Is there a difference between separation of church and state and separation of spirituality and state?

Answer 1

There is no such thing as separation of Church and state in any government documents....that phrase originates with liberal media types over the last few years to try to remove Christianity from our heritage as a nation.....all the founding Fathers prayed and even had services in the Capitol Blgd. often.

Answer 2

Your question is what's at the heart of the current debate between accomadationists and separationists. The accomadationists (read Religious Right) believe that the First Amendment only prohibits the government from formally sponsoring a state church, ala the Church of England. Other than that they think the government can promote religious belief through things like school prayer and blue laws because these things aren't part of a state church. The separationists, like the ACLU, believe that separation of church and state is a concept that extends to school prayer and blue laws because they favor one religion's beliefs over another's.

Personally, I agree with the separationists that there should be little, if any, difference between the concepts of "separation of church and state" and "separation of spirituality and state." The main purpose of the US Constitution is to guarantee personal freedom and equality before the law. Even if the government doesn't formally sponsor a church it still discriminates by sponsoring one belief over another.

Most religious people will tell you that spirituality, faith, and belief are more important than a formal religious organization. The organization doesn't mean much with the spirituality behind it. Even people who believe that their church is the one true church acknowledge that what people have in their hearts and minds is more important than the buildings and the organization that maintains them. So what is the government doing when it promotes religious beliefs even though it isn't sponsoring a church? This is why I think separation of church and state entails a separation of religious belief and state.

Answer 3

Church is the institution of religion, especially the Christian religion. Spirituality is any religious belief, or lack thereof. But they're basically the same, politically speaking.

("Separation of Church and State" is not a Constitutional principle. It is never mentioned, or even implied, in the Constitution. And it has been taken out of context. The original meaning was actually that government could not dictate religion or force any statutes on it. The man who came up with this idea never meant to take God out of the country. Just thought ya'll should know.)

Answer 4

Definitely. Separation of "Church and State" (which isn't even explicitly mentioned in the constitution) does not mean having a sterile secular state (like France) where all forms of religious expression in the public forum are forbidden.

Answer 5

If you actually read the first amendment, it says the the government cannot control the Church but says nothing about the Church not allowed to be involved in government. Spirituality as it's become today wasn't really address, why should it be?

Answer 6

Church is form, spirituality is essence.
Therefore, separation of church, yes; separation of spirituality, no. Impossible.

Answer 7

Yes, church is an institution ~~spirituality is a state of mind.

Answer 8

In the secularists' minds, no, not really.

They will squelch a valedictorian speech at a public high school, for instance, whether it is borne of a particular denomination or it's ecumenical in nature.

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Answer 9

definitely. Church is organization, structure. spirituality is personal.

Answer 10

shure