Five Destructive Stones

Stone walls were typically built around O.T. cities for several reasons.

• Military Defense: Walls protected inhabitants, livestock, and vital water supplies from invading armies including marauders. Walls were often built several meters thick and high, sometimes with watchtowers and reinforced gates.
• Protection: A wall marked the clear boundary between the safety of the inhabitants of the city and the hostile world outside its gates.
• Management: City gates monitored who and what entered or left the city. They served as checkpoints for trade, legal proceedings, and social gatherings among community elders.

The phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state” is not in the U.S. Constitution. The phrase originated from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut. The image of a wall between church and state essentially described the first Amendment which states, “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.” The metaphor of a wall that separates church and states represents freedom from governmental interference. The first amendment prohibits the government from usurping authority over the church. God has ordained both the government and the church and has delegated authority to each; the authority of one must never interfere with the other; however, this does not mean that the State is to be non-religious nor does it mean that the church must abstain from being involved in the political processes of our nation. (Mt 16:18, 18:15-20; Ro 13:1-7; Acts 2:1-11, 41-47, Acts 5:29-31; Eph 2:1-6).

Someone said appropriately, “Jefferson opposed a ‘national’ religion. He did not oppose a religious nation. Or a religious government. He opposed a government religion. The difference is critical. In fact, the United States Capitol served as a church building for seven decades and Jefferson himself was a regular attendee. He attended so faithfully that he earned a reserved seat. On the Sunday after he wrote the letter to the Danbury Baptists, he attended church services while the Capitol building was under construction. This is a perfect example of how Jefferson’s “wall of separation” was never meant to keep religion out of government. Instead, faith has a home in America – even in the Capitol.”

The phrase, separation between church and state, has been misconstrued on both sides of the wall. The misunderstanding has led to the moral and spiritual decay of our country. The 8-word phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state” was lifted out of the context of Jefferson’s letter, to be redefined, to keep the wall high and impregnable, to prohibit the church from influencing a secular world. The U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the “wall of separation” led to an era of strict separation from 1947 to the 1970’s.  It is known as the “Era of Strict Separation.”

i.e. the U.S. Supreme Court formally adopted Jefferson’s metaphor into constitutional law, using it to build a high and impregnable wall with at least 5 overreaching stones.

1. The First Stone in the Wall.

The Court formally adopted the “wall” metaphor in Everson v. Board of Education (1947). The supreme court of New Jersey decided that taxpayer money could be used to “bus” children to religious schools. Justice Hugo Black said, “The first amendment has erected a wall between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve of the slightest breach. Though the wall was not breached, the misunderstanding of the wall would justify future rulings to strike against the church. This case has therefore, been called the first stone in the wall between church and state.

Again, during this era, the era of strict separation, the Court used the metaphor of a wall to strike down state-sponsored religious practices in public schools, which included Engle v. Vitale.

2. The Second Stone in the Wall.

Engle v. Vitale (1962) was the second stone in the wall between church and state which banned school prayer. i.e. New York schools would no longer be allowed to lead students in a prayer. This was not sanctioned by the school; students volunteered to participate

In the case of Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school-sponsored Bible reading. An expert determined that portions of the New Testament would be psychologically harmful to Jewish children.

Time has proven otherwise, however. The absence of God has proven to be cause of moral/spiritual decline in America. For example, the uncensored and unrestricted internet and social media platforms have had significant psychological effects on teenagers.

• Anxiety and Depression: Studies cited in Yale Medicine show that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• Social Comparison and Low Self-Esteem: Constant exposure to others on social media fuels social comparison, leading to body image concerns, eating disorders, and feelings of inadequacy. I believe that the habit of comparison leads to the confusion and perversion which we are witnessing among all ages today. Influence is powerful! 1Co 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications (companionship, company, association) corrupt good manners (morals, habits).”
• Cyberbullying and Harassment: Roughly 1 in 5 to over a third of teens experience online harassment or cyberbullying, which strongly correlates with distress, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
• Sleep Disruption: Late-night screen use and blue light suppress melatonin production, interrupting natural sleep-wake cycles and compounding daytime mood issues.
• Feelings of Loneliness: Heavy internet use can replace family and friend relationships, leaving teens feeling isolated despite being constantly connected.

3. The Third Stone in the Wall.

DeSpain v. DeKalb County Community School District (1967) is the third stone in the wall. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that a kindergarten teacher could no longer lead students to recite a 4-line poem of thanksgiving before snack time because it would violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Though God is not mentioned in the poem, the assertion of Everson (the first stone in the wall) and the erroneous wall between church and state caused this decision.

