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O'Donnell Questions Separation of Church, State in Senate Debate
Fox News / AP ^ | 10/19/10

Posted on 10/19/2010 8:25:06 AM PDT by truthfreedom

Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell of Delaware on Tuesday questioned whether the U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion.

The exchange came in a debate before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, as O'Donnell criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons' position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Delaware
KEYWORDS: chriscoons; christineodonnell; coons; enemedia; odonnell
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To: truthfreedom
Check out The New England Primer, which was used to educate generations of American children. To learn the alphabet, it started with "A is for Adam, In Adam's fall, we sinned all."
21 posted on 10/19/2010 8:42:44 AM PDT by Pete (29thday.org Exponential problems require exponential solutions)
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O’Donnel handled this question inartfully. Which is a shame, because, vis a vis the larger argument, she was correct. The Constitution prohibits “Congress”—not the “government”, a broader formulation that could include local and state jurisdictions—from “making a law” establishing a national Church of England style state religion. Anti-God liberals and their activist judicial allies have extended and perverted this language to prohibit high school sports coaches in far off rural Texas from leading public high school students in prayers to ask God to safeguard the safety of athletes. A ludicrous extension of the First Amendment which the Founders would not approve or even recognize. Interesting that anti-God liberals never cite the First Amendment language banning Congress from “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion.
22 posted on 10/19/2010 8:42:48 AM PDT by Godwin1
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To: truthfreedom
I can't help but think that Rove, Krauthammer and/or Kristol put Fox up to this kind of smear job.

They really detest Christine because they can't control her.

Go Christine!!

23 posted on 10/19/2010 8:42:50 AM PDT by Walts Ice Pick
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To: truthfreedom
Look carefully at that sentence, and it tells you the "Journalist" doesn't know what he's talking about.

"Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell of Delaware on Tuesday questioned whether the U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion."

First Amendment (from memory): "Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Okay, that's clear enough. Congress, 535 jerks on Capitol Hill can't pass laws ESTABLISHING any particular religion as the country's religion. And, they can't pass laws to stop you from practicing your own religion. Plain English.

"Separation of Church and State" is a different concept, a more stringent, almost anti-religious concept, in which religions and governments may not INTERACT. That's patent baloney. It is essentially the ESTABLISHMENT of ANTI-RELIGION.

I'll argue for the moment that "Separation of Church and State" as a concept is antithetical to the First Amendment, because it establishes anti-religion as the National Religion.

Leftists have grabbed ahold of "Separation of Church and State" as their Established Religion in order to quash any actual Religion from interacting with the Government. That's totalitarian, as usual for leftists.

And, more than avoiding the Establishment of a National Religion, is aimed squarely at the public existence of Religion, which they want to kill in favor of G-dless Marxism.

24 posted on 10/19/2010 8:42:56 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Stimulus. 0bamaCare. Cap and Tax. 9/11 Victory Mosque. TARP. Amnesty. Summer of Recovery.)
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To: Non-Sequitur

I’d like to hear the exact quote.

The leftist probably said “separation of church and state”


25 posted on 10/19/2010 8:43:34 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: brytlea

I think that the whole post 1947 “separation of church and state” is just wrong and it should be overturned as much as Roe v Wade.


26 posted on 10/19/2010 8:45:51 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Genoa
If the lead came from AP, it’s still Fox’s lameness for picking it up and sending it on its way to us. I’m sick of this.

I agree. In addition, Fox radio news is indistinguishable from MSNBC. My affiliate which carries Rush has it, and I am forced to listen to it. They frame every story like any other MSM outlets. It sucks.

27 posted on 10/19/2010 8:47:17 AM PDT by qwertypie
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To: truthfreedom

Yes, I’m not a Constitutional scholar, but I agree, that whole notion has done more to harm the country than pretty much anything.


28 posted on 10/19/2010 8:48:32 AM PDT by brytlea (Jesus loves me, this I know.)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Agreed.

Christine should be talking about the Everson line of cases for years. I’m sure that Christine knows exactly all about this. This should be in her wheelhouse.


29 posted on 10/19/2010 8:49:14 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: truthfreedom
Why is the source for this smear job "Fox/AP"? There was another ridiculous story posted here yesterday that was "credited" to Fox but was actually from the Wall Street Journal. It gets confusing, and Fox is doing itself no favors.

Anyway, the scumbag AP reporter snots, "...appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion." The scumbag AP reporter appears to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars congress from establishing religion, and it also bars congress from making any law that prohibits the free exercise of religion.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...."

30 posted on 10/19/2010 8:49:24 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: kevkrom

Exactly. Even after the Constitution was signed, many states had official state religions, which was not a violation of the Constitution. The Founders did not want an official national religion similar to what England and many European countries had.


31 posted on 10/19/2010 8:49:36 AM PDT by kabar
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To: Uncle Miltie

Thank you for so clearly stating that.


32 posted on 10/19/2010 8:50:47 AM PDT by brytlea (Jesus loves me, this I know.)
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To: brytlea

You don’t have to be a Constitutional scholar to know that that whole “separation of Church and State” is bs.

And we don’t necessarily want Christine to be off message right now, but we do want Christine talking about this in the future.


33 posted on 10/19/2010 8:51:27 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: eyeamok

Hush, you’ll scare the Obots. I’d rather not stir them up. ;)


34 posted on 10/19/2010 8:51:43 AM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: truthfreedom
I’d like to hear the exact quote. The leftist probably said “separation of church and state”

You are correct that Coons said the the separation of church and state was in the Constitution and O'Donnell called him out for that and Coons changed the subject, this writer is ignorant
35 posted on 10/19/2010 8:52:29 AM PDT by Bigtigermike
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To: Lancey Howard

It was on the Fox website. But it said AP on that website.

I didn’t know exactly how to describe it.

I’m distressed that FOX, which is supposed to be our news station, is printing something that is clearly leftist bs.

Fox could just point out that many many many people, most conservatives, think she’s right. This is an active issue that many people pay attention to.


36 posted on 10/19/2010 8:54:52 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Non-Sequitur

O’Donnell asking Coons...
“You’re telling me that’s in the First Amendment?”
seems to be referring back to her question to him about “Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?”

I could be wrong, but she appears to be challenging Coons to point to where in the first amendment the term “separation of church and state” exists.

At least that is my impression.


37 posted on 10/19/2010 8:56:04 AM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: truthfreedom

This reporter is a moron if he thinks there is no difference between “separation of church and state” and “no establishment of religion.”

A stupid moron, giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

People have been loudly arguing this question for the past 50 or 60 years. And he missed it?


38 posted on 10/19/2010 8:59:04 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius.)
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To: Lee'sGhost

Yeah, she had better issue a clarification immediately or this will be all the media reports of the debate.


39 posted on 10/19/2010 9:02:00 AM PDT by mrsmith
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To: Tex-Con-Man

Right, it’s a point for Christine. I’d like to see our conservative pundits argue for Christine on this one strongly.

“Separation of Church and State” is not in the Constitution.
It was made up in 1947.


40 posted on 10/19/2010 9:04:40 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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