2006-12-11 08:49:26 · 12 answers · asked by maria r 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
separation of church and state, i would imagine
2006-12-11 08:52:29 · answer #1 · answered by dlin333 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The main reason the Pilgrims came to this country was for religious freedom. Back in the day, European countries established governmentally sanctioned religions, and you could be arrested as a heretic if you didn't follow that religion. When the Bill of Rights were written, they prohibited the government from establishing a religion as the religion of the land, thus guaranteeing this freedom for all citizens.
2006-12-11 16:57:44 · answer #2 · answered by togashiyokuni2001 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The congress is prohibited because of the first amendment to the Constitution which expressly prohibits the establishment of a religion.
"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."
2006-12-11 16:53:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because if it wasn't, it'd be REAL easy to turn a democracy into a theocracy. Seeing as how America is meant to be a FREE nation, this can't be allowed.
Our forefathers recognized that religion is a deeply personal thing, not something that could be dictated and enforced. They also likely recognized that even among the same religion, various denominations could frequently argue, just as different religions could. To protect the individual's right to believe as they saw fit without having to go against their beliefs because their government told them to, they created the First Amendment, guaranteeing individual rights while forbidding governmental establishment of religion.
To establish a religion means that the government picks one religion and denomination and everyone else who doesn't follow that is pretty well screwed if they don't convert. Let me use an example here, given the frequency of people claiming America to be a Christian nation.
Let's say that our government decided to establish a religion. Well, that means anyone without a belief or religion has to find one or get out. So there's discrimination against nonreligious folks right off the start by establishing religion to begin with.
Then let's say that our government chooses to become a Christian nation. Well, now not only do nonbelievers have to convert or get out, but so does anyone who isn't Christian. This discriminates not only against nonbelievers, but those of any faith but Christianity.
Then, finally, let's choose our denomination. Let's pick, say, Methodist. Now everyone who isn't a Methodist, even if they're already Christian, has to convert or get out, not just nonbelievers and non-Christians. That discrimination has now extended to fellow Christians as well.
To narrow it down so much, pretty much alienates well over half the country. America might have a large Christian population, but how many of those are Methodists? When looking at the overall population, probably not a lot. So not only do we discriminate against well over half of the country by narrowing an established religion down like that, but if everyone who doesn't follow decides to go elsewhere, we're suddenly a very small country. And we're too big in geography to be able to be run by one city's worth of a population.
Plain and simple, the Founding Fathers recognized the importance of a personal religion, rather than an enforced public one. So they guaranteed that, but also had to ensure that it could never be forced. A religion of one's own choosing will be followed a lot more readily than one that's followed out of fear of arrest, interrogation, torture, and execution, y'know?
2006-12-12 11:31:00 · answer #4 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As our History books tell us the Pilgrims landed on the rock in an escape to practice their religion with intervention from the government. The government and organized religion became very intertwined within the British empire. Decisions and actions of the government were made in the name of the Lord and vise versa government taxes were excised in the name of religion. The separation of church and state is not to dissolve organized religion but to establish the free exercise of the individuals choice. This check and balance limits the government from forcing individuals in to one religion. (A good example of this Prohibition is what the middle east looks like with forced government religion.)
2006-12-11 16:56:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because everyone has the right to choose. If there was an official religion that would be saying every other religion is wrong. What if they chose a religion that was not yours?
2006-12-11 16:52:18 · answer #6 · answered by talarlo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because some of the states had official state religions and they did not want the federal governement to overide their states choice of religion.
2006-12-11 16:57:45 · answer #7 · answered by halfway 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
b/c the usa is seperation of church and state. it would be pointless to establish an official religion anyways. that is one of the reasons why the revolutionary war happened.
2006-12-11 16:59:56 · answer #8 · answered by Katie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because freedom of religion and seperation of church and state is one of the major principles that our country was built on and is a key to what makes america so great!!!
2006-12-11 16:57:47 · answer #9 · answered by Joseph K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If that happened we'd be a theocracy, not a democracy. If you want a theocracy, there are quite a few in the middle east.
2006-12-11 16:53:14 · answer #10 · answered by jeffpsd 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Separation of church and state.
2006-12-11 16:52:10 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