do you see that now?”
And having considered his words for several moments, I replied, “Well, sir, pardon me for saying so, but from what I can tell, looking at American history, the Founders never intended for us to remove all traces of The Bible and its teachings from our political life. They were just trying to limit the power of either institution, through a wall of separation, as Roger Williams of Rhode Island, first described it.”
The old man, again, eyed me suspiciously. Did he think me impertinent, I wondered, for daring to question his position? His authority?
“You mean Thomas Jefferson, don’t you?”
“Sir?”
“Don’t you mean Jefferson, when you cite the beginnings of the American understanding of the separation of church and state?”
“No, sir. Thomas Jefferson wrote about the wall of separation in the eighteenth century, more than a hundred years after Roger Williams originated the idea in a 1644 letter he wrote to a fellow pastor.”
Story Continues Below
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Story Continues From Above
“Hmmm, you don’t say.” Suddenly, the old man smiled at me, and said, “Marvelous. I admit, I do admire your confidence. You know, I believe I underestimated you; not that I didn’t think you were an intelligent young man. No, sir. In fact, I do believe you’re too intelligent.”
Puzzled by this, I said, “Too intelligent, sir?”
“You heard me.”
“I did, Professor. But I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
He then leaned forward across his huge desk to get a closer look at me. “What I’m saying, son, is that anyone as smart as you shouldn’t be wasting his time with The Bible.” Then he paused, as if giving me time to consider his words. “Mark my words, my boy, if you ever want to make your mark in this crazy world of politics, you’ll put that infernal book back on the shelf and stop warping your mind with its contents.”
“But … Professor,” I muttered.
“Oh, don’t take it so hard, son. Just give it time; someday you’ll grow out of this adolescent nonsense of yours. But for now just take my advice. In matters of your political science studies, avoid any mention of that Bible of yours. I’m telling you, superstition and diplomacy simply don’t mix.”
And as my professor left off speaking, he leaned back in his chair and eyed me, quite content with himself and his appraisal of the situation. And again, in that same moment, I determined within myself to find out the truth for myself.
“Never forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought here by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles into every aspect of American society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions—civil, political, and literary.”
Daniel Webster
