ADDRESS, IMMANUEL METHODIST CHURCH
CRISFIELD

December 2, 1962

I am most grateful to our Pastor Rev. Moore for inviting me to come
here today to take part in these Layman's Day services, in my home
church. Coming back to Crisfield is always a satisfying experience, and
it is a particular delight to be here in this church which has contributed
so much to my happiness, and to the happiness of my family, for so many
years. In a long career in politics and government, I have had many
occasions to ask myself the question: What is the role of religion in the
State? Today, I should like to discuss this subject with you at some
length.

It is written in the Psalms: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the
Lord. " There is much discussion nowadays, as there has been through-
out the history of the United States of America, of whether religion is,
or ought to be,, in government. The doctrine of the separation of church
and state is firmly imbedded in our American philosophy. The principle
is incorporated in the basic laws of our federal government and of the
governments of all of the states of our union. This concept of the com-
plete separation of the institutions of religion from the institution of
government has been a source of vitality to both church and state. But
while we cling to this principle of separation, no doctrine of American
life ever has, or ever will eliminate or minimize the presence, the power
and the influence of religion in our national affairs. Religion and
national destiny are forever intertwined. The central tenet of our life is
that ours is a "nation whose God is the Lord. " This tenet was explicit in
the Declaration of Independence. It is implicit in our instruments of
government. It permeates our institutions.

The virtues of our people and the values of our culture are derived
from the premise that this is "one nation under God. " Our American
society and our American way of life are products of the Judeo-Christian
concept of the relationship of man to God. The Golden Rule, which is
the very essence of our Christian doctrine, is inherent in everything we
create and in everything we do as a people and a nation.

All of us know how careful our forebears who wrote our Constitution
were to avoid the injection of religion into government. State-estab-
lished religion, an inheritance from lands they had fled in search of
religious freedom, meant tyranny to them, and they would have no
part of it. And yet, the philosophy of idealism which guided the thinking

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