How do you feel about the Separation of church and state? Are you for it or against it?

Question

This is for a high school debate. My stances is suppose to be againt church and state being combined. Help me please if you can. I would appriciate it.

Answer 1

Who's to say *which* religion? I'd be perfectly happy to hear Jewish prayers in school, but highly offended if I were forced to pray to any human made into a god.

Perhaps the Buddhist religion. There is no god in Buddhism. What about the Native American religion? This is their land, after all.

Any religion other than the majority religion because any religion that proselytizes would overstep their bounds.

The founders of the U.S.A. came here to escape religious persecution, that's why we have freedom *from* religion in our constitution.
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Answer 2

Separation of church and state is opposed by mostly (some)Christians but they don't realize it is actually better for their religion that way. There can be no laws mandating how you worship. That means you can worship whatever and whomever you want, or nothing if you want, and not be persecuted for it. Putting religion in schools, for example, would invariably result in one religion, or even one sect of one religion, being the predominant one and people who believed otherwise would not be given the same treatment.

You see the argument the country was founded on Christian laws. Well to some degree but many of the laws were based on English law which were based on some Christian teachings and some Roman and some Greek and back to Mesopotamian and Persian... Most cultures regardless of their belief system have laws against murder, theft and rape.

The problem with schools and the increase in crime isn't due to God being taken out of schools. It is a multitude of things including parents not teaching their kids morals at home. They leave everything to the schools - and TV and video games when they should be the prime role models.

If someone complains about taking "God" out of schools ask them how they would like to move to a country where everyone had to pledge allegiance to Zeus, Isis or the Flying Spaghetti Monster and they had to hide their religion. Isn't it better just to keep all of use equal?

And as to you didn't see some things back then - my Dad is 84 years old and you should hear some of his stories. They all smoked when they were 14 (or younger) A girl in his high school class was about 8 months pregnant (unwed) when they graduated - a local hotel burned down and one of the local women was there with someone who wasn't her husband and she was running around naked while the firemen were putting out the fire.... really not that much has changed - you just see more of it.

Answer 3

In order to do this for debate, you can get some idea here but you will need the real reasons why, and evidence of that.
First, look at the history of the Christian faith, and the Islamic faith, faith has led to mass hysteria several time (Crusades, Inquisition, Burning Witches etc). This is not what a country needs or wants.
Second, look at countries that has a religious governement, they have trouble with trade and international relations, especially if they believe their way is the only right way.
Third, how do we know which of the thousands religions in the world is correct? There is no evidence for any of them, that's why it is faith.
Fourth, if the state is run by the Church, then doesn't that open the door for persecution of the people. We don't elect the Pope, bishops, a rabbi, or even a priest.
Fifth, Separation of Church and State, keeps our science and our scientists moving forward and learning more by searching for truth as opposed to trying to find proof of what a book or religious doctrine says.

I hope that gets you started.

Answer 4

Well I am for the seperation of church and state. As a Hindu it protects my religious freedom to practice Hinduism while at the same time protecting the religion practiced by the majority from abuse by government.

If you looking for the usual arguments for people against church and state you should visit the website Americans United For the Seperation of Church & State. Just do a search in Yahoo with that title and you'll get their website. They are a great resource on the Seperation of Church & State issue (they defend the seperation of church and state, but there are many articles that highlight those that oppose it and the reasons why....followed with rebuttals usually). I think that website will help you a lot since those that work and volunteer for the organization are actively involved in defending seperation of church and state and hear a lot of the arguments/debates both in the public forum as well as in courtrooms.

Answer 5

If there were a thing as a separation of church and state, then I would be for it. It is not in the Constitution yet the Supreme Court or a Federal Judge, has declared that there should be a separation between church and state. This is the ideal but not the practical way.

There never can be a complete separation of church and state, because of the guidelines set forth in the Consititution and the Bible. The Constitution was written on the principles set forth in the Bible and the convictions of our fore-fathers, whether they were Christians or not. Most beleived in most of the Biblical priciples.

Please, if you find any proof that there is a complete separation of church and state, let me know.

Answer 6

First, do not ignore that a survey finished this manner received't get a random sampling and therefore will be invalid. i imagine maximum folk agree that separation of church and state is a sturdy issue. It helps the state to regulate more beneficial useful and helps the church to evangelise more beneficial useful. at the same time as both intertwine it perverts both as replaced into seen by the middle a at the same time as and renaissance. The question is the position to charm to the line. it truly is a really subjective problem. If scholars at a school pray on their personal initiative, is that incorrect? If a church holds a function on authorities land is that incorrect? If a particular authorities worker is non secular and chooses to beautify their artwork surroundings with crosses or ten commandments stuff, is that incorrect? even if that's, how can that's ok for yet another worked to sport a mug with "#a million Dad" on it? faith is portion of who that first individual is basically as a lot as being a father is portion of who that 2d individual is. those are complicated questions, and both area have sturdy motives to experience the way they do. I have a tendency to believe social conservatives (inspite of the actuality that i do not count number myself between their huge form) that at contemporary in the united states, we've pushed TO a procedures in the route adverse to faith to the point of being anti-faith. yet my emotions on any particular issue may variety from that prevalent sentiment.

Answer 7

A very misquoted and misinterpretation of what it says. It didn't mean to keep church out of the state, it was to keep the state out of the church.

"The separation of church and state as proclaimed during the French Revolution in the latter part of the 18th century was the result of Reformational strivings toward a guarantee for the freedom of the church and the natural-law ideas of the Enlightenment; it was aggravated by the social revolutionary criticism against the wealthy ecclesiastical hierarchy."

God Bless

Answer 8

to start off with the person that mentioned that there wouldn't be any criminals and teenage sex take a look around you when you go to church. you might be surprised when you find out that most of the kids are having sex no matter what, and there have been some really bad RELIGIOUS criminals for instance Dommer if i am correct, the Oklahoma city bomber, Charles Manson, just top name a few.
Personally what we need to do is completely revamp the educational system start teaching everyone equally no matter what and teach them more than one view point such as creation and evolution and let the children decide what to make of it instead of forcing it down their throats
And before anyone says that I don't know both sides I do know both sides I went to a religious school for grade school and high school, and a public jr. high.
As far as separation of church and state it doesn't have to happen as long as both sides agree not to try to take out the other, but that ain't going to happen for the sure fact that bible thumpers don't like letting anyone learn evolution, or about sex, ignorance doesn't lead to bliss sad to say.
But that raises another question what religon should be taught in school should it just be Christianity or should we allow every religon. most likely anyone else is going to say just "The one true religon" me nah if your going to allow one to be taught teach them all. Even the older religions such as Celtic believes teach the origins of modern religious practices and see what happens then.

Answer 9

I am for it. The government in this country is secular. It should remain that way. We are given freedom of religion by the bill of rights. To base laws or show preference to one church or one religion violates that freedom because it directly goes against another religion's moral code. If someone says that we should have prayer in school, then every religion and faith should be represented. If the Christian's view of Creationism is taught, then every other faith's view of creation should be taught as well. We are a country of many races, many faiths, and many different personalities. We should have a government that is truly representative of the people that we are. I am Christian by the way. Many Christians don't agree with my stance, but I see the views of all people and all faiths as valid as my own.

Answer 10

There was never any intention in the Constitution of separation of Church and State. America was founded on Christian principles. Children were taught to read so that they could read the Bible. A lot of the laws of our land are based on Biblical law.