US Government/Worldview Study Guide 1
Quiz will include matching, fill in the blank, and multiple choice questions and one essay question on #28, 29, or 30 below - Know those three very well and be able to explain them in an essay. STUDY HARD - YOU"LL DO FINE!!
(Other info and Homework due on Oct 19 is listed below - DON"T WAIT TIL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO YOUR HW AND STUDYING - USE YOUR TIME WISELY THIS WEEK!!!!!)
1. worldview - a belief system whereby one understands or interprets the world and interacts with it. A biblical worldview is one in which all of life is understood and lived on the facts, truth, and principles of scripture.
2. secular - apart from religion/God
3. humanism - worldview that views man as the measure of all things. The concept of secular humanism is a belief system that denies the reality of God and absolute truth while exalting man and his own abilities and relative truth and knowledge as all that is needed.
4. natural law/rights - legal theory that states that law is set and rights are guaranteed by that which is natural or inherent (within) the nature of man and applies to all human beings. Theists hold that these natural law/rights are given by God while atheists hold that these concepts are simply natural to mankind as a result of their humanity alone and are a product of natural evolutionary causes.
5. positive law - legal theory that states that law is set and rights are given by human beings alone and are based on individual belief and circumstances.
6. absolute truth - belief that Truth exists which is derived from God, eternal, and applies to all people in all circumstances and situations.
7. moral relativism - belief that moral truth is not absolute, but relative, changing according to personal opinion, circumstance, and situation. Derived from the mind and reason of man alone and not from God.
8. divine law - law derived from God, independent of the will and opinion of man. Allies to all people everywhere at all times.
9. unalienable - that which cannot be taken away justly. Refers to rights and freedoms given by the Creator in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
10. alienable - that which can be taken away. Refers to guarantees that are govern by man/government - while important, they can and do change or can and are taken away.
11. civil rights/liberties - rights and freedoms given by civil authorities/government. These rights and freedoms protect the individual from unfair governmental practices and guarantee equality under law. Because they are given by man, these guarantees are alienable.
12. Rex Lex - ancient doctrine stating that the king is law - absolutely in power and control - the king is not bound by law, but is above the law and makes and applies law to his subjects/slaves as he decrees. Upholds idea that some are by nature better than others, that equality under God and law does not exist, and that God appoints some to rule over others without their consent based on His choice - the divine right of kings.
13. Lex Rex - political concept first put forth by Samuel Rutherford in 1644, stating that the law is king. The teaching states that the law is absolutely in power and control - the king, subjects, and slaves are all under the authority of the law. Upholds biblical idea that all are created equal in the sight of God
14. materialism - belief that the only thing that exists is matter and that all matter, phenomena, and causes are natural. Matter is the only substance - there is no spiritual aspect to life and no supernatural.
15. theism - belief in God (from Greek theos - God)
16. atheism - belief in no God (a- no; theos - God)
17. deism - belief that God created all things, then withdrew from his creation and allowed all things to operate by natural process. Belief that God does not intervene directly in the lives of individuals or in creation itself.
18. monotheism - belief in one God
19. polytheism - belief in many gods
20. pantheism - belief that God or gods are in all things and as such creation itself or that which is natural should be worshipped.
21. social compact - idea that government structure should be based on a concept that those in authority are placed in that position by the consent of the governed. Government is of, by, and for the people
22. federalism - system of government whereby power is given by the consent and elective choice of the people and divided from a federal or central power to a state and then a local authority. In addition to this separation of power, each level of government is then broken into branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) of power and responsibility. As a result, power is checked and balanced so that power is limited. More than anything else, the founders feared unlimited, unchecked power and tried to limit power as much as possible.
23. legislative branch - makes the law
24. executive branch - enforces the law
25. judicial branch - interprets the law
26. religious freedom clause of first amendment - ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof’
27. The first part of the clause is known as the establishment clause. The second part of the clause is known as the free exercise clause
28. Separation of church and state - concept first written by Thomas Jefferson in a private letter advocating a wall of separation between church and state. Jefferson’s original idea and the purpose of the first amendment was to guarantee religious freedom by not allowing the federal government to touch it in any way. This concept is now used to separate church/religion from many areas of life and culture by law.
