The following is a summary of the presentation made by Law Professor Edwin B. Firmage at the February meeting of the Humanists of Utah

The ideal relationship between church and state is a tough proposition. In the past, horrendous crimes were committed in the name of the church, such as when St. Augustine interpreted Jesus' words to mean "Force them to come in.".. Because of the violent past, our country's founders insisted upon a distance between church and state. However, the First Amendment right to free speech, we must also remember not to violate the third Commandment, that being taking the name of the Lord in vain. Some of the direct consequences of our concept of law come from fundamental religious notions, such as the idea of inherent human rights as embodied in our Bill of Rights. Then there's the bearing of false witness, slander, the taking of oaths, mens rea (or criminal intent) and defilement. The legacy of "the importance of the individual" comes from the era of Enlightenment, which demanded reforms.

If we study our history, during the 1960's, the Civil Rights Movement originated in the southern churches. I personally favor the clergy who marched with Martin Luther King for human rights. There are vicious happenings in the world which the church should be actively speaking out against. It's sad that the influence and muscle of the church is used to fight such insignificant things as betting on horse races, liquor laws, and the like. Churches should be pulpit-pounding for more spiritual and moral issues, such as protecting our environment, reducing military spending, improving social programs such as education, and working for world peace. These are the subjects that are matters of faith and morals. The condition of our spirituality has more to do with the well-being of our environment than with opposing sex education, gambling and liquor laws.

We humans are vastly interconnected and must not be circumscribed by our own personal families. We should ask ourselves, "Who are our brothers and sisters?" There are gross injustices going on in the world, such as nuclear threats, inequitable economies, civil rights violations, and mass hunger. We must see the larger picture of humanity by saying to ourselves, "My humanity is larger than myself, larger than my religion, larger than my ethnicity, and larger than my gender."

St. Francis Assisi, know as the patron Saint of the environment, had a deep reverence for the animals of the world. He conversed with the birds, and felt respect for the earth. After having many experiences with nature, I myself question the difference between the organic and the inorganic. How does on distinguish a plant from the soil in which it grows? We are all part of an ecosystem, and we should be spokespersons for the ecosystem, and not subjugate the animals or the earth to us, nor destroy it. In very few things are we humans unique. The pulpit in the civic square should address the environment and social problems of the day. The essence of humanism is not to concern ourselves with how we define God and kill each other because of our differences, but to concern ourselves with our brothers and sisters of the world, and attempt to make our heaven here on earth.

The church has traditionally feared anything new. I honestly differ with church authorities on the subjects of sex., the ERA, abortion and women holding the priesthood. I would love to see the time when churches take a stand and put the Earth in the forefront of their liturgy, where they invest themselves in the concept of one system of life, where there is no line dividing gender, race, religion, and animal, and where the oneness of humanity is emphasized. I would like to see a time when countries do not concern themselves with petty ethnic divisions, but rather with our interconnectedness and our interdependence. We simply cannot afford to ignore our ecosystems with thermal nuclear war at hand. We must see the larger picture of humanity if we want to survive.

We are taking God's name in vain when we consciously exclude gays from a hate bill, when we vote against public housing, and when we fail to feed our hungry children in school. We must no longer have a silent pulpit on these types of social issues. Religions must not confine themselves to piety. They must open up to larger concerns such as recognizing the need for day care centers and public housing. They must work toward reducing the military budget and increase social spending for much needed projects such as highway repair. They must work toward eliminating racism; reduce poverty, homelessness, and unemployment. They must also provide for quality education, and eliminate war as a means of solving problems. These are the matters of faith and morals we should be concerning ourselves with. As the saying goes, "We must think globally and act locally." We can accomplish this by putting pressure on the public person, and by encouraging an active, not a silent pulpit.

--Nancy Moore