question about "seperation between church and state"?

Question

exactly what does that mean. i always thought it meant that the government wasnt allowed to control the church, but i hear that the government isnt even supposed to say religous comments or what?

Answer 1

You are correct the separation between church and state requires the government to not get involved in matters or religion, including stating a preference for one religion over another. Thus a display of the Ten Commandments offends those of the Islamic faith and Jewish people because two commandments are combined into one this differing from the way the Torah lists them.

A school tried to outlaw gang symbols so the school district passed a regulation that only a cross on a necklace could be worn. Since that discriminated against the Star of David the regulation was repealed.

The key idea is Religious Freedom. Anyone should be able to worship any religion and in any fashion; provided that practice doesn't break any laws. In the religion of Voodoo often an animal sacrifice is required. If it is done in a residential area then the police could charge the practitioners with a zoning violation; killing livestock in an area that is not zoned for a butcher shop. If a dog is sacrificed then cruelty to animal charges can be brought up. However, the practice of the religion itself cannot be outlawed. If someone believes in curses and another desires to take a poison that will turn them into a Zombie that is legal. The Zombie issue can be declared illegal if the government gets a doctor to say that the drug involved or whatever is used is as good as suicide.

This is why so many flavors of Christianity are allowed and prosper in the US. The Puritans came to the US because they wanted to practice their Christian religion in their own way. So when it came time to form a new government Religious Freedom was an important issue.

It is easy for a government to make laws that favor one religion over another or the police could be dispatched to oppress a religion. The things that can happen are too numerous to list. But, the government can't do this because of the freedom of religion and the Constitution's requirement that the State stay out of the affairs of a religious community.

The disaster at Waco happened because the group had purchased some weapons without the proper paperwork. The ATF got worried and tried to bust in. That's when the poo hit the fan. The FBI had the church under surveillance because they were a suspected threat, but they had no legal case and getting one would be difficult. No judge would want to issue a search warrant without some clear proof of a crime. Any investigation could be undermined by the separation between church and state issue, and a higher standard of proof of something bad going on would be needed before the government would be willing to prosecute the case.

Answer 2

The phrase does not come from the Constitution but from a letter which Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association 13 years after the Constitution was written. They were worried about the goverment establishing a federal religion like the European goverments had. Jefferson assured them this would not happen because we had a separation of church and state. The government was not allowed to establish a federal religion. According to the Constitution, the government is supposed to make no laws concerning religion. This means it should be left up to the states to decide religioous matters. In recent years things have gotten turned around. The federal government now tells the states what they can and cannot do about religious teachings and schools.

Answer 3

It means that the government is not supposed to endorse an establishment of religion. And they are also supposed to allow the free exercise of religion. It does not mean that the government officials are not allowed to say religious comments. President Bush mentions God a lot. He also made some comments about Islam. All it means is that the government, as a whole, is not supposed to favor any religious sect.

Answer 4

Ahh that would be called antidisestablishmentarianism.. which basically means to be opposed to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the anglican church in 19th century England. Make sense??

Don't ask me how I know this stuff, I just do.

Answer 5

You are right there was no and is no real seperation, that is merely a lie sold and beleived by too many in the US.

What was meant was that the church was to be protected from the government, and the governemnt ( federal) could not make one denomination thier state religion ( like in England where you had to be Anglican basicly)

But as liberals who are very anti christian gain political power and control of the courts, it is changing from a protection to an attack.

Answer 6

The government is prohibited from declaring a national religion. Church/religion is an individuals choice not controlled bythe government...

Answer 7

I think it means that the church and the government shouldn't meddle in each other's affairs, and that they should be two distinct institutions