29. Declaration of Independence - established government on basis of ideals founded in Judeo-Christian worldview. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, but he drew from many sources and wanted it to be ’an expression of the American mind,” a summary of what Americans thought as a whole. It asserted that: 1. law and rights are established in God 2. Equality and justice for all under all is possible because all men are created equal in the eyes of God. (Gen 1:26) 3. Natural law and rights are given to all by God as gifts and thus are unalienable (cannot be taken away rightly) Our new government was to be a government of laws, not men. 4. The purpose of government is not to give, but to guarantee and secure these rights 5. If government fails to do this, it is the right and the duty of the people to change their government to secure these rights 6. Governments are established and maintain power through the consent of the governed, not by force.
30. US Constitution - 1. established a representative form of government based in law upon the ideals stated in the Declaration. 2. Established government of, by, and for the people - power is vested in the people. 3. The people agree or consent to be governed by elected representatives under a federal system of federal, state, and local levels. Separate branches are established to further divide power and responsibilities 4. Equal justice under law is guaranteed and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. 5. Established a system of checks and balances and separation of powers to create a limit on governmental power. The Founders believed in the Biblical principle that man is sinful in nature and prone to be selfish - as a result, power must be limited or it will be abused andused for sinful and selfish goals, not for the honor of God and the coomon good or good of everyone.
Thomas Jefferson - the chief author of the Declaration of Independence - the ‘pen’ of the revolution
John Adams - the chief spokesman for independence at the Second Continental Congress - the ‘voice’ of independence.
Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day after the formal passage of the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Paine - author of Common Sense, a 46 page pamphlet that sold 150,000 copies - it’s goal was to convince the colonies that independence was the right course to take and that unity was needed if they were going to win their independence. The power of his argument turned many to support independence in the days just before the Declaration of Independence was approved
Societies governed by a biblical worldview WILL produce freedom with form - liberty within a structure of laws and responsibilities under God and based on eternal law and Truth the result = Freedom!
Societies governed by a humanist worldview WILL produce chaos and slavery - moral relativism will create a society with laws and rights based on the power and will of the state - power will be corrupted and abused and chaos and disregard for authority will be created ( lawlessness and anarchy) This WILL lead to an acceptance of more and eventually TOTAL power being brought to bear on all of society (totalitarianism) The result = Slavery!
Some of the founders were Christian believers, but virtually ALL of the founders had a great respect for Biblical principles and knew that they were founding their freedoms, rights, and government on Biblical principles and truth. In 1776, 99% of the American people identified themselves as being Christian - the Christian worldview prevailed throughout society and culture.
Humanists have used a strategy to transform America’s foundation from a Biblical worldview to a Humanist worldview. To do this, they have: 1. taken control of the educational system and established a humanist curriculum 2. Used laws and court decisions to restrict religious freedom and promote humanistic values 3. Spread their humanist beliefs through media and entertainment and 4. Spread their humanist beliefs in certain churches, causing some churches to adopt a humanistic philosophy
FIRST HALF PROJECT REMINDER (due on last class before Christmas break)
From newspapers, magazines, websites, or other sources, choose 10 articles that relate to worldview, religion, freedom, government, social issues, rights, etc...The articles can be about current issues (abortion, religious freedom, gun control, capital punishment, right to bear arms, same-sex marriage, victim's rights, national security, law enforcement, etc) or about historical issues/events (founding of the nation, civil rights issues in the civil war or WW II, slavery, segregation and discrimination, Scopes Trial, public education, etc) After reading ten articles, write a 3+ page paper explaining the article's content, how it relates to the issues of government/law and worldview, and what your personal opinions are on the topic. Be SURE to back up your personal opinions with facts that support your belief. In addition to the ten articles, you must have at least five other sources. Include a cover page and bibliography (not included in the 3+ pages)
GREAT WEBSITE FOR ARTICLES - www.christianpost.com slide along red strip on home page to see issues and click on for articles...
