I can't understand why it seems so important in the US that the politicians talk about their faith, and why congressmen and women have to swear an oath on the Bible when they begin their mandate.
And the statement on every dollar bill "In God we trust"....I don't think that all US citizen believe that there is a God somewhere out there. Can't you have a religion that doesn't believe in a God (Buddhism, Taoism, Animism, ...), or can't you be an atheist or an agnostic and at the same time a US citizen?
In my opinion, religion is a personal thing, and the state should stay completely out of it.
2007-08-08 07:51:05 · 39 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
"The God that gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time."
--Thomas Jefferson
2007-08-15 10:09:44 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because what you believe determines to a great extent what you are.
And just for your information it does NOT have to be the Bible. But it IS supposed to be the Holy Book of your faith.
And I don't care if some idiots don't believe in God. It has absolutly nothing to do with the first amendment. The first amendment does not guarantee freedom from religion. It says you are free to worship how you feel you should. It says there will be NO religion of the state.
If you have a problem with using money that says "In God We Trust" E-mial me and I'll work out some way to take that offensive money off your hands. And I won't even charge you for it's disposal.
And just so you are clear on this. I don't care what you think. Just as you don't care what I think. It's what the Constitution grants and what our government binds by law that matters.
2007-08-16 07:21:14 · answer #2 · answered by namsaev 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no law that requires anyone to ever swear on a Bible. The oath of office is a custom, but not a law based on any religion (Art. 6 US Constitution). While there is no way, nor should there be a way to prevent anyone from bringing their religious beliefs to their public office, acting on those beliefs to the extent of attempting to pass laws or regulations that are religious in nature should never be allowed. The Founders intended this to be a purely secular government, but had no objection to any particular religious belief on the part of any official. Those that say that this government was 'founded on the Bible' are totally wrong. We know the day and the date that this government was officially founded..Sept. 17, 1789...the date the Constitution was enacted. Prior to that date there was no official 'United States'.....though one could argue that the US was founded when the Articals of Confederation were signed. But either way there was no mention of 'religion' and only passing references in the form of figures of speech or expressions of art to any diety.
2007-08-15 17:26:46 · answer #3 · answered by Noah H 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
IMO Yes there should be separation of church and state.
It would MAYBE be different if it somehow included all religion, but thats just an oxymoron in itself!
Religions contradict each other, thats why so many of them start wars.
You can't have a presidential speech about separation of church and state, then end the speech "god bless America".
2007-08-16 02:27:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't see why they can't work together to help people in need. Too many people get bent out of shape about separation of church and state they fail to see that some joint efforts in philanthropy would do a lot of good. Jimmy Carter was an outspoken Christian and did not mind people knowing it when he was president, but he never discriminated against people with different beliefs from his. I've talked with charities that solicit donations and they said that so many people said they would give, but pay high taxes to support the welfare state so they claim they have given to the government.
2007-08-08 08:30:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, report me I don't care. Religion is a BIG part of each NORMAL person. Religion is part of our life. Wither you like it or not, Should 80 % of the nation bow to your athiest views? I think not. you have the same right to vote as I do. I want to know if the person I cast my vote for holds the values I do, or if they are just another piece of trash off the street as so many of them are. When Values are ignored you end up with Kenndy who get drunk and drawns his date, Polizi and boxer who live to see children butchered in the womb, shumer who is more concered with the monsters held at Quantanamo that American Citizens. So in conclusion 80% of us don't give a rats rear about YOUR opinion.
2007-08-15 02:31:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Our founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, etc.) were all God fearing men. Washington felt so strongly about God, he felt that he had to be sworn in on a bible, so that started that tradition.
Religion has a lot to do with society and our values. It made the United States what it is today. So how can you say that religion must stay completely out of government? It will be very hard to do.
The "seperation of church and state" clause was not actually in the constitution. It was added by a activist supreme court who did not interpret the constitution as it was written as in contract law, they said it was a "living document" and that the founding fathers meant this because the interpreted what Jefferson wrote in a letter many years after the consititution was rattified.
If they meant that it must be seperate, why wasn't it in the constitution to begin with. What they have in the constitution is that "congress cannot establish a state religion."
If you know your history, King George the 8th established the Church of England after he was denied a divorce by the Roman Catholic Church. He forced all people to convert to the Church of England or face death. That is why the founding fathers have the clause "congress cannot establish a state religion" in the constitution. Not for your lame reason.
2007-08-08 08:05:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
Absolutely not. However, religion should not be a dominant factor in politics. As diversified as the electorate is, religion is part of that diversification. No one aspect of society should dominate politics. But religion has its' role.
Not the role this current American administration would like it to play.
2007-08-15 21:03:59 · answer #8 · answered by johny0802 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way to get religion out of politics would be to eliminate humans. That is like saying you don't like leaves but you like trees.
The closest any government has come to getting religion out of politics has been some of the communist nations. I'm not sure they set a good example of it, either.
2007-08-16 00:52:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is what makes Islam so dangerous. The more strident Muslims want the USA to be governed by Sharia or Islamic religious law. That is going in the wrong direction altogether.
2007-08-16 03:47:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Does anybody know how the ACLU is doing with their lawsuit against the government, filed by an atheist, demanding the removal of Crosses, or Stars of David, from the headstones of Dead soldiers in our national cemetaries, because they are offensive,(to the atheist) and against the policy of the division of church and state?
2007-08-15 20:28:46 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