If the Government made it a rule to have separation between Church & State, then why?

Question

Then why can Televised Evangelicals endorse a candidate that is running for President? Didn't Pat Robertson endorse Rudy Giuliani?

gcbtradi, we hear that so much in the media about "separation between church and state" that I just assume that the govt. made that rule. I don't quite understand what that is all about. I see don't see that happening. The schools do celebrate Christmas and that is a religious holiday. Unless the schools changed the meaning of Christmas. I don't really know.

Answer 1

Our founding fathers in their wisdom,knew religion has no place in govt. Although they made it clear,that there be freedom to practice Any religion,our govt. would never endorse or have a state religion. Certain peoples of politicial parties,consistently try to inject their religious point of view on the masses of WE THE PEOPLE. eg.. The Ten Commandments,in or on a public bldg. It should be obvious to a thinking person, if we do allow one religious symbol on public property, is it not understandable that any and all OTHER religions would want the same priveldge?? Then we would have Bibles, Minoras,Curans,Crosses, Toras,Buddas,etc. It would never end! Pat Robertson DID endorse Giuliani, The Catholic church's archbishops told it's congregations that if they endorsed a pro-choice candidate, they should deny themselves, communion.Yet, they pay millions of dollars for the petifile priests scandals, with the understanding they never admit guilt! Pat Robertson also said we should assasinate the president of Venesuela!! The point here is Church and State should remain separate. All of these hypocrites, profess the moral religiolus high road, and when it come to living that road, they compromise their values, for money and power! The fact you recognized that Robertson is endorsing a twiced diviroced and pro-choice candidate, lets me know your smart enough to realize this. I would hate to be these hypcocrites ,if there is a God. That is why, WE THE PEOPLE should profess our religions if we have them, and ELECT the person with the qualities to serve the people they represent. And the issue of religion , should NEVER EVER, need to be known.. I remember when JOHN F. KENNEDY was running for president,he had to actually declare he would not change any law ineffect based on his religion!! People actually thought since he was the first catholic to run for president, that the pope in Rome would be giving him his marching orders!! I am of the opinion,whenever I hear a religious zealet endorse a political candidate, that candidate's views may be a little too far to the right for me to endorse.. My motto has always been." JUST THE FACTS PLEASE!!" Their civic records speak volumes.. Be governed accordingly.. SOLOMON

Answer 2

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

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.
You see the government never made the rule of separation between church and state. That is an interpretation by the courts pushed by the ACLU to ban and remove religion from schools and public.
When the constitution was wrote there were ministers and deeply devout Christians who wrote it. The purpose of this amendment was to avoid the situation in England that caused people to leave. England had declared a national religion and everyone had to follow it.
Pat Robertson can endorse any one he wishes as long as he does not do while filling the role he has with CBN or the 700 Club. If he does it while on the show, or in that capacity he can loose their tax exempt status. If they are not operating under that status, he can promote from the show.

Answer 3

Primarily because there is no such thing as "Separation of Church and State." It is not a rule nor is it written in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution is written so that the government can not form a particular or state sponsored religion, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Besides, you have given examples of individuals not a particular religion or church. Evangelicals have as much of a right to endorse a candidate as you or I do.

Answer 4

Celebrations like christmas are a part of the general culture. The seperation of church and state has nothing to do with faith anyway, it is to ensure that religious leaders like the Pope can't force a country to do what he wants it to do in the name of religion. The people elect politicians to run things, not religious leaders.
If religious people want to endorse a candidate or even run for office then they are free to do so. If a school wishes to celebrate christmas because that is part of its heritage and generally most of the pupils are of that background, then again that is part of freedom of speech and has nothing to do with seperation of church and state.

Answer 5

Anybody can endorse anyone.

What separation of church and state means is that the state cannot sanction one religion as "the official state religion."

It also means that citizens have the right to be a part of any religion they chose without persecution from the government.

Answer 6

Private individuals and churches can do as they wish.

The seperation of Church and State applies to the "State' being ruled influenced by religion. This in combination with the state not favoring any one religion or giving them special treatment..

Freedom of Religion for all.

Answer 7

First of all the Founding fathers didnt seperate church and state......

its been the knuckled heads in congress in the years past that has stated that , and its totally untrue

The Real goverment back then was founded on the principles of the Bible and it was those principles that keep the goverment in check.........but as always man turned it around to suit himself rather then what was right he turned into a lie !!!!!!

THus poilitical foolishness we have today !!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

The law was made a long time ago to keep the government from going in and controlling churches, but today it has been totally misused, for the government controlling how the church is in schools, and government topics, it is sad.
I don't know why they can't endorse, but it is hard to do this, as most of the canidates our greedy and it is about political gain, The Church would not condone this behavior.

Answer 9

Anyone can endorse a presidential candidate. I'm not voting for Giuliani and Pat Robertson is serious head case - although I'm shocked that Pat Robertson would endorse him because they disagree on some very fundamental principles including abortion and gay marriage. Maybe Pat Robertson is starting to REALLY lose it.

Answer 10

The law is that they cannot use tax exempt resources to make political statements.

I don't think Pat Robertson claims that his shows are tax exempt.

People are allowed to express their opinions (First Amendment), but tax exemption is a special status - tax exempt institutions get their status by being something that the American People (as a whole) want to support. That is, at the time that particular tax code came into being, they government decided that Churches were a good thing in general for society.

Personally, I don't think Churches should enjoy tax exemption. In fact, I think doing so violates the separation of church and state. (The government provides services such as fire and police protection, so that drains money from the community coffers. Why shouldn't those who reap the benefits of that protection pay for it?)