FUN FACTS ABOUT LIGHT YEARS
Hey guys, just found these 12 amazing facts on light years and distance as we discussed in class - thought you might find it mind boggling and fun...remember, God is INFINITE...measureless in all He is...wow...
1. The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second.
2. The light-year is often used to measure distances to stars and other immense distances
3. A light year is equal to about 5,878,630,000,000 miles (just under 6 trillion miles...lol)
4. One kilolight-year is one thousand light-years (5,800 trillion miles)
5. One megalight-year is one million light-years. (5,800,000 trillion miles) Megalight-years are typically used to measure distances between neighboring galaxies and galaxy clusters.
6. One gigalight-year is one billion light-years (5,800,000,000 trillion miles) —one of the largest distance measures used. Gigalight-years are typically used to measure distances to supergalactic structures, including quasars and the Great Wall.
7. The most distant space probe, Voyager 1, was about 14 light-HOURS away from Earth as of 9 March 2007[update]. It was launched in 1977, which means it took that space probe 30 years to cover that distance, and will take over 18,000 YEARS to reach ONE light-year at the same speed. (read that again...lol)
8. The nearest known star (other than the Sun), Proxima Centauri, is about 4.22 light-years away. (just under 25 trillion miles from earth)
9. The center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 26 kilolight-years away (or 26,ooo light years from earth, or are you ready?... 150,800 trillion miles from earth...but hey, it's not that far - we're still in our galaxy...lol)
10. Our galaxy,the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years across. (or 580,000 trillion miles across)
11. The Triangulum Galaxy, at 3.14 megalight-years away, is the most distant object visible to the naked eye. ( we can see it, even though it is 5,800,000 trillion miles from earth)
12. Last, but not least, The... distance from the Earth to the edge of the VISIBLE universe is about 46.5 gigalight-years in any direction; this is the... radius of the observable universe. Almost 3 trillion trillion miles away - I don't even know what that means...I'm a history guy, not math...lol...Now, keep in mind, this is not even the whole universe, (remember, we haven't found the end of it yet) just that part of the universe that can be observed...unbelievable...
HAVE A GREAT TWO WEEKS - SEE YOU ALL ON THE 19TH
Here is homework for weeks 4 and 5...this is due on Oct 19 (we do not have class on Oct 12) Also, we will have our FIRST QUIZ on the 19th - I will post a study guide for you on site beginning next Monday Oct 12.
1. Read chapters 4 and 5 of "A Christian Manifesto" and for each chapter write a short summary giving the MAIN points of each chapter. I know the reading is challenging. I want you to work through it and think through it, looking for the MAIN points - if you don't understand it all, that's ok - we will go over each chapter in class also, but it is very good practice for you to read challenging and important material - as you go forward in your studies, this will help you and prepare you for things to come...
2. Below you will find two articles about the same issue that arose at a high school this past week. The articles present the Christian view and the Humanist view of the same issue - compare and contrast the views and, based on what you read and have learned so far, write a short summary of how you think the issue should be settled.
Article 1 - Christian worldview
From Fox News.com
A public high school in Georgia that recently banned banners containing Bible verses from being displayed at its football games will designate an area roughly 50 yards away from the field for cheerleaders, students and others to erect signs with religious themes, the school's principal said Wednesday.
The decision comes after a group of cheerleaders were told they could no longer display the religious banners — a mainstay at the school for eight years — on the football field at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. The ruling caused an uproar in the community.
Jerry Ransom, the school's principal, said he expects the newly designated area, on the school's lawn, will see a large turnout.
"I expect a lot of kids to have signs and T-shirts," Ransom told 
"We've got a big front yard here, and we're going to try and accommodate everyone."
