Where did the concept of "Seperation of Church and State" come from... it's not in the constitution.
442854
I was in a letter from Thomas Jefferson that he wrote to a group of Baptists that were worried that another church would become the Official Church of the US.\n\nThe statement was used to reassure the Baptists it couldn't happen
389210
Well first of all, this country was not built on separation of politics & religion. It was built on : no state sponsered religion and equality of all religions. If you look at our founding fathers, they incorporated thier religious beliefs into many aspects of government and politics.\nSo in my opinion , on the religious and political front, our country is out of step with what the framers of the Constitution intended it to be.
1179727
Most countries already have a seperation written right into thier constitution...but there have been times I wish the church had more pull.\n\n+D
221708
Oh Big Deal! Two people decide that they want to have something going on & the Goverment steps in & say's that's a big NO-NO... & at the same time the very Goverment that's supposedly watching to protect our Rights as (American Citizens) deny the two people theire individual & Constitional Right to freedom/s of expression. Marriage is something that man created-what two or three hundred years ago, & somehow it's related to the Church??? We as Good American Citizens have many Constitutional Rights to Excersize at will. & the Church thing is suppose to be a seperate issue other then those that threaten our very exsistance of haveing these liberties. Church & states Issues should never interfere W/each other about codes of conduct/s or Constitutionalities because they are seperate. It's alway's been legal to Marry anyone because of our Freedom/s  Of  Choices written In The U.S. Constitution, & not what some hang-up that some church has on someone. Where is the wheel of shame,when it's no-one's fault for doing the right thing w/someone? I liked your question because, alot of people have been fooled by the states taht say no.
1162331
The wording in the constitution is "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".\n\nThere is no statement about freedom FROM religion, with good reason.  One can imagine that one is free from forceful imposition of religion, and therefore can choose "no religion" as your set of beliefs; but we can't enforce a rule that one is free from encountering religion.  In other words, the U.S. government can't establish a church or restrict others from doing so.  It also can't inhibit others from expressing their religion legally, even if it offends others.  That's the nature of freedom.  It works the same way with free speech...we don't restrict it even when people are saying things we don't like.  \n\nFreedom is an incredibly valuable thing, and it is threatened by those who rank their own feelings higher than the principles the nation was founded upon.  Freedom FROM religion, if broadly defined, is a threat to freedom OF religion.  Freedom FROM speech is a serious threat to freedom OF speech. FROM gives authority to restrict speech or religion.  People who don't understand that will lose freedom rapidly.
987260
No church, but what does church have to do with Government- Military?  I think you asked in the wrong section.
211226
Nothing.  In America there is seperation of church and state as long as it is presumed that christianity will always be included.
303305
"Wall of Separation" between Church and State\nThomas Jefferson, as president, wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut on 1802-JAN-1. It contains the first known reference to the "wall of separation". The essay states in part:\n\n"...I contemplate with solemn 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..."\n\nDuring the 1810's, President James Madison wrote an essay titled "Monopolies" which also refers to the importance of church-state separation. He stated in part:\n\n"Strongly guarded as is the separation between religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history."\n\nThe US Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment as if it requires this "wall of separation" between church and state. It not only prohibits any government from adopting a particular denomination or religion as official, but requires government to avoid excessive involvement in religion.
451864
George Washington said "“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion”\n\nI've never heard the quote you talk about. That being said, we have a "Christian" in office now, and look at the condition our country is in. I use the quote around "Christian" because I believe he is a false Christian. The last true Christian we had in office was Jimmy Carter, who is a great person, but a poor leader. True Christians do not have the pride, greed, or lust to be President.\n\nThe seperation of Church and State is not in the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, wrote of a "wall of seperation between church and state" in a letter to the Danbury Baptists. The Constitution states government shall "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
84332
People will say no, but I defy you to find anywhere in the Constitution that separates church and state.  The constitution gives you FREEDOM of religion instead of where they came from (England) where the government ran the Church of England.  They did not want that situation, so they said in the Constitution that the government won't set up a church.\n\nI am a teacher, and I talk about religion whenever it is part of my lesson.  I cannot teach about Bach, the most important composer in regards to our system of harmony, without talking about his church work.
1067836
"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."\n\nThere is nothing in the Constitution about a "separation of church and state." Congress is not allowed to pass laws forcing people to participate in one religion or another, and they are not allowed to stop people from practicing their religion. This does not mean that a politician can not use his religious beliefs to form his opinions, character, and doings.
541657
Where were you when government class taught the seperation of church and state?  I am so tired of hearing about not praying in school.  No one I know ever did except the small country schools years ago.  The founding fathers didn't want one religion to run things so it had no place in government!\nIf there was to be prayer in school, it would take forever: Christian prayer, Buddhist, Wiccan invocation, Hindu, Jewish, etc.  There can never be just one!\nI don't know how you can say God has been kicked out.  Come to Northern California, Texas, Utah, etc.  There are churches on every corner where I live.
1124770
If my history lessons and further study of history are correct the US is a secular nation and its founders believed that no religion should be put above any other religion. Quite the foresight if I might say as they put this provision into the Constitution to protect the country from the various sects of christianity not the various religions in the world. The controversy you state is only a controversy in your head as I could care less about your religion. However, if any religion tries to usurp the US Constitution it is within the rights of any one to question and eventually put a halt to their actions. Christians have no more rights nor less rights than anyone else. So, if you see a problem with someone who doesn't share your religious views you have not read the first amendment properly. Get over it.
939867
There is no such thing as separation of Church and state in any government documents....that phrase originates with liberal media types over the last few years to try to remove Christianity from our heritage as a nation.....all the founding Fathers prayed and even had services in the Capitol Blgd. often.
1179898
The phrase itself appears in a letter from President Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut, on Jan 1, 1802. \n\n        The Baptist Association had written to President Jefferson regarding a "rumor that a particular denomination was soon to be recognized as the national denomination." Jefferson responded to calm their fears by assuring them that the federal government would not establish any single denomination of Christianity as the National denomination. He wrote: "The First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between Church and State." \n\n        Notice the phrasing in the U.S. Constitution, Article VI, paragraph 3:\n\n\n        The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
672106
Make it optional, no need to pledge allegiance to the flag every morning at all, and make the "God" part optional when saying it.  I think it's more important for kids to understand the Constitutional principles for which this country is founded and is the LAW than some abstract references to what the "proper religion" was at the time of its creation.  I can't find a single reference to a "state religion" in that or any document, including all the articles of confederation.  All I see is that Congress shall make NO LAW regarding the establishment of religion or the free excercise thereof.\n\nMeaning to me that people are freely allowed to excercise their right or abstain from referring to God or Gods in a public forum.  On another note, I don't want any reference to religion in school, that's what the home, church, and parental responsibility are for.  If a religious group wants to meet after school, go for it, but don't make it compulsory or degrading.
1160287
The separation between church and state was never meant to eliminate the church. the point was that the church and the state were to be separate entities, no single religion was to have control of any government body. It was not the point to say that the two could not be related, actually the idea was to govern in an ethical and moral manner.At the same time no single church would have any control over government, this was to eliminate the problems that King Henry the Eighth had with the Catholic church, they had too much sway in the dealings of governments.