Why do some of my fellow Christians know their Bible but don't know the Constitution that separates religion..

Question

and state?

It IS in there:
Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791.
"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"

Source:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1

In order to prevent the government establishing laws based on religion or that establish one religion as "the" religion it goes with out saying that clearly church and state seperation is implied.If you want to read it as is it still means the same thing.

Answer 1

don't be so sure they KNOW the bible either....

it is easier to be spoon fed lies than to have to dig for truth....

Your agnostic friend, J

(at first I typed "your agnostic fiend".....LOL)

Answer 2

Reading the original question and user's answers, I think the issue is that laws (all laws, constitutional or otherwise, American or otherwise) can be interpreted in so many different ways (read Leo Katz's Bad Acts & Guilty Minds - my favourite book, and it outlines this point brilliantly) - it's almost impossible to have a law that makes 100% perfect sense... There will always be something that comes up that isn't covered by it. Just like the Bible and other religious texts can be interpreted in many different ways (in the same book of the bible that says for a man to lie with another man is an aboniation, it says eating shellfish is an abomination - I can't recall ever knowing a Christian who abides by this rule). This combined with how polarised opinion in America is on this subject creates a vicious cycle of each side blaming the other and amplifying it's own stance to counter it...

I can envisage getting a lot of thumb downs for this one, because people on both sides will look at me negatively for saying this. ;-) Oh well...

Answer 3

One shows the way of salvation, the other doesn't.. One is being reinterpreted all the time, the other isn't. (or at least not so drastically.) Constitution now seems in the hands, opinions, of various judges. The constitution is now interpreted to say that prayer should be taken out of school, the religious displays in various public places is now considewred wrong. Funny how our forefathers, even some that wrote the constitution, didn't feel that same way. The constitution is now inturpeted to approve of abortion, gay marriage and says that even terrorists have "constitutional" rights. What do the other countries(Iran etc.) do to our people? Do we have equal, fair, constitutional rights?...hardly. The constitution has been misrepresented, misinturpeted for years now and these alterations have changed us, our lives, a lot.

Answer 4

First off if you were a Christian you would have a different screen name. Second where in that ammendment does it say government and religion should be seperate. It says government will not establish a religion which means the government will not make one religion the official religion of the country and the government will not oversee religious institutions. It does not say religion and government should be seperate. If thats what they meant then the folks writting the declaration of independance and the constitution should not have had prayer meetings or used the Bible as a guide to write laws for our country. Look into the real history of our founding fathers and you will quickly see that they never intended to seperate their faith in God from their governing of the country.

Answer 5

Yes, Congress shall make no law respecting an ESTABLISHMENT of religion, or prohibiting the FREE EXERCISE thereof... this does not mean freedom FROM religion...

Read what Thomas Jefferson had to say to the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut about separation of church and state... you might learn a little. This is where the term "separation of church and state" comes from... not the constitution.

Well, let's see... if we don't want our laws based on religion... we should have no rights since our rights are granted to us... according to our founding fathers, by our Creator.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Answer 6

Excuse me, but exactly which statement in the Amendment says anything about SEPARATION of religion from state? It only says that Congress makes no law establishing or prohibiting religion. It grants you freedom to believe what you will. Freedom of belief is not the same as separation of State from religion. Please read again. BTW, I'm no American but I know what I am reading!

Answer 7

That's a relatively easy one to answer to wit; Their pastors
were better teachers than their teachers plus at church you
have meals and lots of socializing while at school you
get glued to your clique and spend all day watching
your back and avoid the teach.

Answer 8

True
But the Old Laws are steadily dying out because of Liberals who want to change it to suit those who come from outside our country

Answer 9

Right the congress agreed that no official religion like church of Britain would be established.But don't suggest censor here otherwise you cant follow your faith .....religion is only what you believe in that's what faith is evolution is a faith OK

Answer 10

I agree. They don't want church/state seperation until it's a religion other than Christianity. If someone wanted a Muslim prayer being said in schools, they'd be screaming bloody murder.

Answer 11

You have to be exposed to a concept before you can understand it. Our schools just aren't up to the task anymore. And it's not like "No child left behind" is helping.