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ON THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE By madis senner Issue: The practice of capitalism in America violates the separation of church and state in the United States. Its god (money, the market) and religious practices (belief in an 'invisible hand' governing the outcome of business transactions, placing the market above all other considerations, identification with corporate entities) have been forced upon the public against its free will, much as the beliefs and practices of the medieval church dominated the culture and politics of that age. The Supreme Court in Everson v. Board of Education clearly spells out the prohibitions against government sponsorship of religion. Judge Hugo Black speaking for the majority said: "The ‘establishment of religion’ clause of the first amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion." Defendant: The invisible hand and its altar of the market. Plaintiff: We the people.
"…he [sic] intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for society that it has no part of it. By pursuing his own Interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it." Capitalism has provided a measure of wealth for some and quality of life improvements for many -- and these may clearly be argued as a societal good -- but it also has led to the creation of sweat shops, child labor atrocities, and a global disparity in wage earnings, with "undeveloped" nations desperate for employment providing labor for pay far below anything acceptable in this country. 'Invisible hand' is a spirit— We are required to put our faith in you, although there is no empirical evidence of your existence, just as there is said to be little empirical evidence of the existence of God. Divinity and powers are given to you, yet we cannot see, touch or truly know you. You are asking people to subjugate themselves to you in the same way people do to spirit deities in more conventional religions. 'Invisible hand' binds us—When you say your ‘invisible hand’ promotes the interest of society you are implying that it binds us, that it in essence is the one force other than government that links us all. Implicit in this concept is the notion of coercion or adherence to the principals in the 'invisible hand'.
Hidden Mystery— We do not know how the invisible hand works, but are asked to believe it does. You claim that whatever people intend to do, as long as it is done out of 'self-interest', call it anti Karma if you will, these actions will somehow miraculously benefit society overall. Not only is this a mystery but it is irrational. For example, is the mass slaying of innocent people in a bank robbery (where the motive clearly is financial self-interest) benefiting society? Was the abduction of African citizens for use as slave labor in the United States to the overall benefit of society? Are we not still wrestling with the repercussions of this heinous practice? Omnipotence—Your bible implies that you, the invisible hand, are omnipotent, and therefore, are deserving of worship at the altar of the free market system. Your prophet, Adam Smith, in fact writes about the perfection of the altar of the market and how the larger and more powerful the market the better. That the market is the arbiter of all from labor, to prices to wealth to power. For example, in writing about the division of labor Adam Smith (ibid. page 17) notes; "As it is power of exchanging that gives occasion to the division of labor, so the extent of its division must always be limited by the extent of that power, or, in other words, by the extent of the market." Sacrifice—Those refusing to believe or hold your dogma of 'self-interest' sacrosanct, as well as those who are unable to compete, are discarded as useless, stigmatized and politically marginalized. Poor people, those whose businesses do not do well, and others who do not "get ahead" are considered failures as human beings. The United States is reputed to be the land of opportunity, where everyone has access to the tools for creating financial success through hard work. Yet it has been documented that hard-working Americans are unable to accumulate wealth, in part because they are urged by our culture to consume rather than save, and bear the brunt of setbacks when markets fail, while only a small percentage of people – many of them with pre-existing trust funds – are frequently bailed out through corporate welfare programs that disproportionately benefit rich shareholders. Government support: The government has willingly and knowingly supported the practice of religious capitalism through its policies, agencies such as the commerce department and the Federal Reserve and corporate welfare—perks, tariffs, preferable tax treatment, abatements, special regulations, etc.. Most hideous is the sham of government downsizing which has rewarded its adherents and devotees, such as large corporations, with corporate welfare and less oversight, while punishing nonbelievers who have had to fend for themselves against the merciless market. Conclusion You have permeated and controlled the lives of the American people with your God and religion. We want our country back. The writing is on the wall for you! Next Article-God's call to Love |