Who benefits more from the separation of Church & State. The Church, or The State?

Answer 1

Both, actually.

It creates an arena where ideas are allowed to succeed or fail on their own merit. We've seen countless examples of how, when government is used as a leverage to push religion, the government either becomes suffocatingly repressive, as with the Taliban, or religion is institutionalized so much into government that it becomes nothing more than an adornment, as in the Church of England.

The reason we have such a wide range of belief, including religious belief, in the United States is due, in large part, to the freedom that people have to hold their own beliefs without being ostracized for them.

Answer 2

The State

Answer 3

EXCELLENT question!

If you're a Liberal, (as am I) you'd say, mostly the State, since religions aren't trying to interfere with democratic process, constitutional rights, etc. The Church would benefit less, since a) they wouldn't be able to do the above and b) they'd get even less funding than they do NOW (which, technically, should be NONE).

If you're a Conservative, esp. a christian, you'd like the system as is (Bush's near-destruction of Sep. of Church & State), since then you DO get heard, and get to influence things you shouldn't. You also get more support, financially, from huge organizations (again, who should NOT be doing this, other than verbally).

So, WITH separation, the State benefits, but religions are protected from State legislation. (Freedom of Religion).

WITHOUT separation, the CHURCH (but in this country, mostly the christians) benefit. Only right-wing/christian members of the "State" benefit...but really the State as a whole, is weakened, by a de facto theocracy.

Too bad nobody (except people like us) notices this!

Answer 4

Clearly it is the Church (unless you are the one church that is in with the government).

In most countries, the State has the power. By not allowing the State to infringe upon the Church, the Church is free to push its beliefs.

Look at the states where they are not separate. It breeds fighting and the churches and the state suffer.

Answer 5

Neither; Satan is able to cause so much trouble between both parties that nothing of good can ever be accomplished.

This nation was founded and built on christian values, slowly over the years these values have become eroded by the notion that there needs to be a separation.

This notion of separation is quickly eroding away at the basic laws and regulations that allowed us a honorable quality of life that was envied around the world.

We are now a joke, the fat lazy american watching sports, gambling, drinking, beating wife and kids, etc.

We were a decent God Fearing nation that held to christian based laws and regulations. The Blue laws, the movie / TV censor that kept things clean and in turn society kept it's moral compass.

Those 2 aspects have been altered and / or removed; so you ask who benefits from the separation?

A house divided can not stand. Abraham Lincoln

Simple construction , good foundation = strong house.

Answer 6

Originally, religion was meant to benefit. It was meant to guarantee freedom of religion -- at that time, every European power had an official state religion, and the idea behind the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution was to get away from that so that ALL religions could operate freely.

Nowadays, of course, secularists have bent and twisted the plain word in the Amendment -- which simply says that Congress shall not establish a national state religion.

They conveniently forget the second part of the Amendment, which says that there shall be no law inhibiting on freedom of religion.

Which makes it clear, at least to me, that it's wrong to discipline a kid for writing an essay about God in a public school. How is an official state religion being sponsored by allowing a kid to write such an essay?

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Answer 7

Churches benefit more. They don't know it, they see only gain for themselves in mucking in politics and frankly any interest they have in getting money from the public treasury is a mark of corruption on their part. Mucking in politics while accepting their tax exemption is also a mark of corruption and hypocrisy on their part. Suppose the government actually endorsed a particular church, that it "established" a national religion. That would be great for everybody involved in that particular faith, but not good for anybody else. The odds are very high that any given church would NOT fall in the favored category. But many are too blinded with greed and self righteousness to realize that.

Answer 8

Definately the State (or the people of the State) If you don't think this is true, come to Utah where the Church is the State.

Answer 9

The People !

while Church & State are so busy watching each other

Cheers

Answer 10

With Separation of Church and State, *everybody* wins.

The biggest winners are the people who belong to neither Church nor State.