Religion and Government are supposed to be seperate, aren't they?

Question

The First Amendment To The U.S. Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

the First Amendment says religion will not affect lawmaking, but yet it does because Christians are the ones that say gay marriage is wrong, but what about the other people. They don't take into consideration that its praised in other cultures and they assume it's wrong everywhere.

Why can't people see this?

Answer 1

Recently, many authors have debated whether or not the United States of America was founded as a Christian nation. I wish to provide a few historical quotes from our Founding Era that lend credence to the supposition that we indeed were founded as a Christian nation.
Granted, God is not mentioned in the Constitution, but He is mentioned in every major document leading up to the final wording of the Constitution. For example, Connecticut is still known as the "Constitution State" because its colonial constitution was used as a model for the United States Constitution. Its first words were: "For as much as it has pleased the almighty God by the wise disposition of His Divine Providence…"
Most of the fifty-five Founding Fathers who worked on the Constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches and many were even evangelical Christians. The first official act in the First Continental Congress was to open in Christian prayer, which ended in these words: "...the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior. Amen". Sounds Christian to me.
Ben Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention, said: "...God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?"
John Adams stated so eloquently during this period of time that; "The general principles on which the fathers achieved Independence were ... the general principles of Christianity ... I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that the general principles of Christianity are as etemal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."
Later, John Quincy Adams answered the question as to why, next to Christmas, was the Fourth of July this most joyous and venerated day in the United States. He answered: "...Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?" Sounds like the founding of a Christian nation to me. John Quincy Adams went on to say that the biggest victory won in the American Revolution was that Christian principles and civil government would be tied together In what he called an "indissoluble" bond. The Founding Fathers understood that religion was inextricably part of our nation and government. The practice of the Christian religion in our government was not only welcomed but encouraged.
The intent of the First Amendment was well understood during the founding of our country. The First Amendment was not to keep religion out of government. It was to keep Government from establishing a 'National Denomination" (like the Church of England). As early as 1799 a court declared: "By our form of government the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed on the same equal footing." Even in the letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Baptists of Danbury Connecticut (from which we derive the term "separation of Church and State") he made it quite clear that the wall of separation was to insure that Government would never interfere with religious activities because religious freedom came from God, not from Government.
Even George Washington who certainly knew the intent of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, since he presided over their formation, said in his "Farewell Address": "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars." Sure doesn't sound like Washington was trying to separate religion and politics.
John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and one of the three men most responsible for the writing of the Constitution declared:
"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is their duty-as well as privilege and interest- of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." Still sounds like the Founding Fathers knew this was a Christian nation.
This view, that we were a Christian nation, was hold for almost 150 years until the Everson v. Board of Education ruling in 1947. Before that momentous ruling, even the Supreme Court knew that we were a Christian nation. In 1892 the Court stated:
"No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people...This is a Christian nation." There it is again! From the Supreme Court of the United States. This court went on to cite 87 precedents (prior actions, words, and rulings) to conclude that this was a "Christian nation".
In 1854, the House Judiciary Committee said: "in this age, there is no substitute for Christianity...That was the religion of the founders of the republic, and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.'
It should be noted here that even as late as 1958 a dissenting judge warned in Baer v. Kolmorgen that if the court did not stop talking about the "separation of Church and State", people were going to start thinking it was part of the Constitution.
It has been demonstrated in their own words: Ben Franklin, George Washington and John Adams, to the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court, how our founding fathers felt about the mix of politics and religion.
When we read articles such as "What's God got to do with it?" (Primack, 5/4) and "The wall between state and church must not be breached" (Tager, 5/7) it just reaffirms how little, even intelligent people, understand about the founding of our great Republic. To say that this nation was not founded as a Christian nation or that the Constitution was not founded on Christian principles is totally at odds with the facts of history.

Answer 2

The First Amendment says that Congress may not make a law that basically establishes a state-sanctioned religion. However, lawmakers themselves are certainly entitled to hold their own religious beliefs under the free exercise clause. The gay marriage issue is tricky. If lawmakers are legislating against gay marriage because they believe it is unchristian, then I would say there is a constitutional issue there. If marriage is defined in purely secular terms, maybe not. The fact is that every person has a worldview, and if they are in a position of power, they typically have an agenda to manifest that worldview in real life.

