Christine O’Donnell is No Episcopalian
Folks today are twittering about an apparent gaffe by Christine O’Donnell at a morning (yes, morning) debate:
Coons said private and parochial schools are free to teach creationism but that “religious doctrine doesn’t belong in our public schools.”
“Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?” O’Donnell asked him.
When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O’Donnell asked: “You’re telling me that’s in the First Amendment?”
Well, um, yeah.
Turns out Celibabe was reciting a popular wingnut bumper sticker, since the exact phrase “separation of Church and State” indeed cannot be found in the Constitutional archives.
But we can’t end today’s History Lesson without noting that when the Founders scribbled “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” the establishment they had in mind was the Church of England.
O’Donnell, a notorious Papist, would not have fared well without that protection.
It’s a fine thing that we’re so inclusive in our political processes. We’ll take ’em all, as along as they’re dumb as paint.