"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT., Jan. 1, 1802
2006-09-16 14:23:36 · 19 answers · asked by Mere Mortal 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"Christians are banned in the USA"
What the heck does that mean?
2006-09-16 14:27:50 · update #1
Yes.
For the most part, religions are based on a philosophy in which rules are absolute, not subject to interpretation and which must be accepted 'on faith.'
That is fine for how people conduct their personal lives, but I have a problem when that is used as the basis to determine the laws for a nation.
Furthermore, Western European monarchies had far too close of a relationship with the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. For example, Cardinal Richelieu held enormous unofficial power in the government of France. Similar examples existed in Austria, Spain and Italy.
Thomas Jefferson was an amazing critical thinker. The beauty of our Constitution is how well it was written. The First Amendment is brilliantly clear. Paraphrased it reads:
Congress shall pass no law respecting any religion.
And Congress shall not prohibit the free practice of any religion.
Freedom from religion in our laws. And freedom in our laws for all religions.
2006-09-16 14:39:56 · answer #1 · answered by Tom-SJ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a good principle, especially in a country like America which has always had a diverse collection of religions. However "seperation of church and state" has been subject to some pretty dumb interpretations - such as mentioning God or Jesus in a governmental setting is a violation of the seperation of church and state. What church, please tell, is being established by the government? Don't say "Christianity" because that isn't a church. In fact, the wide and sometimes bitter divisions within Christianity are the reason the Founding Fathers set up our Constitution the way they did. 18th century America may have been mostly Protestant, but there was hardly agreement on religious matters among all those Protestants and those disagreements got pretty heated back in merry olde England.
2006-09-16 14:54:30 · answer #2 · answered by Sass B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why I had to wonder why does every invention come from the USA?
It seemed like to me that something would be invented by someone else as an accident. From airplanes to cars to cotton gins. electricity to telegraph to telephones to sewing machines.
the list is endless. Even the assembly line.
The answer: Because all the other countries and world powers spent so much time on forcing people to believe the way they felt was the right way to worship and squelching any creative idea that was different from what those in government thought. More importantly what the religion of the government taught.
Do you know how close Hitler came to having an atom bomb?
His wife was a jew and he fled Germany and went to work on the phoenix project in Arizonia. He was a german, by the way and an immigrant. Our immigrant population gives us our variety and diversity. When people lack freedom of thought and the government tells them what to think, how to believe and what to believe it is so busy controling the masses it just doesn't have time for anything else. Do you really want that.
By the way computers came from a guy bill gates who quit school and made it in his garage in Oakland Ca.
Made microsoft and the internet. Without a doubt the smartest man who ever lived. With his friend Paul Allen. who also quit school. would any other goverment allow them to do that?
2006-09-16 14:34:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
...I am amazed how this has been twisted. The "separation of church and state" does not appear in the Constitution. It is clear what the Founders intended by the first amendment - they wanted to avoid a state-preferred church, like the Church of England - alternate renderings from historical documents make this very clear.
...We are seeing today where unconstitutional restrictions are being put on the free exercise of religion, as have been mentioned in some other answers here.
2006-09-16 16:54:03 · answer #4 · answered by carson123 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Right...Jefferson meant that the government shall make no official state religion as there was in England at the time. So, this statement by jefferson simply was meant to protect people of various religions from being forced to be of a particular religion determind by the government. It is so that we may chose any religion without consequence of the government. IT DOES not mean that religion should be banned from public places as god haters would want you to believe.
The wall between church and state is to protect freedom of religion. Some people have tried (and failed) to claim that the phrase "freedom from religion". That is outright lying.
On the these days...like now.....read "prohibiting free exercise thereof" That is the key and behinfd the true meaning of what Jefferson said.
I would also like to point out that the very rights people believe they have, freedom of religion, speech, press, etc are , according to our DECLARATION of independence, are unalienable and these rights are granted and given to us by GOD!
If the God-haters take God away from the society and beliefs, then there is no unalienable rights left for God to GRANT!
They've backed themselves into a corner!
Logic! Love it!
2006-09-16 14:37:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
First off, the Constitution does not say "Separation of Church and State." They did not want the State to have a national state run Religion. However, anyone who is in a public office WILL bring their beliefs to that office. The Supreme Court went over board and took God out of schools. That was a bad idea.
2006-09-16 14:35:28 · answer #6 · answered by jadamgrd 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
All of those that believe in NON separation should look to Iraq
and Iran. Better yet. Move to Iraq. They don't have separation and they are shooting each other over religious ideals. Religion should be strictly a PERSONAL matter and not imposed.
2006-09-16 14:29:58 · answer #7 · answered by rasckal 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Of course it is a good idea....before the Constitution turned the bible into just another book on the shelf, christians were killing people left and right simply for daring to have an opinion contrary to the bible...anything that makes religious people refrain from commiting violence is a good idea.
2006-09-16 14:35:59 · answer #8 · answered by stephenjames001 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think the separation of church & state is an excellent idea. I'm secular, but some religionists agree on this too.
2006-09-16 15:00:51 · answer #9 · answered by Bronweyn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The government should not interfere with religion at all, but they do, they restrict tax status, the control zoning of churches and so much more, Even restricting the ringing of bells or flying of Christian flags
And of course does not all people have a right to ask the government to pass laws that represent thier view points,
so Does christians not have a right to vote for poeple who represent thier moral view points ?? if not, then only ungodly people even need to vote.
2006-09-16 14:29:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