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Reflecting a concept often credited in its original form to the English political philosopher John Locke, the phrase separation of church and state is generally traced to the letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists, in which he referred to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a "wall of separation" between church and state. The phrase was quoted by the United States Supreme Court first in 1878, and then in a series of cases starting in 1947. This led to increased popular and political discussion of the concept. The concept has since been adopted in a number of countries, to varying degrees depending on the applicable legal structures and prevalent views toward the proper role of religion in society. A similar principle of laïcité has been applied in France and Turkey, while some socially secularized countries such as Norway have maintained constitutional recognition of an official state religion. The concept parallels various other international social and political ideas, including secularism, disestablishment, religious liberty, and religious pluralism. History of the concept and termFrom Wikipedia under the
GNU Free Documentation License  rachelmiller.info 416px x 616px | 137.70kB [source page] Separation of Church and State  prometheusbooks.com 500px x 319px | 127.60kB [source page] From Yahoo Image Search: "Separation of church and state"  discriminations.us John Rosenberg Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:09:22 GM But if the very structure of American society requires a principle of neutrality that in turn requires a . separation of church and state. (as the dissenters and I believe it does), should it not also compel a separation of race and state? ...  atheistadam.com free1234 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:14:50 GM Ten new billboards have been erected in Florida, all opposing the . separation of church and state. . --- Sources: 1.  antipinoy.com benign0 ue, 09 Mar 2010 01:02:49 GM In effect, Atty Bernas highlights loopholes in the Law that renders the . separation-of-Church-and-state. principle ineffective as an argument for criticising the Ayatollah wannabes that currently infest Philippine politics. ... From Google Blog Search: "Separation of church and state"  news.google.com Laconia Citizen "For me, this isn't a separation of church and state issue or an additional insurance cost issue, it's a legal issue," Hayes said. ... news.google.com Dallas Morning News (blog) Objections to this based on the grounds of so-called " separation of church and state " or "proselytizing" are utterly groundless. ... news.google.com Waterbury Republican American The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Connecticut and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have threatened to sue Enfield, ... Enfield school board appears to be leaning away from holding graduations at ... Journal Inquirer Enfield school board delays decision however Cathedral appears out Examiner.com Town Studies Grad Sites Hartford Courant all 5 news articles » From Google News Search: "Separation of church and state" What reasons are there to OPPOSE the separation of Church & State? Q. There are many who are trying to ensure that religious dogma, symbols & recruitment do not enter the publicly owned, tax supported real estate (such as court houses & capitals). However, I have never heard a reason from believers why they oppose the separation of church & state. What is the rationale for seeking integration of church & state? Asked by NH Baritone - Thu Dec 25 07:51:01 2008 - - 11 Answers - 0 Comments A. What they are counting on is that the state will embrace *their* religion. They want school kids to be able to pray to their god, read their scripture, etc. But they pitch fits when a school has a "yoga" class (yoga in India is a Hindu spiritual practice), or if a Catholic is considered for the position of chaplain in Congress, or if a Muslim Congressman is sworn in on a Koran (Keith Ellison, *not* Obama). Answered by Robin W - Thu Dec 25 08:00:38 2008 Is There Really Such A Thing As Separation of Church & State? Q. I remember in school Reading about the idea of separation of state but i realize church & state become intertwined on some subjects. Like Marriage. A professor told me that Church's originally handled all marriage documentation before the government intervened and created the law for marriage licenses. I want to know is there really a law like this or is it just an idea and how does it apply to the government here in America. Asked by unknown - Fri Dec 12 11:51:29 2008 - - 18 Answers - 0 Comments A. From the Bill of Rights: "Article the third [Amendment I] - 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." So yes, it was intended that we have separation of church and state. At the same time, the writers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were deeply spiritual and religious people. They did not intend that the people not practice religion, only that the government would not tell anyone what religion they should and should not practice. Several people have replied to this question and already proven they… [cont.] Answered by Crystal Waker - Fri Dec 12 12:24:52 2008 When are people going to start respecting the separation of Church and State?
Q. Get it through your heads, people! The separation of church and state protects church as well as state. I'm tired of hearing religious reasons for not supporting Gay Marriage or Abortion, etc. Keep your religion out of my bedroom and we'll keep our government out of your church. I should be able to marry the man that I love without religious nuts getting in the way. Why are we voting on issues like this to begin with? If it were left up to a vote, the south would never have been integrated. Asked by Nathan - Wed Feb 25 20:32:28 2009 - - 9 Answers - 0 Comments A. Yes there's a separation between church and state but that doesn't mean people who go to church can't vote. The real issue is the fate of a minority shouldn't be left up to the majority to decide. - The slippery slope argument is an illogical fallacy. If you've ever been in a debate you know those get shut down quite fast. And no, you can't compare gays to pedophiles - It's NOT the same. How can a 3 year old boy consent to having sex? He can't even decide what he wants to eat for lunch. - I'm not saying we need to change anything - They didn't hold a vote on womens rights. They didn't hold a vote for African American rights. Bottom line: They haven't held votes on these things before and they shouldn't start now. Answered by Trumpet Lover s baby Isaac - Wed Feb 25 20:38:15 2009 From Yahoo Answer Search: "Separation of church and state" |
