Somehow, the line that separates church and state - something that should be clear - has a tendency to get blurred.
Perhaps it's the religious zeal within people that drives them to want to do away with the principle the United States was founded upon. After all, how can something that is so deeply embedded in someone's personal life not have an affect on their work?
Gov. Jennifer Granholm made the decision to be human, let down her guard and express her personal views. On a WKAR television show, Granholm said she wouldn't mind having a monument of the Ten Commandments erected in the rotunda of the state Capitol. In this statement, she acknowledged the statue would make some people upset, but she believed the promotion of the commandments' universally good values supersede this.
It didn't take long for Granholm to realize her error, as she quickly withdrew her statement; citing that it would be constitutionally incorrect to have such a statue in the Capitol. (Ironically, the phrase "In God We Trust" is etched into the rotunda).
Granholm's public relations department fielded the political blooper by saying that, although she was on public access television, the Governor was expressing her personal views - not those of the state.
The following flurry resulted in praise from the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and disappointment from religious groups, who felt cheated. Ultimately, the constitutional issue will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear arguments about whether the commandments should be displayed on government property in March.
If the Supreme Court's ruling on separation of church and state cases follows the court's historical course, commandment displays shouldn't be appearing anytime soon on government property.
What will happen then?
This ruling might lead to outrage from President Bush and Congress; perhaps even a resolution asking the court to reverse its decision. They won't be fighting for bad things. Granholm is right; the Ten Commandments are full of universally good ideas.
They'll stand behind the idea that God is deeply interwoven with government, from currency and historical documents to societal views and beliefs. Elected officials might even argue that our founding fathers were Christians.
But, what our founding fathers framed for us in the Constitution was the idea that the separation of church and state should be vehemently upheld and that the line should remain clear. Despite the good notions held within the commandments, their significance as a religious icon could not be displaced.
If the governor and Congress want a way to display universally valued beliefs, there are a multitude of other ways to achieve this. They should follow the character of the nation's forefathers and be progressive enough to look for an alternative everyone can agree on.
