do you believe in seperation of church and state?

Question

i do, but I'd like to know your opinions on it

Answer 1

You bet I do...

Answer 2

Yes very much. Though it is not found clearly in the constitutuion the phrase there should be no religious test to hold office in the government seems to hold that it is not a requirement to be religious. Alaso the founding fathers apparently realized the importance of keepiong the two apart though not explicitly due to the hazards to freedom and human rights when the two are mixed. Lets face it whenever the two do come together the human misery index shoots skyward and the clock is turned back. Science suffers, violence increases, coercian takes hold and also the religous institutions suffer from power, arrogance and become the oppresser as well as the oppressed. This is only a mild statement meant to hint at what and does happen when the two are mixed.

Answer 3

Absolutely. Total and complete separation.

I live in the UK (because I'm English) and we do not have an instituted separation. The separation has grown over time, but I think we have a way to go yet.

I do not believe that freedom of religion (which necessarily includes freedom not to have a religion) can fully co-exist if the state gets involved in religion. To the extent that the state does get involved in religion it must favour one religion or group of religions.

Religion is about an individuals relationship with God, the state is about how we organise what we have in common. I can respect and live someone of a different religion only if neither of us tries to force the other away from that religion. In a coffee shop the Muslim and I can be members of the same society, in a mosque or a church that is impossible. The state is a coffee shop, not a place of worship.

Nothing in this should stop anybody using their faith to infrom them on decisions about voting and participation etc. It SHOULD stop the state from acting differently towards people of different faiths and/or favouring one faith over another.



Its a case of "render unto Ceasar", but goes a bit beyond taxes.

Answer 4

I live in the US, yes.
But separation of church and state had nothing to do with where you pray, or who you listen to as far as who to vote for. It had to do with avoiding the trap of a State Church, like what the Roman Catholic Church was like, the Anglican Church, and also Islam.

The problem is; Islam never learned. They still require that the State listen to a religious body in order that it be done right.

That is why Islam is viewed as being so violent and atrocious. They rely on religion to tell the government to do things according to what they say concerning Shir ah Law.

Answer 5

I believe in separation of Church and State the way that Thomas Jefferson originally wrote it. He meant that the State should stay out of the Church, but the Church was allowed in the State. If you want to read the letter that quoted that phrase, go to www.wallbuilders.com

Answer 6

I absolutely do. Unfortunately, however, the once altruistic principle of religious and spiritual liberty seems to have denigrated into an doctrinal exclusion of church (or any religion) by the state. Instead of the state taking no stance in spiritual matters, it most recently has been taking a stance against them.

Answer 7

I do believe.
If it was possible to separate religion and politics in Muslim Countries, there wouldn't be having those problems.
Western economies do not have complete separation but every religion is free to practice their faith; that's not the case in places like Saudi Arabia where religion is part and parcel of their politics.

I know it's impossible to have a complete separation in any state but it's worth trying. It's not fair that the government dictate to people how they should worship.
Like Prophet Jesus said; 'Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.

Answer 8

The separation of church and state in the US is a farce. All of the American presidents were not just white males but also Protestants, with the lone exception of Kennedy who didn't even complete his term. I don't think this is a coincidence.

Answer 9

No
Separation of Church and State sound so ridiculous I can hardly believe it.

God has placed pharaohs, and kings on throngs, God has removed great leaders from their position of power and people honestly think that God is not going to judge even those in government because they say there's a separation of church and state- somebody give me a break.

Answer 10

Yes. When one brings religion into it then I ask: who's religion, who's God, who's beliefs. Religion clouds legalities and creates a system that is deeply biased toward one group over another. I cannot think of a bigger nightmare than combining the two. We need only look at countries who do this to see the mess it creates.

Not excluding when the U.S. has fallen into the same trap and the chaos that's ensued.

Answer 11

I believe in the kind of separation of church and state practiced by our forefathers when we were still a Christian nation, had prayer in schools, etc. Separation never intended to separate God from government...

As the Supreme Court, eight years after the passing of the First Amendment, thus declared in the 1799 case of Runkel v. Winemiller, “By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed upon the same equal footing…”