Things are seldom what they appear to be. Deception is a larger part of our world than most of us realize. This is mostly because we do not bother to actually think about things; to actually consider the things we observe and what they mean. The attack on religion in this nation is just one example. It is being done under the pretense of the ‘separation of Church and State.’ But this is not what is actually happening. What is actually happening is this phrase is being used to hide the fact that a State religion is being forced on this nation. We just do not see or understand it because we do not think about it. If we did, we would realize that this is exactly what is happening: the force of government is being used to establish Atheism as the national religion. The proof is found in the very definition of the word ‘religion.’
In our society today, Atheist assert that there is a separation of Church and State in the Constitution, and that this means the State cannot allow anything religious in the public square. This page is from a web site called “New York City Atheists,” and it lists a series of court cases in which the courts have attacked ‘traditional’ religion in public institutions such as school and government (i.e. religion expressing a belief in god(s) or a Creator). But there is a major flaw in the argument that the First Amendment places a wall between the Church and the State: the first Amendment does not address ‘The Church!’ In fact, the First Amendment speaks to religion, which is where the Atheist argument falls apart. There is a simple fact here that most do not see or understand: the absence of a ‘traditional’ religion is still religion!
Go back and look at the definition of religion again. It doesn’t mention a Church, but it does include Atheism. According to the characteristics that define religion, Atheism is as much a religion as any traditional religion. We must remember, a thing is defined by its form and function and not by the word we assign to it. The word we assign to an idea is nothing more than a symbol for that concept or idea. It is meant to hold the place of everything that makes up the concept or idea. This means we should try to know and understand everything that makes up a concept or idea – so that we do not make a mistake in our understanding because we are ignorant of some crucial point. This is why so many of us have missed what is happening with the attack on religion in America: because we do not know and understand every aspect of the concept of ‘religion.’
Most of us think that religion must be connected to a belief in a god(s) or Creator, but this is not true. Religion can encompass any belief that defines ultimate reality and/or which governs the way we live our lives. This is “by definition,” which means it is as strong a statement as we can logically make. There is no way to change this without changing the form and function of what we are discussing, and that would be like trying to change a dog into a cat and claiming it is still the same animal. It doesn’t work. So, understanding this aspect of what the word ‘religion’ means is important because it changes the way we view the notion of religion in the public square. At least, if we are intellectually honest, it should change the way we see the debate of separation between Church and State. However, if we are dishonest, if we are actually trying to conceal a religious and/or political agenda, then we might refuse to admit to something that is undeniable by definition.
This means that Atheism is a religion, and the courts have said so:
Court rules atheism a religion
If you will do a little searching, you will find that the Supreme Court has also ruled that Atheism is a religion. So, Atheism is a religion – both as a matter of definition and as a matter of law. Now, what does that mean in the real world?
Well, for one thing, it means that there is no such thing as freedom from religion; it’s just a matter of which religion will be allowed to dominate the public arena. Our founders – in all their wisdom – wrote the First Amendment so that – if it were properly applied by intellectually honest people – would easily cover this apparent conflict. The establishment clause prohibits the government from establishing an official religion. But Atheism is a religion. This means that the First Amendment protects all forms of religion. However, if all religions but Atheism – asserted as the lack of religion – are forcibly removed from the public square, the real world result is the establishment of an official State religion – Atheism! This is specifically what the First Amendment was intended to prevent.
This means that, in spite of what they may claim, Atheists are not trying to protect the First Amendment by enforcing a separation between Church and State; they are trying to use the force of government to subvert the First Amendment and establish an official State religion. By doing this, Atheists are turning reality on its head. They are actually doing exactly what they claim they are trying to prevent. Once we recognize this, the question we must answer next is whether or not Atheists are doing this because they do not realize it is what they are doing, or they do know and are using deceit to force their agenda on the entire nation. This is why the attack on ‘traditional’ religion in America represents an open attempt to establish Atheism as the National Religion.
The truth is simple: we are all religious because we are made that way. It is an inalienable aspect of human nature. Those of us who read and believe the Bible know and understand this because the Bible makes this point clear. But, even if you do not believe the Bible or have never heard of it, the fact remains: there is no freedom from religion, only a choice of what or who we will worship. This is why we should examine what we choose to believe as carefully as we examine anything where we have to make important life choices. In fact, we should examine what we choose to believe even more carefully than anything else in our life because it is the most important choice we – as individuals – will ever make. I urge you to choose wisely.
The Oil for Your Lamp 