Who believes that the seperation of Church and State has gotten miscontrued since it was originally written?

Question

in the US Constitution?
Please explain your opinion fully. Keep in mind most of the Founding Fathers of America were strong Christian.

Interesting quotes Gorgeous.
Did you know that marriage and religion go hand in hand? Where do you think the concept came from?

Answer 1

Me! I do.
My boss and I were just talking about this. I think our Founding Fathers just didn't want a State religion, like what England had/has. According to a speaker in my bosses graduate class last night, the phrase "seperation of Church and State" is not in the Constitution, it comes from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to (I think) Madison, in which he talks about who believes there shouldn't be a State run/endorsed religion. Later on (much later) a Supreme Court Justice (I forget who she said) interpreted Jefferson's "wall between Church and State" statement to be an impenetrable wall. I don't believe that's what Jefferson meant. Our Founding Fathers were not anti-Church, they were just anti-the Church being run by the government.

I don't have time to go into much more detail than that, but it does not explain my opinon fully. Sorry, it's Friday and time to go home.

Have a great weekend.

Answer 2

In more then half of the colonies had established religions when the constitution was signed. Connecticut had an established religion until 1818, which was well after many of the founding fathers had died. The true is they did not want a federal establish religion, however they did not have a problem with states doing as they pleased regarding religion. Notice what this says;

"CONGRESS shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

There is no mention of the State legislature!

As the federal government increased in power the state level authority has greatly diminished.

Personally I think they made a mistake, they should have had establishment of the true religion, like Scotland did in 1688.

Answer 3

Please think again about how strong of Christians they were!

The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823.

Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.
Thomas Jefferson, Whether Christianity is Part of the Common Law (1764). Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes, Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford, ed., New York

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned: yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth. Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves. But every state, says an inquisitor, has established some religion. "No two, say I, have established the same." Is this a proof of the infallibility of establishments? Our sister states of Pennsylvania and New York, however, have long subsisted without any establishment at all.
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782. Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes, Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford, ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 4, p. 80.

During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.
James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (1785), opposing a "Bill establishing a provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion" [10]
What influence in fact have ecclesiastical establishments had on Civil Society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny: in no instance have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty, may have found an established Clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just Government instituted to secure & perpetuate it needs them not.
James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (1785), opposing a "Bill establishing a provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion"

Answer 4

While our founding fathers were strong christian, they had also grown up in an environment where there was not that separation. That was the kind of government they were trying to get away from. They saw the devastation it was causing in England and did not want that in the Colonies. They realized that humans are free thinking people and should not be forced in any way to follow one belief or another. They realized that an individual was intellegent enough to make their own choices about what they wanted to believe and practice and to include it into governmental policies would be self defeating.

Answer 5

I would normally agree that it's misconstrued. It's freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. Its intent WAS to keep the government out of religion and not the other way around. However, the rich white slave-owning "Republicans" were smart enough to make it so amendments could be made should the need arise. Not too shabby an idea. As our country's citizens' values and ideas change, so too should our country. If the idea behind separation of Church and State needs to be reformed, these same founding fathers you speak so highly of have made it so it CAN be reformed to suit our country's current beliefs.

Answer 6

I think it has gotten misconstrued, misused and taken to the limit of acceptibility since it was written. I believe this because I know WHY it was written and what the precepts for it were when the people came here to settle this land.

We really cannot say that most of the Founding Fathers were strong Christians, however.

The Ol' Hippie Jesus Freak
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 7

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

There's not much room for misinterpretation there. The words "separation of church and state" may not be included in first amendment, but it's a good description of what that part of the constitution was meant to do.

Answer 8

actually many of them werent christian but theists (or deist i get them mixed up, ben franklin for one). and separation between church and state was never actually written into the constitution but it is implied through the establishment clause (govn't cant favor any religion over another) and the free establishment clause (you can worship any religion you want). for people who understood the need for religious freedom (many of their ancestors came here for that) they knew their new country would need this to become a success. but in short, no the separation of church and state idea hasn't been warped at all in my opinion. control does have to be taken though over what people practice otherwise people might take to human sacrifices. the founding fathers new this also.

Answer 9

What religion do you want running the government? Or maybe you want a government that regulates religion.

Those are the biggest things that keeping church and state prevent from happening. You do not have a government that violates the rights of citizens by imposing religion or even promoting it. You do not have a government that mandates an official bible and puts out fines for using the wrong one. Government should be religion neutral. It should not promote or condem private religion.

Answer 10

This is what it says. No mention at all about freedom of religion.
Jim
Amendment 1 -
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof