Paul D. Simmons Quotes
Kentucky has a strong separationist constitution, but Kentucky politicians and the general public have been terribly remiss by ignoring those provisions. The state also has religious groups wanting public money and politicians wanting the votes of religious people, which makes for strong temptations on both sides.
The Kentucky legislature appropriated over $10 million to the University of the Cumberlands to establish a School of Pharmacy and provide some scholarships thereto. The difficulty was that the University of the Cumberlands was affiliated with the Baptist Church. Simmons, himself a Baptist Minister, was outraged at this violation of Church and State. He appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which unanimously held that the appropriation was un-Constitutional.
Paul D. Simmons, Baptist Minister & Medical Ethicist, Quoted in Sandhya Bathija, “Kentucky Supreme Court Unanimously Bars Millions In Taxpayer Aid To Baptist University”, Church and State, June 2010
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Jinnah who at later years of his life became a rabid leader and facilitator of religious bigotry and violent Jihad, was totally opposed to mixing religion in politics. His view was so strong on this point that he even criticized Gandhi for mixing religion with politics when he was a sing star of the Indian Congress Party. Jinnah's flip flop on this point led to one of the great massacres and tragedies in human history.
This is a great example of politically sophisticated oratory. The decision was that the crèche violated the constitution and the state opinion was split between those in favor and those opposed. A reporter asked the governor what she thought of the court decision. Her response not only amused the public and the press but completely avoided having to take a stand on the issue of religious symbols being exhibited on state property.
Responding to criticisms by Rev. Jerry Falwell about America's moral decline: See also, Mark Russell
JFK was running for the Presidency and was Roman Catholic. There was a great deal of anti-Catholic prejudice in the country with many people fearing that a Catholic President would mean Papal control of the United States. Peale was the most influential American clergyman of the day, and while he did not overtly oppose the Kennedy candidacy, he did state that he thought the election of a Catholic would profoundly change America. Kennedy won by a thin margin, but none of the events that the anti-Catholics feared, came to pass.
In 1858 the Catholic Church virtually controlled much of the Mexican state, owned much of the land, and was opposed to all notions of separation of church and state. At that time in the “War of Reform” vast changes began abolishing ecclesiastical courts, barring church land ownership, and eventually prohibiting churches from running schools and clerics from criticizing the government.
