the Constitution has no such thing but says simply "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?"
In other words, for those of you that say "Seperation of Church and State!", they will not make any religion the main one of the US. That is why the US is not a Chrisitan Nation even though the majority is Christian. It says nothing that people cannot be religous upon entering the office, or going by their own personal beliefs when passing laws and such.
2007-11-16 15:51:10 · 13 answers · asked by Chase 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
F-14, unlike most countries in Europe (most of them were founded, then pledged their loyalty to the pope, heavenly status as monarch, etc) the US, though having a large majority of Christian people (and voters, hence why so many politicians claim to be Chrisitan), the US was never declared a Chrisitian Nation.
And to the person who was ranting and rambling on about masons, George Washington and many of the Founding Fathers were deists, not Masons. So enough of that crap.
2007-11-17 19:32:01 · update #1
Genji, what are you talking about? All I said was that a person's upbringing (part of it happens to be in beliefs, spiritual or otherwise) will effect on how they run a country.
2007-11-17 19:34:00 · update #2
In 1802, Jefferson referred to "the wall of separation between church and state" in a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptists reassuring them that the Feds would not interfere in their religious practices. It is not in the constitution. The gov't took this quote out of context in the middle of the 20th c., and we've been stuck with the misinterpretation of it ever since. The Constitution refers to the gov't making no law respecting the establishment of religion meaning that citizens of the US could not be required to practice a religion, much less a state sponsored one.
2007-11-16 15:59:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
I haven't heard that concept about personal beliefs mentioned in the context of the first amendment. Who has said that it applies to other than church involvement with the government or government support of a church?
Is their a campaign against personal beliefs too? Or is it just some sort of red herring?
2007-11-16 15:59:20 · answer #2 · answered by Gaspode 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"
you just contradicted yourself, you carnt pass a law promoting any religion so from this you are also not allowed to teach intelligent design in state schools. this is the claws that establishes the separation of church and state.
you can be as religions as you want when you enter office (its probably the only way you will get in because of the dominance of Christianity) but you carnt pass laws that establish a religion.
2007-11-16 15:58:12 · answer #3 · answered by Gengi 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
to the person who said that the country is based on Cristian ideas, WRONG, it is based on the ideas of the mansons (the guys who have the compass and square ruler as their symbol) Hey, George Washington was a Head Mason in his day. Also the rules of a republic is to represent the people who voted you in the seat you are sitting in, They need to hear the voices of the people that put them in their position in the first place or they will be kicked out of their position. It dose not matter how you the Representative or senator feel, it's the people who called you to vote for them wants. That is how a republic suppose to work but other things get in the way.
****ADD ON*****
So I spell the name wrong, that is nothing compaired to some of the atrosates I have seen on the answers board. This is not worth a thumbs down
2007-11-16 16:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by MG 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
the US is NOT a christian nation? where's your head been in the last decade? of course we're christian; look at our government, look at the mainstream population, look at that recent court case in Pennsylvania in 2004 over intelligent design being taught instead of evolution in a classroom! George Bush himself says "the jury is still out on evolution", Barak Obama (sp?) continually espouses his religious beliefs to get elected, as do other candidates, it's insane! we should never elect the leader of the free world based on his or her religious beliefs, it should be on his or her leadership capabilitie and qualities! forget Jesus, Allah, Moses, Jehovah, whoever! the government of the United States should remain RELIGION-FREE, without influence from Evangelicals, Muslims, Jews, etc. why the hell do you think the Middle East hates us? because we're christian and they know it, and i for one and ashamed of living in a christian republic!
that is why, even if it does not say "Separation of Church and State" in the constitution, "Separation" is still a vital part of this nation's government, we need it, and if i could i'd get it added to the Constitution as an Amendment. no one religious entity should control power; it's unethical.
and MadforMAC, the majority of Founding Fathers were actually Unitarian or Universalist, not JUST Christian; they actually conflicted with mainstream Christian beliefs.
2007-11-17 04:40:37 · answer #5 · answered by F-14D Super Tomcat 21 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Those people not only don't know this countries history, but they don't understand the Constitution and the (majority of) Christians who wrote it.
America was founded on, built on and has thrived on the Christian beginnings that our our foundation. Some quickly forget that because they feel guilty for how they live their own lives. When the light of truth shines on them, they get very antsy.
2007-11-16 16:01:36 · answer #6 · answered by MadforMAC 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
ok fine, if there is no seperation of church and state you will not need that tax free status. so have your religious leaders cough up the millions of tax dollars they owe us, or face jail time.
2007-11-16 16:05:03 · answer #7 · answered by Brandon 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
You are correct. Furthermore, the idea was designed to KEEP THE STATE OUT OF THE CHURCH! Not the way most people take it.
2007-11-16 15:58:53 · answer #8 · answered by Matt s 4 · 1⤊ 5⤋
to keep rational thoughts behind our laws, not religious beliefs of the mots popular faith.
2007-11-16 16:07:13 · answer #9 · answered by llllllllllllllllll 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The only reference that Jesus made that directly relates to the separation of church and state issue is found in Matthew 22:15: "Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. 'Teacher,' they said, 'we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, 'You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.' They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, 'Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?' 'Caesar's,' they replied. Then he said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.' When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away."
2007-11-16 15:55:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