I don't understand why?

Question

I don't understand why the president is allowed to say religious things to the general public. What happened to the separation of church and state?

The president's views on religion should not even be known to the public. Frankly, it's none of our business anyway.

So, I have heard the president many times on TV and the radio talking about "Him" and prayers and all that.

Isn't this kind of thing not allowed because our so-called constitution prevents it?

Answer 1

because your country never had separation of church and state, and continues not to have it now. a facade exists to sway some into thinking it is seperate.

Answer 2

If Bush actually believed in the bible, he would see just what is happening and act accordingly, but he isn't. People vote for the guy who claims to have the same morales they do, and it happens to be that they belong to a religion of some sort. Do you see it in schools? They removed it, they were trying to remove it from the court oaths and such too, dont remember if they did or not though. He has every right to express if he want's to pray for someone, just as you do to say otherwise.

Personally I'm not biased on what religion the president is, I care more if they are getting the job done or not. Their morales and such are of moderate interest because you can get a sense for how they SHOULD be acting. Some people think that drinking is a sin, others dont. This applies to a few other things as well, but you get an overall general view of where they stand on some things.

Church and state are mixed when you force a certain belief on the populace you govern. Are you forced to pray for your sins by law? What laws are there specific against you that only benefit those who believe the same as the leader? I fail to see how they are mixed just because he believes in something you dont. He's allowed to pray anytime he wants, you aren't forced to join him. If you don't want to hear it, don't listen, nobody is keeping you there.

Answer 3

Nope!

The constitution of the U. S. never mentions the phrase "seperation of church and state".

What it does protect is freedom of religion! This freedom also applies to our president. Nowhere does the constitution grant freedom "from relogion", which is apparently something you desire.

Specifically the constitution says congress shall enact no laws establishing a religion or restricting the excercise of religion. The president, or any other American expressing their religious views does not do either of these. That includes your freedom to say you don't like the organized religions around you!

I respect your freedom to say you don't believe a certain thing and I would not restrict your right to express that view. You also should respect my right to say "I believe", whether I make that statement in public or private!

Answer 4

No. The constitution does not prevent the President (or anyone in government) from having or speaking of their own religious views, It does (or is at least supposed to) prevent them from making their personal views about religion the law of the land.

Answer 5

The President is personally just as free to follow religion as anyone else. He should not, however, make religious comments when speaking in a professional capacity, just as a minister should not make political comments when speaking in a professional capacity.

Answer 6

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE




The left asserts that the framers intended a ”separation of church and state” meaning that the government should never allow any religious event to take place in any public domain. They claim that any such event would be endorsement of religion which is prohibited by the Constitution.




Let’s check it out. Here’s what the framers intended according to the evidence:


They believed Christianity ought to be encouraged but not any particular denomination.They believed that religion should never be forced on citizens. Nevertheless, they believed that an adherence to Judeo-Christian principles was absolutely necessary to the ordering of a just society. Separation of Church and State meant that the government must never encroach on the domain of the Church by establishing or favoring any one sect of Christianity over others. But it was presumed that all rely on “Divine Providence” publicly, as well as privately. There was no distinction.




The phrase, “Separation of Church and State” is nowhere to be found in any of our founding documents. It originated in an obscure personal letter President Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association assuring them that the federal government would not establish a national religion.




The First Amendment to the Constitution states:

“Congress shall makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” What does that mean?




Fortunately for us, this question was addressed almost 150 years ago (a time much closer to the thoughts and sentiments of the founders.) In 1854 a committee of Congress studied the question concerning exactly what constitutes the “establishment of religion.” (Is it praying at a high school football game over the public address system? Is it displaying the Ten Commandments in the school hallway? Is it erecting a crèche in a public square?Here was their conclusion:




“What is the establishment of religion? It must have a creed, defining what a man must believe; it must have rites and ordinances, which believers must observe, it must have ministers of defined qualifications, to teach the doctrines and administer the rites…Had the people, during the Revolution had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle. At the time of the adoption of the Constitution, and the amendments the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged; not any one sect (denomination). (Italics mine.)




In more recent times, in 1952, Justice William O Douglas wrote the opinion of the court in a case: Zorach vs, Clawson, in which he states:


*”We are a religious people, and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.”




So it’s clear. They intended for Christianity to be a vital part of all our institutions, but refused to allow the government to have authority over the church in any area. The “Wall of Separation” was intended to protect religious people from the government, not the other way around. Listen to what a few more founders said:




George Washington, The Father of our country:




*[i]“It is impossible to govern without God and the Bible”




*”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 of human happiness…”




Just a few others:




*”Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the governing of any other.” –John Adams




*“The highest glory of the Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government and the principles of Christianity.”-John Quincy Adams.




We are a Christian nation in the sense that most Americans identify as Christians, and an even greater number identify with the Judeo-Christian tradition. The fact that there is no state Church does not mean we are a secular nation. The fact is most of our citizens are Christians, and our form of government is based on a Judeo-Christian worldview. For example, revenge is not excused because our tradition says vengeance belongs to God, etc.




The Founders never intended to set up a “religious society” but rather establish a society that would find its anchor in the teachings of the Old and New Testaments.




We can go on and on with evidences of all kinds, e.g., Congress ordering Bibles during the war for soldiers, George Washington’s orders to attend Sabbath services, Ben Franklin’s call to a three day fasting and prayer period when they were deadlocked at the Constitutional Convention, and on and on, and on. There is a preponderance of evidence to conclude that the founders fully expected we would always rely heavily on the Judeo-Christian worldview for an orderly society.




Only someone who purposely refuses to see truth would say God has no place in our public institutions.




Yes, there is to be a separation of church and state, but it is to protect the Church from the state, and this is where there is presently a gross violation. The state and the Church are to be equal confederates in providing balance. Neither should have authority over the other, but they should act as a counterbalance for each other.

Answer 7

You have absolutely no understanding of the Constitution. Are you saying that presidents surrender their right to freedom of speech?

The laws of this land cannot support or attack religion. Presidents can do what they want.

Answer 8

The Moro.....Errr President knows that approx 80% of Americans are Religious nu.....Errr followers. He will use this as his edge to get there backing. It's worked for the Evangelists wack......Errr preachers, why not use it fufill his war mongering ideals. As soon as Americans smarten up and stop following that ancient cr-ap, Dictator......Er Presidents will have to bend to the will of the people.

Answer 9

You cant control what people say, thats against human rights.

What you can control is their behaviour and application of laws.

If your president starts behaving like the Pope, then you should start worrying.

Answer 10

Your president has been stomping on what is left of your rights for 8 years, why would he stop now?