Question about Separation of Church and State on the issue of gay marriage?

Question

When Christians say that gay marriage should be illegal due to their religious beliefs and quotes from the Bible, they are imposing their religion on the entire nation. This takes Freedom of Religion away from others.

How?

Simple - because not everyone in the nation is the same religion. Freedom of Religion is one of the main foundations of our country. If the Church had a decision in law making, it would impose that specific religion on the entire nation - that is unconstitutional.

No one is asking for the Church to support, perform, or accept gay marriage. It is the Church's Reliigious Right to not do so. I'm just saying that the Church does not have a right to determine the law. No one is asking to Church to accept gay marriage.

The Christian religion is my example, but I know other religions frown upon homosexuality. No matter the religion, a religious group has no place determining laws.

Answer 1

You could not be more correct.

One of the main reasons that our country was even settled is because of religious persecution that was exacted by the state. Our forefathers wanted to ensure that a religion would never again use the state to persecute other people. This is why they made sure to include the separation of church and state. Therefore, any law that is based solely on a religious principal, and can only be supported by quoting a religious text should be easily thrown out of court.

However, the Christian right is one of the few groups in the country that actually votes. The rest of the “normal” people in America seem to not care enough to go out and vote. Therefore, religious zealots can force things threw the government that should not be there. The great thing about America is that our forefathers even planned for this situation and created a Supreme Court. This body of individuals has struck down these types of laws in the past, and I hope will continue to do so in the future.

Answer 2

That was well spoken and I wholeheartedly I agree with you. A lot of religious fundies do not understand the concept of "separation of church and state". They think the first amendment states that the government can't effect their religion, but it also means that you can't impose a law if it is solely based on religion.

EDIT: See what I mean. Thankfully many of the Supreme Court Judges rule with the spirit of the law as their interpretation. Freedom of Religion also includes that religion can not impose thier views (based solely on scripture, etc) on the government and its laws. If that happened then we would have the same situation the founders of this country came here to escape!

Answer 3

All churched have a decision in law making because members from every church can vote. This is an exapmle that can be made against democracy. Democracy is not the rule of the people it is the rule of the Marjoity of the people. If only 1% of americans were gay they would deserve the full protection of the law just like the other 99%. How do you tell 99% of the people to vote with the lives of only 1% in mind?

Answer 4

The 'separation of church and state' clause means three things. No church can tell the state what it can or can not do. And, No state (or fed) can tell any church what it can or can not do. The government can not make any law about religion in any way.

It does not mean that a christian can't be a state leader. It does not mean that a Christian can not use their religious beliefs to guide their actions or votes.

It means that no judge can rule on any matter of religion. The Federal, state, county, and city governments have no jurisdiction over matters of religion.

The religion spoken of is Christianity.

Answer 5

By seeking marriage gays are trying to committ a religious act. Marriage was ordained by God between one Man and one Woman for the purpose of Procreation and for the purpose of raising the children in a stable environment. This has become the basic unit of society. Gays do not want a civil union or contract but FULL MARRIAGE. This devalues marriage and undermines the family unit and thereby society. If you read the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire you will see that of five reasons given by Edward Gibbon two involve the acceptance of homosexuality and the undermining of the family as reasons the Empire fell. Hegel says "One thing that History teaches us is that man does not learn from history"

Wynner01

Answer 6

That's what the big fight is in the Gov't is about. To even bring this up, to try to make it a law, is unconstitutional. They are trying to find a way to bring it into the law making process so that it wouldn't appear to be unconstitutional. Which will most likely work in their favor, considering all of those that follow the Right Wing who are in the Gov't anyway.

I want an atheist for president.

Answer 7

Citizens of America have a right to ask the government to make something they deem (immoral or bad) illegal. That's how laws get made or changed.

We have the right to vote and we have the right to make new law or revise law.
Each of us has the RIGHT to ask--- Christian or Non religious

Contrary to popular opinion, the term “separation of church and state” is found nowhere in the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, or any other founding document of this nation. Yet for decades, some organizations and individuals have spread the myth that the words “separation of church and state” are found in the U.S. Constitution. Because of this misinformation, the ACLU and its allies have used this phrase to persuade public officials to silence religious expression.

Answer 8

That is definitely one major reason, but also consider the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th amendment, which says that every citizen must be given equal status under the law. You can't constitutionally have one standard for one group, and a second standard for another.
This ensures equal rights to minority races, minority religions, women, and yes, homo & bisexuals.

the 14th makes it illegal for the US it have a virutal "caste" system in which some people have more rights than others.





HEY! what's with serf answering for me????

(just kidding)

Answer 9

Not only that, but not even all Christians agree on this issue. (See http://www.talk2action.org) For those Christians, and others, who disagree, they are allowed to not enter into a s-s marriage, or to not attend the wedding, or even to not officiate the wedding. (In Catholic churches, weddings are routinely denied if one party is divorced or non-Catholic, for instance.) Not everything that is legal is accepted as moral by religionists. The same should be true here.

Answer 10

The Law of the Land never says one word about separation of Church and State. Read it again... It says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" It bugs me when uneducated people use the "buzz" words of the press as a matter of Law..