I don't know how many readers have heard of Robert S. Alley, but probably not enough. Robert S. Alley was for many years an important force for the separation of church and state. I attended one of his lectures a few years ago and had a chance to speak with him briefly. That, along with his books, revealed to me that he was one of the most informed and intelligent activists around. Unfortunately, Robert S. Alley died on August 14.

The Wall of Separation describes his background and influence:

Alley, 74, began his career of commitment to church-state separation at a very young age. When he was in the third grade, he and a Jewish student left their public school classroom and sat outside on the steps rather than participate in school-sponsored Christian religious instruction. Alley’s father was editor of the state Baptist newspaper and opposed the classes on constitutional principle.

That experience of life as a dissenter made a deep impression on Bob, according to his family, and he never wavered after that in his commitment to freedom of conscience. A true defender of the legacy of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, he wrote books, lectured and stepped forward to defend church-state separation wherever he could. He was always ready to speak out for freedom of conscience, whether testifying before elected officials or tangling with theocrats such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

Many people may remember him because of his recent involvement with the controversy surrounding an exhibit relating to religious liberty put on by the Library of Congress:

When the venerable Library of Congress put on a religious liberty exhibit and published a dubious paper in 1998 diminishing the historical significance of Jefferson’s famous “wall of separation” letter, Alley rallied 24 scholars to sign a joint statement challenging the “unbalanced treatment” reflected in the paper.

Alley told The New York Times why he took action.

“We are concerned for really one fundamental reason,” he said. “If you’re going to be the keeper of the precious documents of the nation, you ought not to put them on display with biased analysis, and certainly not with a paper that has not been read by its peers and judged for its qualities, and with as many egregious observations of opinion.”

There will be a memorial services tomorrow, August 31, at the University of Richmond chapel. Robert S. Alley’s death is a loss to the entire church/state separation movement and his absence will be felt.

 

Separation of Church & State:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Secularism 101
• What is the Separation of Church and State?
• Religion's Place in the Public Square
• Myths About Church/State Separation
• Church and State News
• Church & State Polls