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Religion In America Research Paper

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The U.S faces a unique dilemma when you factor religious and political debates in one sitting. Though not explicit in our Constitution, that there needs to be a separation of church and state, the majority of people act on the assumption that this is in fact stated. Our founding founders were aware that there are multiple religions (even at our nation’s start, in country) but it wasn’t about separation it was the First Amendment. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (Madison, 1791, Page 198). Today a growing numbers of Americans view the separation of church and state as wrong and oppressive, as they reflect on the nation’s indisputably Christian origins. Faith …show more content…

We’ve had many great presidents/fore-fathers that did not hold the same beliefs we do, whether Christian, Deist or something other, it does not change the fact that they did what they could for the nation. In a letter wrote my none other than Thomas Jefferson we can see what values he held. Jefferson stated, “Religion is a matter, between Man & His God – that he owes no account to none for his faith or worship” (Jefferson, 1802, Page 36). Jefferson seemingly points out that the government should only acts on what is there not what is, a matter of religions opinion or lack thereof. To be clear this excerpt was to a church that had concerns of what Jefferson would bring upon America not being the tradition Christian that was accepted as the norm. In essence what an individual wants to believe is his, own right/opinion but when it comes to matters of the nation, things will not be left to opinion based on religious beliefs. It can be argued that this is what Benjamin Franklin posed about the mob mentality in his, ‘A Witch Trial At Mount Holly’. The mob in this article, being of course the combination of the church and state operating as …show more content…

It seems many blame the government for going against the church but there are many points already presented as to why that should be as is. You don’t see the government dictating when and where Christmas can be celebrated but you do see legalization of same-sex marriage. Arguably the bible might say a union between man and woman. Does that give us or the institution to rule out same-sex couples as no longer being human? Constitutionally everyone has rights and because they chose to marry the same-sex why should they be legally less entitled than anyone else. Will there be moral damnation on them? Possibly but it is not the churches place to determine whether they have their legal rights met. Any argument against that point would certainly open the doors to a very slippery slope amongst other fallacies. We don’t take away the rights of a criminal in their entirety even to coldest of criminals bear their rights, so in know instance should one with a different lifestyle choice be afforded

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