# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S284
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

284 PARISH EDUCATION

paragraphs will give guidance to those who must reach a decision
on one or more aspects of the problem.

Before setting forth the position we think our Church should
take, may we say that this is not a merely academic problem.
It is rather a live, practical problem which has already provoked
many leaders to action in various localities of the country.
The public schools are being severely criticized because of the
extremely secular character of their program. Peremptory de-
mands are being made for the inclusion of religion in the cur-
riculum. On the other hand, liberals in church and school are
clamoring for complete secularization, for a public school program
oriented against a wholly naturalistic background. They desire
to see the Bible and everything suggestive of Protestantism
banished from the schools. As Christian citizens we dare not
stand aloof and passively wait for developments. It is our duty
as Christians and as citizens to see that religious freedom is prop-
erly safeguarded.

Fundamental Considerations

Principle of Religious Freedom.— As Christian citizens we
cherish freedom of religion and freedom of worship. These price-
less blessings are guaranteed to all without exception in the First
Amendment of the Constitution. We are therefore in conscience
bound to oppose any tendencies which threaten to subject the
Church to the tyranny of the State, or the State to the tyranny
of the Church. If we permit either of these tendencies to prevail,
our political and religious freedom will be curtailed or taken from
us, and both Church and State will then labor under intolerable
restraints.

Principle of Separation of Church and State.—Our political
and our religious freedom stand and fall with the principle of
separation of Church and State. We recognize, however, that
absolute and complete separation of Church and State does not
exist in our land. Therefore we do not think it advisable to
support the efforts of liberals in our country who are attempting
to put the principle of separation of Church and State into opera-
tion in every detail. We recognize the validity of the statement
‘used by the N.E.A. in its Bulletin of February, 1946, p.7:
“Separation of Church and State means religious liberty. It does
not mean that the government is completely disassociated from
religion. Almost every State constitution points to the fact that
the people look to the Supreme Being for guidance. ... Christ-
mas and Good Friday, church holidays, have been made legal
holidays. Our everyday life in America reflects Christian prin-
ciples and beliefs, and to this extent the separation of Church and
State has never been absolute.” (Research Bulletin, Vol. XXIV,