What is your interpretaion of seperation bettween church and state?

Question

Is it just me or are you sick of it when someone sues someone else because a picture of Jesus hanging in a highschool offendss them. DO you think that religious things should offend people and do you think that people are sueing more for money or acutal priciple? What is your opinion?

Answer 1

Even though I am a Christian, I have the ability to appreciate the separation. What you have to realize is that part of what makes us a great nation is also recognizing the rights of minority religions.

Separation of church and state has been interpreted in many ways. One of which is stating that you can do it but can't limit it to ONE religion. So, if you allow a picture of Jesus on the wall of a PUBLIC school... paid for by taxpayers, then you have to allow it for other religions. Now, you can only imagine what pandoras box that would open.

Answer 2

I don't think there is anything wrong with a picture of in a school, any more than there is something wrong with a picture of George Washington in a school. Many people today are under the false impression that the First Amendment was created to keep anything religious out of government, when in fact, it's the other way around. The Establishment Clause was put in place to keep the federal government from making a state church - end of story. In fact, up until the mid 1800s, some states had their own official churches, but they were not subject to the federal Constitution. In short, the first Amendment ensures a freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

Answer 3

I think they should be separate, although I think both sides go to extremes sometimes. The government and religion should not be mixed. In this country, we have freedom of religion and freedom FROM religion. You can;t have school sponsored prayer in schools, but that doesn't mean that you can't pray silently or that you and your friends can't get together and pray. Same thing with everything else. You can pray and worship anytime, any place that you want to. It just can't be government sponsored or endorsed. Everyone in this country is not Christian, although it's the predominant religion. Would you want something other than a Christian prayer said? I doubt it. Well, non Christians don't want Christian prayers said because it's not their religion. As far as schools go....you go to get an education. You go to church to learn about your religion. Is the only way you can pray is if it's on a PA system? You can't pray by yourself? I am Christian and I do think it all gets out of control....by both sides. However, I know that I can pray anytime, anywhere and I don't need the government telling when I can or can't....like I don't need it to be braodcast on a PA system for me to pray. And I also don't need the 10 Commandments every where I look to know what they mean and to follow them. I have a relationship with God that is personal and I can have that without government meddling.

Answer 4

The federal government will not create a national religion and require its citizens to become adherents. Any religion can be practiced without penalty as long as it does not endanger human life through its practice. I have no problem with a picture of Jesus anywhere, any more than a picture of Buddha. I wouldn't have a problem with a picture of Mohammed except physical representations are apparently against the Islamic tenets. Right now, here in San Diego we are fighting to keep a cross that is part of a veteran's memorial that is on city property. Some atheist decided it was offensive to him because it could be seen from the freeway he drove on. He's the same one that sued to remove 'under God' from the pledge of allegiance on behalf of his daughter (who later said she had no problem with saying it). Many believe that America's moral health started declining when prayer was removed from school. I don't understand what the problem was, you weren't taught a state prayer to recite, you weren't even forced to pray. Just be quiet for a few moments. One day Americans will wake up and ask, "Why is it so hot and what am I doing in this handbasket?"

Answer 5

well if you look at were our founding fathers came from, you see that the king controlled the church. so what ever the king said was a religious descion also. ( like the crusades) so our founding fathers wanted a church that was not hindered by the government. also usally the longer a church stays in power the farther away the people move away from Christ. out of the 56 man who signed the Declartion of Indepence , 52 of them would be considered today the religious right. here are two great quotes about the church first is from John Adams.

we have no government armed in power capable of contendind with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. it is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.


or Noah Webster


The moral principles and precepts contained in the scripture ought to form the basis of all our civil onstititions and laws. All the miseries and evil man suffer from man vice,crime,ambition,injustice,... ,slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the bible.


read again John Adams quote.

our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. it is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.

And look at USA today and see how the farther we move away from God the worse this country becomes. the founders new that they need Jesus protection to live free.(fighting againtist one of the greatest milatries of all time)

Answer 6

Because there are so many religious views, I interpret separation as a way of the state secularly governing a diverse group of people with a diverse group of religious views so that no one religious view takes over government.
The churches need to govern their own religious realms and the state needs to govern its non-religious realms without interference by the religious trying to take over the secular.
If you allow a picture of Jesus to hang in a high school, you also must be willing to have pictures of Zeus, the devil, Kali, and whatever other pictures of demons or deities would probably be offensive to those who love pictures of Jesus....
Some religious things should be offensive because some religions in themselves are offensive, but I don't know what people are suing for. Ask them.

Is the picture of Jesus there for art or is it there for other reasons? Art in itself offends...but censorship of art too, is offensive to me. Any way you go-somebody will be offended.
Go blind and you won't get offended so much, I guess.

Answer 7

Without separation of church and state, a democracy is no longer a democracy because the laws are God-given rather than arising from the will of the people.

Just look at what is happening in Palestine to glimpse what happens when church and state collide. One group says God gave them the land, the other group says, no God gave us the land! Since there is no judge or real-estate broker who can really sort out whose land it is, we have perpetual war.

Gods make very poor democractic leaders because their mythical powers were not granted to them by the People.

Answer 8

Keep in mind that the Founders created a general government which was to be the servant of the people. The experience of the Founders demonstrated clearly that when government and religion are mixed, the people become the servant of the government. Therefore the Founders made it so that government could not support any religion, religion should stand apart.

You might say that religion is of the people and not part of the government.

Answer 9

Nobody's getting rich from this activity, it's a matter of principle.

The point is that government run institutions should never EVER buy with taxpayers money, or even display religious imagery because it violates the constitution of our country. It's not just a matter of being offensive, anyone that tells you that is talking out their ***, it's a matter of preventing our nation from becoming another Iran or Afghanistan (under the Taliban).

Theocracies are the most evil of all governments.

Answer 10

Religion vs. government. We live by the law of our land and it says separation of church and state. State is government (all people); church is a choice (some people). If you had a choice would you rather have a picture of Jesus and Satan side by side in a public place or one or the other. Get it?