Answer 3

We live in a democratic republic.
That is to say that we live in a country where the people express their views in the election of representatives.
The people do not get to vote on federal issues, they vote on the person that they want to have represent them.

You are saying that those that are very much in the minority should get their way, even though they are not able to elect enough like minded representatives.

However, the first ammendment does not remove anyones right to participate in their government or influence it.

The government is for all the people including Christians.

It only restricts the congress from making laws that single out religion or the practice of religion.

However, our government has found a way to get around the first ammendment. They have decided to let the Supreme Court, a panel of nine judges appointed for life, make laws that could never get through in congress.

Answer 4

Marriage began as a religious sacrament. Where the government went wrong was in adopting the word marriage for the license. I would propose that all couples receive a "certificate of civil union." If they are to be married, then that will be performed by their church and the church can issue a marriage certificate if they wish to. As far as the state is concerned, the couples are all equal under the law and can have any ceremony they want, performed by a person legally eligible to join them either through a civil or religious ceremony.

Answer 5

Do you really believe that all christains are opposed to gays??
That is fairly dogmatic, prejudiced and highly judgemental. It is actually bigoted.

1: I am not aware that the US government is opposed to gays. I am not aware of any law that discriminates against gays. The government is composed of thousands of people which includes, a legislative branch, an executive branch, a judicial branch and thousands of supportive beuracrats.

2. The elected government is primarily Christain because the majority of voters are Christains. Elected officials represent their constituenty. The next prominent group of elected officials are Jewish cuz that also reflects our population. I am just guessing that atheists and agnostics are the third largest group. Finally there are a few Muslims that have been elected. No Budhists, Hindus, Sikhs etc.that I am aware of cuz they are a small minority of voters.

2. To place Christains in the position of being intolerant toward gays and minorities is just not true. Actually such a belief would be contrary to the teachings of Jesus and most of the Christain sects/denominations. Jesus's message was one of love, compasion and tolerance. No judgement there.

3. I am a Christain who is blessed with a gay son. I love him dearly and do not think of him and his friends in any negative way. I am insulted.

4. There are intolerant people in every religion and they always represent a small minority.

5 I think you are the intolerant one. You paint a stereotype lable
on a group. Not only Christains but you include government leaders, volunteers, servants and civic leaders that were elected by a majority.

6. I suggest you go live with one of the following: the Taliban, Alkaida, Hamas, communist China, Cuba, North Korea. and learn all about tolerance. I hear they are utopian on their opinion of gays and other minorities.

Good luck in your quest. Perhaps we should just have you running everything.

Answer 6

When legislators have points of view determined or influenced by their religious beliefs, that's not necesssarily the same thing as a breech in the separation of Church and State. That clause prohibits government from proscribing religion or interferring with an individuals practice of his/her chosen religion. If the citizens of a given legislative district feel their elected officials haven't been true the their will, they are free to replace said official.

Answer 7

It doesnt say anything of the sort, but that is what atheists believe and want.

The 1st amendment simply states that a government cannot make "an official state sponsored religion." It does NOT say that members of the govt cannot express religion, it does NOT bar religious symbols from govt property, it does NOT separate religion from govt. In fact, God is mentioned numerous times throughout our historic texts stating that our inalienable rights COME from God.

The founding fathers never intended the govt to become anti-religious. Nevertheless, it is happening!

Answer 8

This was a major premise of the founding of our nation. Most of the people who came here were fleeing a state imposed religion. They were Christian, so this was the dominant religion in early colonial America. God is prevelant in our symbols, but while the founding fathers probably did not think of society as it is now with so many different beliefs; they put it in our constitution to protect minority religeons from majorities.

Answer 9

It says there shall be no state run religion.
If you read the Constitution of The United States Of America. No where does it ever say absolutely anything about seperation of Church and State.

Answer 10

Show me how and where it says Religion and Government are supposed to be seperate.

I hate to tell you but the first amendment does NOT say they have to be seperate. It just says that the Gov. SHALL NOT ESTABLISH A RELIGION NOR PROHIBIT FREE EXCERCISE OF RELIGION.

Answer 11

It's not just christians who object to gay marriage, sadly.

Some people hold moral beliefs which aren't dictated by religion. It's naive to assume that religion is the ONLY roadblock to cultural change.