One of the oddest stories of the day comes from Nevada. The Reno City Supervisors, apparently, want to spend money to preserve its First Presbyterian Church. Their reason for this is that Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) helped to raise money to build it, during his 3-year sojourn in the state. (Apparently he participated as a favor to his brother, who was a member.) “Americans United for Separation of Church and State” objects.
Considering Mark Twain’s well-known views on religion, the whole story is kind of surreal. Like preserving a historically black church in memory of George Wallace or something.
The first five words of the First Amendment are “Congress shall make no law …” It’s a restriction on what the federal Congress can do. The founding fathers would scratch their heads in disbelief that the First Amendment would be used to tell a local city what they could or couldn’t do.
True enough. I agree on that.
My understanding is Clemens’ wife was a devout Christian, I believe a Presbyterian. In any case, he was a friend of Henry Ward Beecher.
Don’t forget that Twain also wrote a little-known but extremely admiring biography of Joan of Arc, and he didn’t make the postmodern mistake of ignoring her piety.
Don’t forget that Twain also wrote a little-known but extremely admiring biography of Joan of Arc, and he didn’t make the postmodern mistake of ignoring her piety.