seperation of church and state in the constitution...I am not being sarcastic..I would really like to know...thanks
2006-12-05 11:29:13 · 10 answers · asked by tanat 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Bill of Rights, the first amendment, which contains the establishment/endorsement clause:
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.
Does it specifically say 'separation of church and state'? No, but it's very clear.
2006-12-05 11:33:20 · answer #1 · answered by abulafia24 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's not directly stated. The constitution came about after the Declaration of Independence.
And the purpose of the Declaration was just to separate the colony states from Britain. After winning independence, the Constitution was written to establish a system of government.
And it was here that it was seen fit to separate the (political) governing from the religious institutions.
Separation of church and state has been part of Western philosophy for a very long time. And interestingly enough, it came from within the church.
St Augustine of Hippo, an orator (a highly regarded profession in Roman times, which could lead to public office) before he converted, wrote about this in the City of God in the early 400s.
It was his theology that shaped the thinking behind the separation of church and state.
2006-12-05 20:04:53 · answer #2 · answered by prav k 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't say it in the constitution. That's in an entirely different document. The Constitution, however, gives us freedom of religion. It doesn't specify which religion so that suggests, to me, that being Pagan is just as okay as being Christian, which is just as okay as being Hindu. If we didn't have the seperation of church and state - we would not have freedom of religion, we'd have a theocracy.
2006-12-05 19:35:21 · answer #3 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, responding to what the person above me whose name I am totally spacing on said about it being in some other documentation, it was Ben Franklin who wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists, which I have a copy of somewhere in my room, and that's the only mention of separation of church and state. It's not said in the Consitutiton, as freedom of religion is not the same thing, though I do believe it is said that our country shall adopt no standard religon.
2006-12-05 19:41:27 · answer #4 · answered by marie l 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the phrase "separation of church and state" does not actually appear anywhere in the Constitution
2006-12-05 19:34:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
We are guaranteed by the Constitution that the government cannot restrict our rights of religion, and that it cannot establish a national religion.
2006-12-05 19:31:55 · answer #6 · answered by N 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It's not. It was a phrase coinded by Jefferson later on. I don't know exactly from where he said it, but if you really needd the link or reference, i'll be more than willing to give it to you. Hope this helps.
2006-12-05 19:36:11 · answer #7 · answered by WarOfAges 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not there. Invention of those opposed to freedom OF religion.
2006-12-05 19:34:56 · answer #8 · answered by Lives7 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seperation_of_church_and_state
2006-12-05 19:32:11 · answer #9 · answered by myshinigami 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nowhere.
It's a lie.
2006-12-05 19:32:18 · answer #10 · answered by ron2001brown 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