Ransom said the religious-themed banners, which the school's cheerleaders hand-craft during the summer, have been a fixture at the school's football games since shortly after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He said he had not received any complaints from football players or other students regarding the signs.
One of the signs that was banned from the football field was a "run-through" banner displayed before a game on Sept. 18. It read: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called in me Christ Jesus."
Hundreds of people rallied at the high school on Tuesday to support the cheerleaders, who were told last week that they could no longer display the religious-themed signs during Friday night games.
One of those supporters said the decision to ban the signs infringed on the students' freedom of speech.
"Our Constitution does guarantee that our federal
Jones, one of the rally's organizers, said Catoosa County Schools Superintendent Denia Reese violated the students' right to freedom of religion when she ruled last week, following a complaint to the district, that the banners could no longer be shown, since they violated federal
Reese, who could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, ignited the controversy three days later when she released a statement regarding the banners.
"Personally, I appreciate this expression of their Christian values," Reese said in a statement. "However, as superintendent I have the responsibility of protecting the school district from legal action by groups who do not support their beliefs."
Reese's statement also noted that the U.S. Supreme
"I regret that the cheerleaders can not display their signs in the football stadium without violating the first
Taylor Quinn, a cheerleader at the school, said she understood Reese's decision but was "angry" about it nonetheless.
"I'm sad and angry about it, because we're silenced for what we believe in," she told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "It was heartbreaking to know that our school system is just conforming to the nonbelievers and letting them have their way when there's so many more people wanting the signs.
"Our freedom of speech and freedom of religion is being taken away."
Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb reportedly disagrees with the ban and will call on City Council officials to support the cheerleaders' right to display the signs.
Meanwhile, Ransom said he expects a fiery crowd Friday night when the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Warriors meet the Ridgeland Panthers.
"That's our big rival," he said. "So on top of everything else, it's going to be a big game no matter what."
Article 2 - Humanist Worldview
Tears For Cheers: Georgians Lament School Limit On Cheerleader Preaching
September 30, 2009 from Americans United for Separation of Church and State Web siteIt doesn’t matter if it is a school official who made the sign or a student. It doesn’t matter if most of the students like the signs or not. School-sponsored religion doesn’t belong at football games or at any other official school events.
Last night, cheerleaders at Lakeview-Fort Olgethorpe (LFO) High School were more popular than ever.
According the Chattanooga Times Free Press, more than 500 people showed up at a rally outside a Chik-fil-A Restaurant in Fort Olgethorpe, Ga., to support these young women who wanted to display signs with Bible verses at football games.
On Sept. 18, for example, the cheerleaders held up a huge banner with the words, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:14.”
The Times Free Press said, “The banners – the paper ones that football players crash through at the beginning of games – have been common sights in the school’s football stadium since 2003.”
After receiving a complaint, the school district banned the sectarian signs last week, issuing a statement that it would constitute “a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution for signs with Bible verses to be displayed on the football field.”
Of course this very wise constitutional decision has outraged many in the community who have once again declared this an attack on students’ free speech and religious liberty.
“Our Constitution does guarantee that our federal government will not establish a religion,” said local youth pastor Jeremy Jones, one of the organizers of the rally. “It will also make sure that we are allowed to exercise it without interference from the government.
“That is what we need to fight for folks,” Jones continued, adding that the cheerleaders have made the signs themselves and now “the government is telling them not to do it, and that is stopping our freedom of religion.”
LFO senior cheerleader Taylor Guinn echoed the same sentiments.
“I’m sad and I’m angry about it, because we’re being silenced for what we believe in,” Guinn said. “It was heartbreaking to know that our school system is just conforming to the nonbelievers and letting them have their way when there’s so many more people wanting the signs.
“Our freedom of speech and freedom of religion is being taken away,” she said.
Local youth minister Brad Scott, who was LFO High’s class president in 2004, told the newspaper that the “separation of church and state” has nothing to do with cheerleaders who are not “part of the state” and simply want to offer an inspirational message with signs they made on their own time.
