Does the Constitution of the United States guarantee a separation of Church and State?

Question

Explain how historical revisionists can use the term "Separation of Church and State";
Coined by Thomas Jefferson in the Danbury Baptist letter which describes how the Constitution prevents any specific sect of Christianity from rising to control of the United States and which is closed with a generic Christian Blessing,
The SCOTUS split decision in McCollum vs the school board (1947) (referencing the Everson decision),
The Virginia Declaration of Religious Freedom, which invokes a generic Christian God as the ultimate authority in support of freedom of religion,
And finally the Treaty with Tripoli which describes the founding of the United States in Religious Freedom but not as being an irreligious nation,
to represent some ideology of the separation of Church and State being in the constitution while at the same time authorizing their violation of the Constitution (Article VI) by testing candidates for public office on their religious views.

Answer 1

It doesn't mention separation of church and state. We have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.
Great question.

Answer 2

Yes, it does establish separation of Church and State.

There are two things which do this.

1. The First Amendment

2. Article VI of the Constitution

These two items in the Constitution allow for religious freedom, and deny that the government establish religion and religious tests be used for entry into office.

Taken together, this means that the Church holds no sway over the government, that the Government can not have a state religion, and that people of all religions are equal under the law.

This forms a barrier between the church and the state, because no matter how many adherents a church has, no matter how wealthy the church is, or how long it has been there, it has no right to influence the affairs of the State.

Answer 3

Jefferson spoke of "a wall of separation between church and state" and I have no doubt after reading this letter that it is exactly what he meant. Who's the "revisionist" here? It's certainly evident that the majority of Americans are Christians. But others are not, and we all are guaranteed equal treatment under the Constitution. No one is stopping you from being a Christian or whatever you want to be. If you had children enrolled in a public school, would you want a different religion than your own shoved down their throats?

If you are a politician, you have to know where to draw the line. You cannot force people into believing what you want them to believe, not even by torture, so why even try it.

Answer 4

"I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another." --Thomas Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry, 1799. ME 10:78

"Believing... 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 legitimate 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 to Danbury Baptists, 1802. ME 16:281

"[When] the [Virginia] bill for establishing religious freedom... was finally passed,... a singular proposition proved that its protection of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word "Jesus Christ," so that it should read "a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion." The insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend within the mantle of its protection the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination." --Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821. ME 1:67

You might consider looking at "Franklin, Jefferson & Madison: Religion and the State" by Gregory Schaaf. It gives a very good explanation, based on research from a large collection of the writings from these three Founding Fathers, of why it is believed (correctly) that the Christian religion is not the only one protected by the Constitution and that the government is specifically barred from recognizing any one religion or sect above another.

As for testing candidates for public office on their religious views, that actually is part of guaranteeing the separation of church and state: a judge who believes that abortion is murder and that all abortionists should be strung up their thumbs is going to have trouble being impartial if a case comes up concerning an abortion clinic bombing, for example.

Answer 5

The sheer stupidity of some people never ceases to amaze me. Looking over these answers, the fact that some people have been so brainwashed by the communist news network (CNN) that they honestly believe that the "separation of church and state" is constitutional.

The separation of church and state is the result of one liberal leftist judge's opinion. There is NOTHING in the constitution about this so-called separation.

The communists currently in the US government (kennedy, pelosi, clinton, ginsburg) facilitate this myth, as they are actively working on turning the US into a communist society.

In 1963, the Soviet Union established a list of 45 goals they had to achieve in order to take over the west. It was labeled "the communist takeover of America, and even Congress was well aware of these goals (Congressional record--appendix, pp. A34-A35 January 10, 1963).

The communists currently in the US government have revived these goals and are actively working to achieve them: Here are just a few of these goals:

24. Break down all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech.

25. Break down the cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy, and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy".

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch".

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the grounds that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state".

As you can see, the communist and democrat agenda are one in the same. They both know how to use the media, and are destroying the United States...this time from the inside out. This so-called "separation" is a communist tactic to destroy the United States.

Answer 6

No. It does, however, guarantee the State will not interfere in the affairs of the church. Thereby, guaranteeing your rights to believe and worship (or not) as you see fit. It is my understanding that "separation of church and State" is guaranteed in article 152 of the Communist Manifesto. Look around you at the many different denominations and various religions that operate within the United States freely and free of government intervention.

Answer 7

It is very simple - Congress shall pass no law preventing the establishment of a religion. That means any religion of sanity. Each American may practice his or her religion without fear of persecution.

This does not mean to say that the Government may not choose its personal faith. As this Country was founded under Christianity.

No religion shall ever outweigh the Government as we have 3 separate branches of Government for checks and balances. To say that this Government cannot base its actions on the 10 commandments is completely wrong. Our Government is founded upon them. The laws are common sense laws.

The Constitution was clear as the framers were common men.

Only the left has perverted its meaning. They have chosen to twist the ideology in this country so that the immoral actions of others is forced upon society to be considered normal.

Answer 8

there is nothing in the constitution that says that there is, however, a seperation of church and state ensures that one religion will not be shoved down the throat of anyone. if i was a christian and at the public school i went to they were doing muslim prayers i would feel a bit alienated, and vice versa, if i was muslim and they were doing christian prayers it would be the same. seperation of church and state ensures religious freedom to be religious and to not be religious if you so choose. has the seperation been blown out of proportion? sure, but overall it is a good policy.

Answer 9

i like the phrase "In theory". This country was based on religion, its not gonna go away and its not gonna get out of politics. I can see a lot of bad things with the church meddling with the state, but also a few good things. I think that if the church wants to be a political force they should be made to pay taxes.

Answer 10

Yes it does. The letter to the Danbury Baptist Society was used the USSC to understand the intent or meaning of the freedom of religion clause.

Answer 11

All it says is that the government can't establish an "official" government religion...nor can the government prevent the "free exercise" of any religion. Exactly WHAT that means has been debated, fussed, and cussed over for years...