The United States Of America

Summary: The division between church and state is a gray line that is often crossed and argued about. For example, Gwen Wilde, the author, argues that the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance requires people who do not believe in God to recite something they do not necessarily believe in. If a person chose not to say the full Pledge, including to utter the words “under God” they run the risk of being called unpatriotic. The author continually argues that the words “under God” add a religious doctrine that not all Americans believe in.

When discussing the intertwining of church and state; soul liberty and freedom from religious belief, we must recognize that freedom and faith were at one point complementary ideas. Faith was once the foundation for freedom and vice versa. The Declaration of Independence clearly states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights." With these words from the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers set up their vision of what this country would come to be. Among those rights, which are deemed “inalienable”, is the right of religious liberty. (Neumann, 1990: p. 241)

History shows a pattern of change in relation to religious involvement of governmental affairs. As religion becomes less a part of American life, the court develops new laws to accommodate our new society. Look to the communities we live in presently and ask yourself if the American people are facing oppression of religious freedom, a freedom listed in our Constitution under the First Amendment. This spirals into an abyss of politics. Is same-sex marriage a personal matter or a public one? Is the Republican Party fair in opting to end abortion? Should a woman have contraceptive included in her health insurance plan despite the religious views of her employer? This is one of the areas in which

Even when the Constitution establishes a separation between church and state, traces of religion can still be found in public and government environments, such as the Pledge of Allegiance containing the words ‘under God’, American currency having ‘In God we trust’ and other such events and places. Consequently, this prevalence of Christian ideology violates all Americans’ first amendment right to freedom of and from religion and has a negative impact all citizens as it conflicts with their individual beliefs, religious or not.

The only power the secular government should have are matters of “actions only, & not opinions.” These words echo that of Luther who believed that “... need no ruler ought to prevent anyone from teaching or believing what he pleases, whether Gospel or lies. It is enough if he prevents the teaching of sedition and rebellion (Luther, 22).” Two hundred years later, the influence of Luther’s theology and concept of the separation of Church and state influenced those who founded of the United States of America. This would then lead them to make the separation of Church and state the cornerstone of modern

In Rob Boston’s article titled “Myths Debunked: Religious Right Activists Love To Spread False Information About The Separation Of Church And State. Here Are Ten Rebuttals,” his purpose is to persuade the audiences that the claims of the “Religious Right” regarding the existing constitutional separation of church and state are just “myths” (pg. 9. 2015). He covers many myths, some dealing with the histories

As the authors contend, the purpose of a democratic government was not to produce moral citizens, but rather, moral citizens had the duty of preserving and acting as the custodians of democracy. In this regard, the business of morality was effectively relegated to the realms of private concerns (Kramnick and Moore 151). Midway through this penultimate chapter, the book turns to demonstrating the problems created by the religious right. The discussion provides a historical account of the debate concerning the separation of the state and the church, and contends that the present religious right misapprehends American history, especially with regard to the framing of the constitution, and endeavors to distort both religion and politics by using religious or spiritual ties in achieving political

A popular notion among many religious conservatives is the rejection of what is commonly referred to as the separation between church and state. They maintain the United States was founded by leaders who endorsed Christian principles as the cornerstone of American democracy, and that the First Amendment prohibition against government establishment was not intended to remove religion from public life. As a result, a number of disputes have made their way through to the courts, pitting those ready to defend the wall of separation, against those who would tear it down. Two recent cases have brought this battle to the forefront of political debate. The first involves an

Historically, religion and politics have always played a very significant part in our everyday lives, dating back to the ancient pharaohs of Africa to our modern day society, the relationship between religion and politics can be traced through centuries of human history in various civilizations. Both religion and politics prescribe, legislate, and enforce codes of behavior, promote collective action, and create group identification. There are numerous examples of how religion continues to contribute to the formation and evolution of political ideas and institutions. For a good example of how religion affects politics in our modern world we need not look very far but in our own backyard. The influence of Catholicism on Latin American politics, and the role religion plays on Middle Eastern politics have had a profound affect in those related societies. The Catholic charismatic movement has also become more and more politically active”.

Since the beginning of human civilization, there continues to be a strong relationship between the state and their chosen religious institution. According to an interpretation of an anecdote of Thomas Jefferson, “He didn’t say he say he believed in the Christian God; he evaded that point. But Jefferson did agree with what all his colleagues in the founding thought that a people cannot maintain liberty without religion” (Novak, M., 2006). While the relationship is inevitable as it is used to unify a population, true government should seek as diminished a relationship as possible. While religious freedom is essential to what America was founded on, it cannot infiltrate our governmental systems

For years the constitutionality of the separation of church and state has been debated, many people have analyzed and reanalyzed Thomas Jefferson’s famous saying “A Wall of Separation” in his letter to the Danbury Baptist. Many religious people believe that the government is slowly taking our right to freedom of religion, the reason our country was founded, away. The government’s stance on the issue has widely impacted the way America as a whole practices

Following numerous events in the 1850’s and early 1860’s, eleven of the southern states of the United States of America would make a fateful decision to succeed from the Nation. They would in turn create their own independent country, the Confederate States of America. This action and its ramifications echoed throughout the world during the Era and the effects are still felt today. A civil war would ensue, lasting from April of 1861 until May of 1865. During this conflict approximately 700,000 people would lose their lives and the end would come with the Confederate States of America surrendering at Appomattox Courthouse.

Separation of church and state has been part of the nation’s legal and cultural nomenclature since the early 1800s. Judges, politicians, educators, and even religious leaders have embraced church-state separation as central to church-state relations and a cornerstone of American democracy. The Supreme Court first employed the term “separation of church and state” in 1879 as shorthand for the meaning of the First Amendment’s religion clauses, stating “it may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the amendment.” To this day, most Americans support the principle of church-state separation as one of the hallmarks of American government. Although the phrase is not found in the Constitution, no organizing theory

For centuries, religion has been and still is a very controversial topic; especially when it plays a role in the government. Together, their relationship causes agitated debates and causes what is constitutional/unconstitutional court cases. These discussions are examples of our American rights and evaluate our constitutional beliefs. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (Madison, 1789).

America wastes a lot of time trying to create a democracy completely absent of the moral expectations that our ancestors have put into place. Our founding fathers’ dream of establishing a country in which all people would be accepted has begun to fall. In our attempt to rid our country of a democracy contaminated with any belief in a supreme power, we have rid ourselves of many of our values and morals. Perhaps it is impossible for religion to dominate our political country, but we have misinterpreted the original intent of “separation of church and state” and taken this concept too far.