We’ve heard it all before, and none are winning arguments.
While the cheerleaders may have made the signs themselves with their own money, that doesn’t mean they have the right to display them anywhere they want at anytime. If they want to hold up their signs on their front lawns, no one has a problem with it. But when it’s on school property during a school event, it becomes a different story.
The U.S. Supreme Court made it clear in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, a comparable case to this one, that student-initiated, student-led prayer over a loud speaker at a high school football game implied the school endorsed these prayers and was therefore unconstitutional.
Writing for the court, Justice John Paul Stevens said allowing schools to adopt policies that purposefully or effectively impose the majority’s religion on others “encourages divisiveness along religious lines and threatens [to coerce] those students not desiring to participate in the religious exercise.”
In other words, it doesn’t matter if it is a school official who made the sign or a student. It doesn’t matter if most of the students like the signs or not. School-sponsored religion doesn’t belong at football games or at any other official school events.
We encourage this school district to remember that its role is to remain neutral on all religious matters. No matter how unpopular that decision is, it’s the only way to uphold our Constitution.
EXTRA CREDIT - Supreme Court - Justice: The Guardian of Liberty
Monday October 5 marks the opening of the Supreme Court term. Read one or both of the following articles and write a brief opinion of each. Also for more extra credit, visit c-span.org or watch c-span TV this week to read articles and watch shows on the Supreme Court and it's history and practice. Extra points will be given for each additional summary of what you watch and/or read
From Washington Times.com web site
An American cardinal on Sunday issued a plea for the rights of the unborn at a church service that included Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., six members of the Supreme Court and hundreds of members of the legal community.
Five of the six Roman Catholics on the high court - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Samuel A. Alito Jr. - heard the homily by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; the sixth, Justice Clarence Thomas, did not attend. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who is Jewish, was there as well.
Speaking at the annual Red Mass the day before the opening of the Supreme Court term, Cardinal DiNardo, the archbishop of Galveston-Houston, said people represented by lawyers are "more than clients."
" ... In some cases, the clients are voiceless, for they lack influence; in others they are literally voiceless, not yet with tongues and even without names, and require our most careful attention and radical support," he said.
As Cardinal DiNardo spoke, pro-life protesters demonstrated in front of the church.
Cardinal DiNardo did not elaborate on the rights of the unborn, focusing instead on how the complexity of the law can have a dehumanizing effect on those who practice it.
Increasing specialization within the law is "dizzying" and such formal knowledge "frequently becomes semi-mechanical, even distancing," he said at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington.
"The law and lawyers are around because justice among human beings will always be an issue."
"Even sophisticated, knowledgeable human lawyers need reminding, need a divine fire ... both in their personal lives and in their profession itself."
The Red Mass has been held since 1953 at the cathedral by the John Carroll Society, a group of Washington professionals who are Catholic.
The name of the service, which dates from the 13th century and is conducted to ask for guidance for those who seek justice, comes from the red vestments worn by the celebrants.
The Supreme Court's caseload this term deals with whether the presence of a cross in the Mojave National Preserve violates First Amendment religious protections.
Also attending Sunday's Mass were Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
From Washington Times.com
Justices to grapple with guns, crime
In their new term, the Supreme Court justices will decide such weighty issues as Chicago's gun ban, the sentences imposed on juvenile offenders, and an issue near and dear to Washington in the fall: Who can sell an official Redskins jersey.
After a summer break that saw the historic confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the court's first Hispanic jurist, the Supreme Court begins its new term Monday, likely without major ideological changes. Justice Sotomayor replaces retired Justice David H. Souter, who was considered a reliable vote for the court's liberal wing, much as Justice Sotomayor is expected to be.
"I honestly don't think Justice Sotomayor's arrival at the court is likely to produce any significant difference," said David Gray, a law professor at the University of Maryland. "I don't think this term will define Justice Sotomayor's term as a justice or her role on the court."
