Separation of church and state

Overview

"The separation of church and state is a concept and philosophy in modern thought and practice, whereby the structures of state or national government are proposed as needing to be separate from those of religious institutions. The concept has long been a topic of political debate throughout history." -- [W]

United States

This separation has become of particular interest lately in the United States, in that there has been a strong cultural movement to "include [the Christian] God" in daily life, and to "put God back" into various arenas from which religion had generally been excluded.

In the United States, the separation of church and state is spelled out in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the Federal legislature from making laws that:

• Establish a state religion or prefer certain religion (the "Establishment Clause");
• Prohibit free exercise of religion (the "Free Exercise Clause");
• Infringe the freedom of speech;
• Infringe the freedom of the press;
• Limit the right to assemble peaceably;
• Limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

There are some areas where such separation is apparently ignored by tradition:

• By law, the country's currency now carries the motto "In God We Trust." (Need source: what law?)
• Congress begins its sessions with a prayer.
• The words "under God" were, by law, added to the customary United States Pledge of Allegiance (on Flag Day in 1954).

There is obviously a vague area where "free excercise of religion" and "freedom of speech" come into contact with preventing the state from establishing or sanctioning a religion: a state-salaried teacher or principal (for example) arguably represents the voice of the state, which must be restrained by the establishment clause, but the same person is also an individual and has the rights of free speech and free excercise.

notes

Part of the problem with "including God" is that, while it includes the vast majority of religions present in the U.S., which are mainly branches of Judeo-Christianity (or, more technically, Abrahamic religions), it does exclude some of them, and is therefore arguably "preferring a certain religion". It also specifically excludes atheists and agnostics, who are now much greater in number than they were at the time of the First Amendment and sometimes feel threatened or coerced by official sanction of any religiously-based ideas.

Reference

• Wikipedia: |separation of church and state| First Amendment to the United States Constitution|

Issues

• Prayer in public schools is an issue in the United States in part because it encroaches upon separation of church and state.

Links

• why the mail is no longer delivered on Sunday by Susan Jacoby: some history on separation of church and state in the US; highlights and commentary by Arthur Silber

Points for Discussion

• How is it bad if God is excluded? How is it bad if God is included? Does "including God" include all religions, or are some disqualified as being pagan, heathen, etc.?

Why should an atheist feel excluded, or even threatened, when God is mentioned? When someone mentions the Roman deity Jupiter, or even prays to him, I don't feel excluded or threatened, I just don't feel included, but that's by personal choice. If they were trying to coerce or force me to pray with them, only then would I have an issue, otherwise it is simply and only about freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion, no matter what job, position or even political office they hold.

I am amazed that so many feel threated by something they profess they don't even believe in, when it should stand as a reminder how much more reason-based they are. I don't get upset by the mention of aliens in spaceships visiting earth and abducting people, but when someone mentions a belief in such things it makes me thank God that I have the intelligence to know better. Midian 12:24, 6 October 2006 (EDT)

Notes

Need to find some specifics about the battles over displaying the Ten Commandments in (or outside of) court.