The part of the First Amendment that says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”

Question

The part of the First Amendment that says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” is called the Establishment Clause. It is the Establishment Clause that causes most of the arguments. Why do you think most Supreme Court justices, along with many political and religious leaders, believe that government should not help religion in any way? What could happen if the the Establishment Clause did not exist?

Answer 1

If the Establishment clause did not exist, then the govt could mandate religious activity, and could prohibit religious belief, and can order religions to act a certain way.

It protects the govt from controlling religion, and it protects the people from being controlled by a dominant (majority) religion acting through the govt.

Those who support the idea of church and state being separate -- separate = distinct, not the same (not isolated) -- realize that politics and religion are both extremely powerful motivators and both have very intense beliefs and believers.

Keeping them separate allows people to believe what they wish, without fear of being criminally punished for their beliefs. That's the reason why this country was founded in the first place -- to escape religious persecution as a minority.

Answer 2

The Constitution, along with early court cases and writings (most notably, by Thomas Jefferson), advocate the separation of church and state.

The government helping religion would mean that they would be caught up in religious affairs--a case could be made that supporting religion helps to further establish it, to establish different parts of it, different offices, different functions.

That runs counter to the idea that the US has a secular government that is not controlled by religion.

In order to have religious freedom, you can't have a state-run, or even a state-funded (edit: whoops!) religion. If a church can't support itself, it's certainly not up to the government to bail it out. This country was founded by people who wanted to be free to join offshoots of established religion, cults, splinter groups, or no religion at all.

If you have an official government religion, you squash the chances of freedom for religion outside of government.

You wouldn't want that.

Government officials should advocate the separation of church and state because that's what the framers of the Constitution meant to happen, and they're maintaining the original intent of this country's government.

Answer 3

if this clause didnt exist, the government would control religion as well as religious people would control the government.

If you dont believe in the way the government believes that u should then u would be one of the out casts

Freedom of Religion is one of the reasons that the USA is as great as it is. Our government staying out of religious issues makes all the different religions stronger.

When people dont want a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn is NOT a war on religion...... but a battle to keep religion private and strong

Answer 4

Establishment of religion means ALOT more than just making an official religion. It means ANYTHING that requires someone to practice religion. That includes official prayers in schools and the like. That's obvious. Anybody who wants the government to run schools where they indoctrinate your children with official religious messages blessed by the state, raise your hand. I thought so.

Answer 5

All one has to do is look at the Middle East to see that keeping religion and government separate is a good idea.

Also, throughout history, religion has caused nothing but problems in almost everything it comes into contact with.

Considering that most religions are founded upon an imagined reality, i.e. superstition, they have no place in the realities of government.

Answer 6

it means exactly what it says , the gov, shall not make a law to recognize any particular religion, so no law can be made that says you have got to be a Methodist, Baptist or any other faith, it did not ban all religious prayer, or any other ban on any religious activity,including prayer in school, if some one did not like prayer in school they were free to leave, our so called great boys in black banned prayer in school because the Zionist thought it would put them in a higher spot, but, it seems as if that back fired on them

Answer 7

The gubberment should stay out of almost anything.The government can't even figure out what to do with 20 million illegal aliens.I sure as hell don't want them running the church.

Answer 8

idiots with goat headed dietys would be fought over in insider wars ..the founding fathers were sick of religious BS