The DeSpain’s brought the lawsuit on behalf of their 5-year-old daughter, who attended Elwood Public School in DeKalb, Illinois because their daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Esther Watne, had her students recite a short verse before morning snack:

“We thank you for the flowers so sweet;
We thank you for the food we eat;
We thank you for the birds that sing;
We thank you for everything.”

The U.S. District Court initially dismissed the complaint, arguing the verse was a secular expression of gratitude rather than an official prayer. The Court of Appeals however, reversed the decision, concluding that despite its simple nursery-rhyme format, the verse functioned as a prayer because it directed thanks to an unstated higher or divine power.

4. The Fourth Stone in the Wall.

State Board of Education v. Board of Education of Netcong, NJ (1970) is the fourth stone in the wall.

This is a New Jersey school prayer case. The Netcong Board of Education in Morris County, New Jersey, instituted a school program that included reading prayers; prayers or excerpts printed in the Congressional Record, as a voluntary or scheduled practice. The U.S. congress begins its daily sessions in prayer in which invited pastors are requested to deliver the prayer and in writing so that it can be printed in the Congressional Record. In February 1970, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Joseph Stamler issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the Netcong school board’s prayer readings. The court found that the prayer program violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, following the example from U.S. Supreme Court decisions like School District of Abington Township v. Schempp (1963) which barred Bible reading and devotional exercises in public schools.

5. The Fifth Stine in the Wall.

Stone v. Graham (1980) is the fifth stone in the wall. In Stone v. Graham, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky state statute requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom was unconstitutional. i.e. it violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The Court applied the first prong of the Lemon Test and determined that the display lacked a valid secular legislative purpose.

The Lemon Test was a three-pronged legal standard used by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether a government law or action violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Established in the landmark case Lemon v. Kurtzman in 1971, a government action had to satisfy a three-fold test to be considered constitutional:

The Three Prongs

1. The action must have a valid secular (non-religious) legislative purpose.
2. The effect of the action must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion.
3. The action must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion.

Overturning and Current Legal Status

• For decades, the Lemon Test was heavily criticized by conservative justices for being vague, unpredictable, and hostile toward public religious expression.
• The Supreme Court officially abandoned and replaced the Lemon Test in 2022.
• Instead of the Lemon Test, courts must now interpret the Establishment Clause by looking at historical practices and understandings (the “history and tradition” standard) to evaluate the relationship between government and religion.

APPLICATION:

The Era of Strict Separation (1947–1970s) endured long enough to produce negative effects. The effects below are my conclusions.

POLITICAL POLARITY: i.e. a misunderstanding of the wall; which has led to a strict approach to the first amendment, polarized the church for decades. The church was convinced that there is no place for politics in the church, or among God’s people, and the pulpit is not to be used to endorse candidates or to encourage congregants to get involved in the political processes.

HISTORICAL ILLITERACY: The misconception of the wall has done nothing more than increase the distance between an understanding of the founding fathers and their attempt to prove, “that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”

MORAL DEPRAVITY: Jesus never taught in Scripture to avoid interaction with the people in your community (Jn 4:4-26), or to oppose the political process, or politics in general. Jesus said however, that we are to be salt and light. We are never taught in Scripture to isolate ourselves but use your salt and light to influence the world. For example, believers can influence their culture by the people for whom they vote. When you vote, you are helping to determine the moral and spiritual direction of our country.

The “wall of separation” between church and state is a major cause in the moral decay of America. The strict secular enforcement of the separation of church and state, i.e. the banning of prayer, Bible reading, and Christian values from public sector attributed to major social and behavioral shifts.

Regarding William Bennett’s 1990’s report, The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, he argues that between 1960 and 1990, the 30-year period following Supreme Court rulings that removed mandatory prayer and Bible reading from public schools, the United States suffered a severe decline:

• Illegitimate births: A 419% increase
• Divorce rates: A quadrupling (rather than just doubling)
• Violent crime: A 560% increase
• Teenage suicide: A more than 200% increase
• SAT scores: A drop of almost 80 points.

The culprit is the “wall of separation” which was lifted out of the context of a private 1802 letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists. It was never meant to completely secularize public society or keep faith out of government. The modern judicial interpretations have twisted the metaphor to strip the country of its Christian heritage. When a nation abandons its religious foundation, it becomes as vulnerable as a nation without leadership. Its natural outcome is apostasy; moral and spiritual defection. This truth can be illustrated from Judges 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

CLOSING:

Pastors must teach the true meaning of “the wall of separation between the church and state.”

Pastors must lead their congregation, by example, regarding the political process, for example, voting, community involvement, direct communication with leaders, and campaigning.

Like the Berlin Wall, the misinterpreted “wall of separation between church and state” must come down i.e. the wall that polarized the church for decades, the wall that produced historical illiteracy, and unprecedented moral and spiritual decline must come down.