Religious Neutrality

It does not however say that an individual in office may have no religious beliefs at all. The statements I have put in bold are those I believe can be explained by this, a persons’ personal belief. Though all these statements can be depicted one way or another depending on your own beliefs, my opinion lays that statements like that of the Declaration of Independence mentioning God further more shows that the founding fathers believed and practiced Christianity but just because they did, they were not imposing it on everyone else that would be affected by an official document like the Constitution.

Since the early 1600s, the colonies had been practicing self-government. With the influence of the British, the American colonies were able to create a representative government. With the rights of its people in mind, the government continues to put in force the policies and laws formed by the colonies. Those policies, formed so long ago by the colonies, have helped to shape and maintain our Constitutional Republic today.

Thomas Jefferson desired a democracy where governmental decisions would not be affected by religious beliefs and biased views of the situation. Thomas Jefferson viewed separation of church and state here is some of his insight on the topic, “...legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign 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 & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties” (Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists). Jefferson became the sole author for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which became the the most important religious separationist papers of the 1700’s. Jefferson’s ideas and writings for separation of church and state helped to form the American Enlightenment period, and to further his ideals based upon his

Although the phrase the separation of church and state is frequently misunderstood it is extremely important to know the meaning of this phrase. This is the distance between organized religion and the national state, and to sum this phrase up religious groups will not control the government and they will not dictate the government. I personally think the signers of thought the separation of the church and state was a good idea only because this keeps down confusion and it prevents individuals from being upset and thinking that they are being taxed for the purpose of someone else’s religious hospitals, schools, or

Washington’s view on religion and morality is that it is essential in promoting public and private happiness, as well as political prosperity. He made his point by stating, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports” (Washington, 1796). This displays how he believed in the power of religion and morality because it will lead to political prosperity. In addition, he stated, “Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion” (Washington, 1796). This statement is key because it displays how religious principals and characteristics promotes the protection for property, reputation, and life. Furthermore, without religion and its obligated principals, people will most likely abandon oaths, which are significant requirements in the justice system. Moreover, Washington wanted to express that if the people have integrity, honor, and commitment then they will be able to understand the meaning of respecting the laws and justice system. Also, how religion and its principles lead to the concept of morality and cannot be sustained without

In his farewell address, George Washington outlines the importance of religion to the maintenance of American ideals and, therefore, the new American government. Washington describes religion as a means to an end. In his view, all morality stems from religion. Because moral behavior is necessary for the survival of the American system, religion itself is the vehicle by which a moral society and government will be achieved. Washington’s argues for religion in American society from a principled and a pragmatic context. Washington claims religion is a prerequisite for patriotism. Without religion, oaths sworn on the Bible would bear no weight. In essence, religion and the potential for an afterlife motivate the government (or the people who comprise it) and the governed to act in the best interest of the nation, rather than the individual. Ultimately, Washington’s Farewell invokes religion as the sole basis of morality, the foundation upon which American governance must lie in order to survive.

Over the past few years, anyone can tell you that religious importance in our country has become less, and less vital. Recent events like the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and the attacks on Paris, France, have made the freedom of religion harder and harder to come by. Having the free practice of religion has proved difficult. Christianity has suffered from these issues as the general acceptance of the religion has declined substantially in the few decades. A recent poll there was a sense of discrimination for the Islamic religion, as they have been responsible for the attacks, 8/10 Americans believe Christianity should be practiced freely, while only a mere 6/10 Americans think the Muslims should practice freely (Source #3).

George Gillespie played a key role in the formation of the American Union’s fledgling government. Through his works, he convinced our Founding Fathers that civil government should be kept separate from the government of the church. By forcing this, he opened the door to arguments that shut religion out of politics and suppress the wishes of a large portion of our society. Today, we hold the “separation of church and state” to be one of the most important parts of our constitution, but we must confront the uncomfortable fact that, for much of American history, the phrase "separation of church and state" have often been expressions of exclusion, intolerance,

In this day of time, there are many questions that rise controversy between people. A topic that has been the center of drama for years is the establishment between church and state. John Fea asks the blunt question: Was America Founded a Christian Nation? Throughout his book, John Fea contemplates the differing opinions on this subject. John Fea breaks this book into three parts. The first focuses on the history of the idea that America is a Christian nation. Then, he looks at the American Revolution and the role Christianity played in it. John Fea aims the last few chapters at the religious beliefs of presidents and other influential people during the first years of America. As one reads, the various points John Fea makes, they may alter his/her own viewpoint.

According to 48 Liberal Lies about American History, Larry Schweikart argues that the founding fathers of the United States truly did want religion to be incorporated into government. James Madison, one of America 's founding fathers, first considered the relationship between religion and government when he saw a group of Baptists in a local jail. He determined that it was necessary for all citizens to have an equal opportunity to practice their own religion, whether their beliefs align with the government or not. Madison eventually paired with Thomas Jefferson, and together their support for religious freedom changed legislation.

In conclusion separation of church and state is a significant matter in our country. Before choosing this topic I was aware of the situation but not how relevant the topic was. I was unaware of what a Separatist or Accommadatonist was or what they stood for. This paper has taught me a lot, I have learned to be more aware of the issues in our country. The reason this is important is because you never know how the outcome of something like this would affect you. It is important to stay on top of things like this because the outcome could affect you negatively as well as positive. Either way you should be

Thomas Jefferson was an excellent visionary on the topic of separation of church and state, he articulated through supporting religion yet upholding civil liberties that could also be lost along the

In fact, Thomas Jefferson mentioned, “the laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle” in the Declaration of Independence. He made this claim to argue that freedom of thought was undeniable and that the nature’s God gave people the freedom to choose their religious belief. Although this may be accepted by people today, in early America people strongly believed in a certain Christian denomination. In fact, many people who support this view that God allows us to believe in whatever we want are known as Deists. By making this argument, this further shows that instead of being a Christian, Thomas Jefferson was a Deist. To further continue, Thomas Jefferson proposed the Virginia Statue of Religious Freedom in 1786. Its goal was to separate the church from the state. Though there are good reasons to separate the church from the state, it also showed that Thomas Jefferson didn’t like the church presence in the governmental role. In fact, Thomas Jefferson disagreed with Christian ministry and in fact believed the church clergy were corrupt. This caused him to profoundly resent the extraordinary efforts of certain ministers by publishing his work such as State of Religious Freedom and his Notes on the State of Virginia. Due to his publication and strong approval of the separation of church and state sought no religious opinions and no forms of worship

The polarization of the political system in America infects the decision making and voting of politicians and Americans. Logical political decision making of political officials and Americans have been clouded by ideological viewpoints which does not logically increase the United States well being (Wilson pg 7). The political powers lack the efficient clarity in order to expand the growth of society fundamentally. Each political party has its own regime and viewpoint of what is to be of the country we all dwell in. This fog in the vision of these parties withstands a fine judgement in the development of the United States as a whole. This strains the movement of the United States and misrepresents the problems that should be extinguished as

Religious symbols being displayed in schools has caused a significant amount of controversy and debate, particularly in what could be considered a more liberal and free thinking global society. The state of societies and nations today seem to follow a secular position of government with there being no influence of religion on the operations of government. However, a more common scenario is that of a clear distinction between religion and state. Whilst the question posited asks us to determine whether or not school should display religious symbols in the classroom, the more significant question should be to what extent is there a separation of state and religion, and can it be justifiable in a supposed secular state for religious symbols to