When did government become independent of religion?

Answer 1

This was an outgrowth of the European Wars of Religion of the 1500s and 1600s, but that just laid the groundwork. Up until this time, it was simply presumed that government and religion had to be bound together. The wars laid bare the problem inherent in the idea. When religious dissenters became more than a small minority, it was no longer practical to apply simple suppression and marginalization to the question of dealing with religious diversity. England and her colonial offspring came up (haltingly, painfully, unwillingly) with one solution. Government should leave religion up to individual conscience and trust that respect for a common good would allow people of different religious persuasion to work together in at least some spheres of life. This experiment began to be implemented in the latter half of the 1700s.

Answer 2

For most of history most governments used religion or religion used governments to control people. China seem to have been an exception, and since before 700 AD they have been run by a secular bureaucracy no matter who was the ruler. The US constitution and France and Russia after their revolutions provided for a secular government. In most of the developed world religion is weak force in politics and although some governments still have formal ties with religion, the governments are secular.

Answer 3

Approximately 1778.
The separation of Church and State was "The Great American Experiment" and even though it seems to have failed with the modern Republicans it still lasted for almost 200 years.
Since then the idea has become the normal form of government in much of Europe and most of the rest on the world, so even if USA declines into a theocracy secular government will likely continue to spread.

USA was actually the first to separatre church and state since the time of the Early Roman Empire.

Answer 4

The founding of United States of America was the ground-breaker here: 1776. Before that, every government was affiliated with some religion, though other religions were tolerated more or less depending on the regime. People not affiliated with the state religion were always at a disadvantage, if not actually persecuted.

Answer 5

In the US?

Bill of Rights
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.



Here is Jeffersons intent explained in a letter



"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

Answer 6

What are you asking? Freedom of Religion became independent of the Government.

bless

Answer 7

Yeah, which one?

And by saying so, are you asking if the government is to be void of all religious input? I wouldn't find it realistic you you meant that. After all, government is made of people, and people can carry in the ideas and standards of religious persuasion.

But Governments who are dictated to by religious organizations become an enemy to liberty. I believe that history has sufficient evidence of that.

Answer 8

Do you mean the US Government? Since the creation of the constitution. Our founding fathers wanted to separate church and state due to the problems they faced in England.

Answer 9

1776

Answer 10

When the government leaders gathered enough power that had them decide they no longer need religious leaders backing them up.

I have no specific timelines for this but I believe this forms part of evolution.