Seperation of Church and State confusion?

The first amendment to the Constitution of the United States makes no mention of "separation of church and state." In fact, those words are found no where in the constitution. They were in the constitution of the former Soviet Union.

The first amendment states:

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.

A group that some referred to as "the wild-eyed radicals" put a lot of pressure on the drafters of the constitution to place the "establishment" clause and the "free exercise" clause in the bill of rights to ensure that government would not interfere with their right to worship as they saw fit without interference.

At the time of the writing of the constitution, there was never any intent to guarantee anyone freedom "from" religion.

How sad it is that so many who are hostile toward religion continually strive to prevent anyone in government from even acknowledging religion. Their goal appears to be to restrict religion, wipe out religion, or outlaw it.

How tragic hat many people believe that a candidate for office should lose his or her freedoms granted by the first amendment. They are critical if he or she expresses his or her religious convictions publicly. It is appalling that they would try to change a document that is the core of American beliefs and choose to twist it to suit their own hotile prejudices.

Government should not be making any laws prohibiting religious expression. The court has held that acknowledging the existance of a religion or even allowing religious artifacts to be displayed on government property does not, in and of itself constitute a violation of the "establishment clause."

In fact, laws regulating religious expression violate the "free exercise" clause. There should be NO laws in that respect.

Why so blessed...? I'm guessing that the wisdom, hard work, vision and courage of the American People had something to do with it... There have been a lot of nations which have prospered greatly without relying on religion at all, let alone Christianity. So our prosperity and blessings do not prove, or even imply, any approval by God, or favorable treatment from Him.

Search the entire Constitution - you will not find the word "God" in it, let alone the word "Jesus." Contrary to what is frequently stated by evangelicals, the United States is NOT a "Christian" nation. Such a distinction is explicitely prohibited by the Constitution.

The exact wording of the Constitution is this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (1st Amendment).

The Constitution guarantees us the freedom to worship, or not, as we please. We all have the right under the Constitution to accept or reject the teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other religion.

How tragic it is that so many evangelicals are now striving not only to change the law, but to change the most important and fundamental document in American history - the Constitution itself - to reflect their own religous prejudices and prohibitions against such things as homosexuality. This is exactly what Mike Huckabee explicitely stated was his goal, to "bring America back to Christ" and as he said just the other day, to change the Constitution to "bring it into line with Christ's teachings" (as he interprets them, of course).

To attempt to impose any religion's teachings and beliefs upon our government and our citizens is not only illegal and dangerous to all of us and all of our liberties. Such attempts are unChristian and unAmerican.

I totally agree! I can see that many people have taken the words of Separation of Church and State because of their own laziness or their own agenda. I discovered by going to www.wallbuilders.org that Thomas Jefferson was writing this comment to the Baptist Church to reassure them that the Government would remain out of the Church's business, not the other way around.

Our Country was founded by Christians, for Christians and it is obvious that God has blessed us tremendously for it. I just hope and pray that our Country realizes this fact and turn from our wicked ways and invite Jesus back into our lives, schools, and government before it is too late.

There can be no laws based on religion because that *would* compel people to practice at least some aspects of a religion against their will. Separation of church and state means just that.

"I contemplate with soveriegn 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 and State." - Thomas Jefferson

"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own." - Thomas Jefferson

See more quotations here:

http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/quotes_founder...

.

yes.. because you cannot mix religion and government .

religions is some think personal in be twin god and human no body has a right to get in...this is no bodys busines .other vise we will be iran.. no way..

yes god blessed america and the freedom we have the love in our heart's and human rights..(in god we trust)

thats why so many people are trying running away from all over the world so can have the freedom too in the america ....

The USA was/is not surrounded by countries that are interested in fighting us. That is why we have the capability to prosper. It was also because religion was kept out of politics. Look at the most religious states in the country. Most of them are poor especially along the Bible belt.

Our forefathers devised the plan to keep religion out of government because they saw what was going on in Europe.

regardless of your opinion or any historic information you will be able to desire to make your ideas up directly to reference, the meaning of "separation of church and state" interior the year of our Lord 2008 skill in basic terms what's desperate by 9 unelected adult adult males in black gowns.... don't get me incorrect; i'm Fundamentalist Christian and that i'm to the dazzling of Rush Limbaugh, yet my opinion isn't regulation, and yours isn't the two. the shown fact that the subsequent PRESIDENT could desire to o.k. hire 2 justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seventy 5 years previous and has publicly expressed a prefer to retire and John Paul Stevens is 88 years previous)..... ONE CONSERVATIVE could tip the courtroom; the recent courtroom under John Roberts could desire to undo the countless Judicial blunders of the previous technology, including Roe v Wade, yet you have been asking approximately separation of church and state, weren't you? The perfect courtroom on my own is powerful reason to vote this autumn, as though we did not already have adequate.

Actually what it means is that the government cannot interfere with the free exercise of the church.

You say it cannot "force you or BE A PART of religion". Which is correct. Then, however you go on to contradict yourself when you say it is okay for them to be mixed. What is mixed if not one part one thing one part the other? There are no such writings, the pledge and coin mentions of god were post-1900. Separation is separation, no more, no less.

If you do a little research, our founding fathers were mostly agnostic or atheists.

and its just in how you interpret it. I believe religion should play no part in politics

Blessed? No...we are just lucky to be one of the first nations to become stable with their economy and military