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i irks me when people cite "separation of church and state" when their use of it suggests a lack of familiarity with its context.
"separation of church and state" is not in the constitution.
"separation of church and state" is not in the declaration of independence.
"separation of church and state" is not in the any of the founder's legal documents.
the phrase comes from a private letter sent by thomas jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association.
here is what really matters, the first amendment:
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.
in what way does the President choosing to cite God in his own inauguration ceremony violate this? a stronger argument is made in defense of using such citations... as a court prohibiting the President from including such language would be infringing on his ability to exercise his own. in their relentless denial of the truth, some people have construed the founding letters and documents to mean freedom from religion in all areas except for the homes of the faithful. i have yet to understand the source of such vitriolic hate of religion.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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