From David Limbaugh:
Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance to promote religion and morality,
Well, when Shag posted this, I certainly questioned David Limbaugh’s stance on the Northwest Ordinance– I do know a little bit about the Northwest Ordinance and what it does… That is why I questioned the source - this one statement (although, maybe I should look at the others that are in the David Limbaugh list too, I just knew that this one was wrong).
The Northwest Ordinance was actually a document that established a government for the Midwest – where Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, etc are, and not a document that would “promote religion and morality”. It was a document that insured that the new states would have the same rights as the original 13, and protected their civil liberties, while outlawing slavery (that is why it is so famous, how states get admitted, and the slavery bit). It actually was enacted in 1787, before the bill of rights (1789).
The Third Article… the one Shag uses…
“Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”
Actually, a Minster – Manasseh Cutler, drafted the original part of the document, and he was also a member of the Ohio Trading Company, who sort of had Congress over a barrel on this one (the US needed the additional land and revenue to pay off mounting debt after the Revolutionary War). There have been varying accounts of what the original drafts said, but, the final article that is in the Ordinance is pretty telling.
It is actually 2 different statements – “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind,” and then “schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged”.
The congress kept Minister Cutler happy, (and therefore the Ohio Trading Company content) with making this a bit of fluff. What was left was a statement to the effect that religion is necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, without actually giving any governmental power or authority. And, the second part, which is often pointed to proudly by education leaders… schools shall forever be encouraged.
I have seen this used before – and it runs up a red flag for me. Lots of Christian sources use it as a means to discredit separation of Church and State. I sort of feel that it was politics as normal, and that actually, it reinforces the fact that once again, congress was doing it’s darnest with holding fast to keeping the state out of the religion business.
So, that is the first reason I thought I should question the source.
I could care less that he is Rush Limbaugh’s brother, I thought it was an interesting fact (Am I my brother's keeper–Genesis 4:9) I actually didn’t find that out until last night – when I was googling to find out more about David.
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