Roger Williams and the separation of church and state-- words to live (and let live) by

A lot has been said about the separation of church and state in the United States, and it's becoming one of the most misunderstood and heated conversations going. Because of some people's religious/faith traditions, they feel a calling to dictate to everyone else in ear --or media--shot how their lives are to be lived. If we were anywhere else, o, say, in the Middle East, they'd be crying foul, hollering "Sharia Law!" and they'd be right. It is a form of sharia-type theocratic rule that they are trying to enforce. 

There are those who feel quite strongly that this country, and its Founders, intended this to be a Christian nation. Not so. There is only a reference to a "creator"-- and that's not dodging the question at all. Some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence would not have identified as Christian, at least in the way that people now see it. Some were Deists, others, Quakers. None of them would recognize today's ultra-conservative, militant "Christians." 

That all said, there is a document written by Roger Williams, one that far predates the Founders and their probably more famous documents. Let's back up a bit and take a look at the history (and this is my summation-- I'm not going to dive deeply). The so-called Pilgrims-- religious Separatists-- left Europe ostensibly because they wanted the freedom to worship as their consciences dictated. After a quick, necessary detour to Holland, they finally arrived on the coast of what is now Massachusetts, wet, cold, lonely, and ill. It was a long winter; 52 survived. William Bradford kept a good diary, though it was not a contemporaneous journal; he recollected events later on, but it's pretty decent as far as how it relates what happened to the "pilgrims" (so named by him in his diary). 

They established a foothold, built a town, and then, once they started getting comfortable, things got tense. Well, people are people, no matter what flavor of religion they are. The ones who had built farms out of town wanted to build a second church so they would not have to travel so far to go to services. That caused a ruckus. What was supposed to be a peaceful, God-fearing settlement devolved, as these things do, into self-interest, angry recriminations, and division. No surprise there. They basically had about twelve good years before things got out of order, and poor Bradford had had enough. He was an honest, God-fearing man, and he was sorely disappointed in the folks who he believed were trying to build something wonderful. Funny how self-interest gets in the way. 

Fast forward a little bit to Roger Williams, a Puritan man who deeply believed in the separation of church and state. He felt that politics would and always will corrupt religion. He proposed the original idea of all people being able to follow their faith --or no faith--without official sanction or interference. His 1655 "Letter to the Town of Providence" is a carefully crafted, short document that clearly outlines how we ought to be thinking about this whole issue. It reads,

That ever I should speak or write a tittle, that tends to such an infinite liberty of conscience, is a mistake, and which I have ever disclaimed and abhorred. To prevent such mistakes, I shall at present only propose this case: There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society. It hath fallen out sometimes, that both papists and protestants, Jews and Turks, may be embarked in one ship; upon which supposal I affirm, that all the liberty of conscience, that ever I pleaded for, turns upon these two hinges–that none of the papists, protestants, Jews, or Turks, be forced to come to the ship's prayers of worship, nor compelled from their own particular prayers or worship, if they practice any. I further add, that I never denied, that notwithstanding this liberty, the commander of this ship ought to command the ship's course, yea, and also command that justice, peace and sobriety, be kept and practiced, both among the seamen and all the passengers. If any of the seamen refuse to perform their services, or passengers to pay their freight; if any refuse to help, in person or purse, towards the common charges or defence; if any refuse to obey the common laws and orders of the ship, concerning their common peace or preservation; if any shall mutiny and rise up against their commanders and officers; if any should preach or write that there ought to be no commanders or officers, because all are equal in Christ, therefore no masters nor officers, no laws nor orders, nor corrections nor punishments;–I say, I never denied, but in such cases, whatever is pretended, the commander or commanders may judge, resist, compel and punish such transgressors, according to their deserts and merits. This if seriously and honestly minded, may, if it so please the Father of lights, let in some light to such as willingly shut not their eyes.

I remain studious of your common peace and liberty.

So, we can summarize this: no one is to be compelled to practice or be compelled from their practice (or no practice) by the captain of the ship; his only job is to get us to where we are going safely. He is to keep the peace, ensure everyone is treated well, and leave the rest to each person's individual conscience. (Read: stay in your lane.)

The state has no business at all meddling in the private beliefs or worship, or lack thereof, of the individual. 

I know Thomas Jefferson wrote about this as well in 1802, but I think it's interesting that Roger Williams had it all mapped out a whole lot earlier.

O, and what happened to Roger Williams? The "good Christians" ran him out of town. In fact, they were so incensed with him and his insistence on religious tolerance, they were going to send him back to England on a ship in January! He was warned three days before they were going to forcibly put him on board, and he went to live with the native peoples for a time. He helped establish Rhode Island, where all faiths (or no faith) lived together, without establishing a single common faith tradition enforced by anyone. 

I can't imagine why we are even discussing it. 

C