Question: What are the "Blaine Amendments?"
Answer: They are stiff prohibitions upon public funding or accommodations for any expressions which may include any spiritual component. They were a bigoted anti-Catholic effort, based on fears that the USA would turn into a Papal domain through massive Catholic immigration.
In the 1870s, President Grant & the US Speaker Of The House, James Blaine, tried to convince the U.S.A. to ratify anti-Catholic clauses into the US Constitution through massive hysteria at the notion that Catholics would force their collective will upon our protestant nation.
In the 1870s, President Grant & the US Speaker Of The House, James Blaine, tried to convince the U.S.A. to ratify anti-Catholic clauses into the US Constitution through massive hysteria at the notion that Catholics would force their collective will upon our protestant nation.
Here are the Oklahoma 'Blaine' clauses:
Section II-5:
Public money or property - Use for sectarian purposes. No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such.
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| James Blaine tried 3 times to win the Presidency |
In recent years, several states have ratified state constitutional amendments to end or severely limit the restrictions of 'Blaine' clauses. Missouri's Amendment Two passed easily. Jeb Bush fought the courts in order to but replacement language on the Florida ballot. The Florida passage finally came in 2012.
But Oklahoma falls way behind several states because our past legislators have failed to convene the constitutional convention whereby the delegates can present these needed reforms in a reasonable manner.
The truth is, the federal constitution is far more lenient on public expressions of faith than many current state constitutions, including Oklahoma. When the federal constitution was ratified, it's passage came only after the ratifying states were assured that their state-funded denominations would not be harmed through a federal funding mechanism. So they imposed the 1st amendment language to restrict only the federal congress. The words are;
But such as is the case with most fear-mongering, there was a successful knee-jerk reaction to the unwanted Italians, Irish, and East European immigrants. The poorly written Blaine Amendments were written to persecute a religious class of people. But astute scholars' warnings went unheeded and the sloppy language prevailed.
Now we have open hostility toward all forms of religion which prevails in academia and in government bureaucracies. Even law enforcement has become hostile to the sincere beliefs of many. And the anti-spirituality class has championed the language of the past bigots in a successful campaign to remove especially the most threatening religious expressions, namely those of the evangelical Christians. They seem uninterested in Indian religious symbols. They even defend the Islamic tenets of open exploitation of women. They only take aim at the hated evangelical, regardless of the sect or denomination. Now, not only are Catholics the target, so are the protestants whose forefathers ratified the Blaine Amendments.
The truth is, the federal constitution is far more lenient on public expressions of faith than many current state constitutions, including Oklahoma. When the federal constitution was ratified, it's passage came only after the ratifying states were assured that their state-funded denominations would not be harmed through a federal funding mechanism. So they imposed the 1st amendment language to restrict only the federal congress. The words are;
The truth is, the federal constitution is far more lenient on public expressions of faith than many current state constitutions, including Oklahoma.
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"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"So the states were still free to continue funding their clergy and seminaries. It was only after the Blaine Amendments that east coast states phased out support for various denominations. Since then, our activist courts have twisted Jefferson's private writings in a way that supported a move to force states and all levels of government to cease any funding into religious entities. But Federal Courts have in recent decades past what's known as "Equal Access" which guarantees faith groups the same access to public accommodation which other groups are given. The Oklahoma Monument case could certainly be tested in federal courts under this reasoning. This could 'buy time' while state legislati
But such as is the case with most fear-mongering, there was a successful knee-jerk reaction to the unwanted Italians, Irish, and East European immigrants. The poorly written Blaine Amendments were written to persecute a religious class of people. But astute scholars' warnings went unheeded and the sloppy language prevailed.
Now we have open hostility toward all forms of religion which prevails in academia and in government bureaucracies. Even law enforcement has become hostile to the sincere beliefs of many. And the anti-spirituality class has championed the language of the past bigots in a successful campaign to remove especially the most threatening religious expressions, namely those of the evangelical Christians. They seem uninterested in Indian religious symbols. They even defend the Islamic tenets of open exploitation of women. They only take aim at the hated evangelical, regardless of the sect or denomination. Now, not only are Catholics the target, so are the protestants whose forefathers ratified the Blaine Amendments.
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| David Van Risseghem |
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