Book review

Church-state separation: Ripped from the headlines

When I accepted an internship with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, I already knew that I was a proponent of the separation of church and state. I understood, for the most part, the constitutional and legal arguments. I had taken classes in Baptist history as a student at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, so I was aware of the Baptist heritage of defending religious freedom for all people.

There was, however, one aspect of the BJC’s work I didn’t grasp; specifically, understanding church-state separation beyond the theoretical. Does it really hurt anyone to see a Ten Commandments monument? What difference does it make if someone prays before a high school football game? Why would anyone object to a cross over a Veterans’ memorial such as the one at the Mt. Soledad Memorial in San Diego?

After reading Peter Irons’ new book, God on Trial, published by Viking Press, I have a more complete understanding of why the BJC and other church-state separation advocacy groups continue to fight for church-state separation.

God on Trial is Irons’ summary of several high profile church-state separation cases over the past 20 years. Irons covers six specific cases — The Mt. Soledad cross, a school prayer case, two Ten Commandments disputes, a Pledge of Allegiance case, and an evolution versus creation controversy — recounting, in each, the intricate legal maneuverings that pushed the disputes back and forth between local courts and as high as the U.S. Supreme Court.

Irons chronicles each legal saga, including brief biographies of those involved. Then he gives way to the key characters in these real-life legal dramas — plaintiffs, attorneys, politicians — who provide their own insight into the case. For example, Mike Newdow, a father who objected to the ‘under God’ portion of the Pledge being spoken in his daughter’s elementary school class, explains his objection:

“People have a very mistaken idea; they think this is against God. And it’s not; it’s not a case of those who believe in God versus those who don’t. It’s those who believe in equality versus those who don’t ... . Go out in the public square, get on your knees, worship Jesus, have your revivals — no one stops you. That’s an absolute right you have. You just don’t have the right to have government join you ... .” (p. 271)

Irons covers fairly each side, and although he clearly supports the separation of church and state, he rarely involves his own views in the commentary. Instead, for instance, in the chapter covering the Mt. Soledad case, he affords Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law Justice equal space to explain their respective positions.

Irons’ God on Trial is a must-read for those seeking a more in-depth understanding of these cases, as well as anyone who has an interest in the legal intersection of church and state. Hearing the voices of those involved who have witnessed the real-world consequences of government’s intrusion in matters of faith, should trigger a renewed commitment to the cause of the separation of church and state.

— Brad Jackson, BJC intern