"God" is absent from The Constitution produced by the Convention and signed on 9/17/1787. Indiana preacher Micah Beckwith says understanding The Constitution is "easy" but reads his deity into it. My friend Paul Ogden, on thr other hand, says limits on religion are there, but
limits "had to do with establishing a national religion." "Originalism" is the belief that how we interpret The Constitution is controlled by the intent of the Framers, the 55 delegates at the 1787 Convention. However, intent behind a document is part of construing the law.
In regard to Framers' original intent, "who, what & when" are critical. The Establishment clause, to which Mr Ogden refers, appears in the 1st Amendment, 9/25/1789. The passage of 2 years is significant. Congress received The Constitution on 9/20/1787. Between 9/26 & 9/28
Congress debated in secret whether to comply w/wishes of the Convention & send Constitution to States to call specially-elected conventions to consider ratification. [FN1] "Opponents ... proposed to send the Constitution to the states w/amendments, including a bill of rights." [Id.]
Madison wrote a proposed amendment on religion: "The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext infringed."
Mr Ogden is right, in part. Madison proposed language that included banning a national, but that language was rejected. Most importantly, in regard to Beckwith's puhing of Christianity, it's not in The Constitution or the Bill of Rights. God should be asked about this. (Kidding.)
I'm Mark Small: pro-life, pro-environment, anti-gun, anti-TIF GOP candidate for City-County Council, District 2. I approve of this message. Hell, I wrote it.