Question for those who believe in seperation of church and state ?

Question

Do you mean ALL religions, or just Christianity?

Tony B: It just seems that Christianity is the target.

Answer 1

All religions. How could it be otherwise?

.

Answer 2

The term "separation of church and state" does not appear in the Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are CREATED equal, and are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights...some time later, Thomas Jefferson wrote to one particular denomination, assuring them that the government could not establish a "state religion" because of this clause, introducing the term "separation of church and state" in that letter. (I doubt if he knew at the time that he was "popularizing" this phrase.)
It seems pretty obvious to me that our Founding Fathers never expected their words to be twisted to the point that children would not be able even to thank their God in a school speech. This whole "separation of church and state" has been carried too far, when any child is denied his right, also guaranteed in the very same amendment, to freely practice his religion...and, please note, there is nothing there that says he must do so "in private".
So...yes, I believe that "separation of church and state" should definitely apply to ALL religions...that is, the state should never establish ANY religion as an official "state religion", nor should the state ever force any religion on any citizen. On the other hand, it is not the business of the state to monitor people's practice of their religion. If a person wishes to pray, they ought to be allowed to do so, where ever they happen to be. There ought never to be a law that states that a Christian teacher may not pray with her Christian students, for instance, as long as she doesn't do it during class time. There ought never to be a law that states that Islamic, or Wiccan, or whatever teachers may not pray, or whatever, with their students of the same religion, either...again, so long as it is not during class time. There should not be any discrimination against anyone because of gender, or skin color, or religion.
Congress, it says, is not to make such laws, nor is the Supreme Court to uphold such laws.
Have we made the First Amendment of no affect for those who do place their faith in their God, with our foolish fighting over religion?

Think about it.

Answer 3

You don't have to "believe" in something that is supposed to be the foundation of a country.
After all James Madison said "Freedom can be measured as the distance between the church, and the state. When those two institutions are together, then freedom is lost."
And he was so very right about that.
And yes, it means ALL religions.

Answer 4

All religions.

Jay, Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, popularized the term "separation of church and state." That should tell you something about the mindset of our Founding Fathers. Many of them were religious, but they also understood the dangers inherent in letting the government meddle in religion, and vice versa.

Remember: The government that can involve itself in religion is the same government that can compel you to believe a certain way, or can ban religious freedom altogether.

You may think it's harmless for the government to get involved in religion if your religion is the majority belief. But what if it weren't?

That's why it's bad to let the two realms get involved with each other.

Answer 5

It does already apply to all religions. The Christians however, are the only ones attempting to infiltrate and inflict their beliefs upon the education and government systems not the Jews or the Hindus or anyone else.

Answer 6

All of them, it just appears that Christianity is targeted because they seem to be the only ones trying to end the separation. Hindus, Jews, and Zoroastrians don't have huge rocks with their religious precepts carved on them placed in the middle of the entrance ways to courtrooms, for instance.

Answer 7

All religions. Teachers don't get to lead students in prayers to any gods. No religious symbols in courtrooms. No public funding of any religions.

This does not include accommodation of religious beliefs. That is different. Military personnel can have chaplains, hospitals can have chapels, kids can get out of school for religious holidays, etc.

Answer 8

All religions.

BTW, since I suspect I know where you'regoing with this, atheism is not a religion, it's a LACK of religion. Government separated from religion would by default be atheistic, ignoring claims of deities and following only reason in its lawmaking.

I wish.

Answer 9

All religions. I'm a pagan and I wouldn't want my gods in the government anymore than I would want Yahweh or Jesus or Allah in the ruling of the state.

Answer 10

" I'd like one person to show me where, in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence, that it says "separation of church and state."


And I would like you to find the mention of god, jesus or christ in those same documents..........good luck.


EDIT:

"the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle..." Declaration of Independence

From the D.o.I
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The Declaration refers to “Nature’s God,” “Creator,” and “Divine Providence.” These are all terms used in the sort of deism which was common among many of those responsible for the American Revolution as well as the philosophers upon whom they relied for support. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was himself a deist who was opposed to many traditional Christian doctrines, in particular beliefs about the supernatural.

Fom an atheist website, but still.....................

"One common misuse of the Declaration of Independence is to argue that it states that our rights come from God and, therefore, there are no legitimate interpretations of the rights in the Constitution that would be contrary to God. The first problem is that the Declaration of Independence refers to a “Creator” and not the Christian “God” meant by people making the argument. The second problem is that the “rights” mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” — none of which are “rights” discussed in the Constitution."


While it apparently mentions god in it, I think it goes without saying it is being looked at from a narrow POV


"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..." Declaration of Independence

Since when is the creator the kristjan god you apparently think it is?

Answer 11

All religions. Any non-seperation only endangers religious freedom. I would think christians would agree with me...