Via Religion Clause:
The Oklahoma legislature last Thursday gave final passage to SJR 72 (full text) (legislative history), referring to the voters of the state a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate the state’s Blaine Amendment. The amendment would repeal Art. 2, Sec. 5 of the Oklahoma constitution that prohibits public funds or property from being used for sectarian or religious purposes.
There is a healthy argument in the comments over whether the generic term “Blaine Amendment” is broad enough to encompass the specific language which has always been part of the Oklahoma Constitution. I am not particular about the nomenclature used, but it should be noted that Blaine has been tarred as anti-Catholic to some effect.
The people pushing this repeal would have you believe that the end goal is merely to restore the Ten Commandments to the State Capitol; local media have been more than slightly complicit in helping this narrative along:
Oklahoma House, Senate pass Ten Commandments monument bills https://t.co/GSmisjh7DZ pic.twitter.com/bONjHsDnFJ
— Tulsa World (@tulsaworld) April 6, 2016
Plans To Return Ten Commandments Monument To Oklahoma Capitol Headed To House, Senate https://t.co/4rhTIR5Fil pic.twitter.com/mVVHBAvbHA
— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) April 7, 2016
https://twitter.com/POLSOKC/status/718122693782933504
Oklahoma Voters To Decide On Return Of Ten Commandments https://t.co/AYgAFhegfh #News9 pic.twitter.com/lRrnnbsMzu
— News 9 (@NEWS9) April 22, 2016
Every one of these headlines is substantively wrong and woefully misleading. The repeal of Oklahoma’s original constitutional language requiring strict church/state separation will do far more than merely relocate a single granite abomination from its current location just up the street from the State Capitol. It will open the door to state support of the church in every conceivable form.
For example, Oklahoma would be free to redirect tax dollars to sectarian schools:
Representative Says Ten Commandments Bill A Ruse To Get School Vouchers Approved https://t.co/9WIyTNHw0n pic.twitter.com/B4LvqQqgNv
— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) April 22, 2016
Vouchers for sectarian schools may be just the beginning, though. Eventually, we may get to the point where state lawmakers are sending tax dollars directly to churches for providing other services, as is being contemplated even now in Missouri with respect to church-owned preschools.
Religious schools followed by church preschools followed by various other church functions. We cannot say how thick the funding wedge will eventually get, but we may be assured Ten Commandments are merely the symbolic thin edge.
