Do you believe in the separation of church and state?

Question

If so, please share your comments. They would be interesting to read.
http://www.bushflash.com/faith.html

Answer 1

I do believe in Separation of Church-State. That's why I hated Jerry Fallwell.

Answer 2

yes the two should be separated but it would be almost impossible to segregate each 100%. Churches are on land that borders or infringes on other private lands. Religious zealots want access to have parades and fairs which can conflict with the public rights. Suppose a church has services and when over 100's of family's want to drive home at the same time - perhaps for certain hours we would logical require a street to be one way to facilitate people leaving the churches grounds.

Answer 3

The separation of church and state as many in the political arena talk about does not exist in the constitution. The constitution prohibits the government from recognizing a state religion but that doesn't mean that the government cannot have anything to do with religion. In other words the government cannot give special privleges to a certain religous group.

Answer 4

The basis for separation of Church and State in the Constitution is not how its being defined today by our courts. I agree that the Church should have no power over how we live our lives, but saying we can't have a religious symbol on public property, nor prayer at a public event violates the basic concept.

Answer 5

The government should not interfere with the free expression of religion. There is nothing that says that religion should not interfere with government. Every leader in Washington has their own religious beliefs and they have an influence on the decisions that they make.

Separation of church and state ensures that the state does not get involved with religion.

cyanne...
the Plague was brought to Europe through trade, not religion. The rats that stowed away on the ship coming out of Asia brought the plague to Europe. It had nothing to do with religion. Or are you one of the ill-informed that believe the blood liable that us Jews brought the plague to Europe? The Jews did not suffer from the plague as much because of our religious sanitary laws.

Answer 6

The state has no business promoting any religious or sectarian group. Jesus said, "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." Our government is NOT a theocracy. And even if the largest, most gentle, and tolerant group dominated the halls of government, that position would not likely last.

The taliban was a theocracy. The more steeped one is in their own religious views, the less tolerant they tend to be of differing views, and the easier it is for them to endorse legislation promoting their own sect.

Our president's "Faith Based Initiatives" was headed by a very tolerant man named "David Kuo." When President Bush first pushed this program, I thought it was a good recipe for disaster. David Kuo himself has since resigned his position, and now speaks out against the program. Who would have guessed, he wonders, that federal tax dollars would have been handed out to religious groups to support partisan politics instead?

Who indeed? I mean, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, or any other fundamentalist icon would never have sought federal tax money to promote GOP candidates. That would have violated the very disestablishmentarian principles so stoutly endorsed by Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and many other of our nation's founding fathers.

Although there is in "religious test" for public officials per se, how many of our 500+ congressmen are non theists?

One.

How many presidents have ever been non theists?

None.

There is nothing wrong with people of faith--any faith--holding public office. Obviously. What is wrong is when those good folks then try to use the public square to promote their religious beliefs. Public school prayer. Crosses, menorahs, creches, huge paintings of "The Savior," or various decalogues erected in schools or court house lawns, foyers, and vestibules. Mandatory public school Bible Study classes and prohibitions against the teaching of the fundamental precents of biological science.

I highly recommend everyone familiarize themselves with these issues facing our nation:

Answer 7

I think that video is stupid manipulative propaganda. Just the sound effects and music are enough for me to not take it seriously. Everyone attacks the Republicans for using fear-tactics, and then they turn around and do the same thing!!! I think its hypocritical and an insult to my intelligence. I think if you have a case, facts are enough to prove it. I dont need black and red color schemes with satanic images and GW's face with frightening music. What am I, five years old?


But yes, I agree that there should be separation of church and state. But you can EASILY make that case using facts, instead of "Bush is like Hitler" propaganda.

Answer 8

Yes, I do indeed. When church and state mix, you end up with things like the Crusades, the war in Iraq, and even Bubonic Plague.

Answer 9

Yes, and so did Thomas Jefferson AND Jesus.

T Jeff expresses this sentiment in his 1802 letter to the danburry baptists, and Jesus once said "render unto caesar that which is caesar's, and unto god that which is god's."

Answer 10

no