Among the cases Justice Sotomayor and her colleagues will work on is a challenge to Chicago's handgun ban, brought in the wake of the court's historic June 2008 ruling that struck down the decades-old gun ban in D.C. In that case, known as District of Columbia v. Heller, the court held in a 5-4 decision that the ban violated the 2nd Amendment because it prevented D.C. residents from possessing firearms for self-defense.
The decision was the first ruling in the court's history to declare that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right comparable to the 1st Amendment's rights of free speech and religion.
There are similar issues in the Chicago case, known as McDonald v. City of Chicago, but at issue is whether the decision in the Heller case - which only directly affected the federal government because of D.C.'s status as a federal enclave - should also be applied to the states and to the city and other local governments they establish.
Lawyers seeking to strike down Chicago's ban have filed a brief in the case, arguing that "the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that fundamental individual rights may not be violated by any form of government throughout the United States."
"Accordingly, Chicago's handgun ban must meet the same fate as that which befell the District of Columbia's former law," says the brief submitted by lawyers David G. Sigale and lead counsel Alan Gura, who also argued against D.C.'s gun ban in the Heller case.
Lawyers for Chicago argue that the 2nd Amendment only binds the federal government, saying that "incorporation," the 14th Amendment doctrine that applies most of the Bill of Rights to the states, does not cover the right to keep and bear arms.
"I think the court is going to indeed show the Second Amendment does apply to state and local laws," said Robert Langran, a Villanova University political science professor who specializes in constitutional law. "The only thing that could sway it the other way is [that] this is a court that believes in federalism and therefore states' rights. But I have a hunch they may toss it: I think it's too much of a prohibition."
Another case the court will hear this term is likely to bring up the contentious matter of using other countries' laws to judge issues before U.S. courts.
The case is known as Graham v. Florida, and at issue is whether sentencing juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole for non-homicide cases violates the 8th Amendment's provision against cruel and unusual punishment.
The case centers on Terrence Graham, who was convicted at 16 of being an accomplice to an armed burglary and attempted armed robbery of a restaurant. After violating probation terms while still a juvenile, according to a brief filed on his behalf, Graham was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
There are 106 juvenile offenders in the U.S. serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for crimes other than murder, according to the brief. Seventy-seven of those juveniles were sentenced in Florida.
Arguments that such punishments are unconstitutional follows a 5-4 ruling in a case known as Roeper v. Simmons that said the death penalty could not be imposed on juveniles.
Mr. Gray, the Maryland law professor, said the majority decision in the Roeper case, which was written by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, examined how other countries address juveniles and the death penalty. Justice Kennedy noted that only seven countries other than the U.S. allowed juveniles to be sentenced to death: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, Congo and China.
Justice Antonin Scalia wrote what Mr. Gray termed a "stinging" dissent, in which he criticized Justice Kennedy's use of other countries' laws.
Subsequently, the use of international laws in addressing questions related to the U.S. Constitution became a subject of considerable debate in legal circles and arose during the confirmation hearings of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Justice Sotomayor.
Mr. Gray predicts that however the Graham case is determined, Justice Kennedy will write an opinion citing international law and Justice Scalia will write one attacking the use of international law.
In a matter involving a lighter topic, the court will hear the case of a cap manufacturer that claims the National Football League has violated antitrust laws by selling to one company, Reebok, the exclusive rights to sell officially licensed apparel from all 32 teams.
The issues in the case - known as American Needle Inc. v. NFL - seem to come up about every 10 years involving one or another professional sports league, Mr. Gray said. American Needle wants to be able to negotiate deals with individual teams.
"It's always funny because in these cases you get to see a little bit underneath the robes, so to speak .... Because they have a light air to them, they are a little bit more fun than the average cases," Mr. Gray said. "If you really wanted me to go way out on a limb, I would say the majority opinion will be written by Chief Justice Roberts, and it will be hilarious. Which way it will go, I don't know."
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