Who said this?
Who said this?
I recognize no power in the institutions of my church to interfere with the operations of the Constitution of the United States or the enforcement of the law of the land. I believe in absolute freedom of conscience for all men and in equality of all churches, all sects, and all beliefs before the law as a matter of right and not as a matter of favor. I believe in the absolute separation of church and state.
It was Al Smith, GOP nominee for President, 1932, addressing the very real anti-Catholic bias that helped doom his campaign.
Ed Kilgore points out the irony of Catholic and Protestant forces joining together to push Justice Sunday II:
Today, peculiarly enough, such views are considered by the likes of the Justice Sunday crowd as "secular humanist," "anti-Catholic," and "anti-Christian." It's clear that poor Al Smith, were he resurrected today and lifted to public office, would again suffer persecution from the same people, but for the opposite reasons.Kilgore's piece is another "must-read" this morning.
(HT to Armando)