Difference between revisions of "Separation of church and state"

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==Related Pages==
 
==Related Pages==
 
* [[Gateways to Better Education]] is an organization promoting the insertion of religious education within public school classrooms in the {{USA}}
 
* [[Gateways to Better Education]] is an organization promoting the insertion of religious education within public school classrooms in the {{USA}}
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==Quotes==
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{{excerpt|Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] said (emphasis added):}}
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'''The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.''' It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.
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{{-excerpt|(source needed)}}
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==Links==
 
==Links==
 
===Reference===
 
===Reference===

Revision as of 19:28, 22 January 2008

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. Supporters, especially on the religious right, claim that the US is a Christian nation, often backing up this claim with revisionist history and quotes from early US historical documents taken out of context.

Some resultant issues include prayer in public schools and the wording of The Pledge of Allegiance.

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? (see discussion page for more)

Related Pages

Quotes

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said (emphasis added):

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.

(source needed)

Links

Reference

Filed Links

  1. redirect template:links/smw

Projects

Commentary

Discussion