Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Vizio is "technically" correct. The amendment requiring separation of church and "state" really applies to NATIONAL law. The amendment was not meant to restrict states ability to join church and state. On the other hand, most of the states, perhaps all of them, have passed their own laws.
Example:
Quote:
In 1789 the Georgia Constitution was amended as follows: "Article IV. Section 10. No person within this state shall, upon any pretense, be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping God in any manner agreeable to his own conscience, nor be compelled to attend any place of worship contrary to his own faith and judgment; nor shall he ever be obliged to pay tithes, taxes, or any other rate, for the building or repairing any place of worship, or for the maintenance of any minister or ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or hath voluntarily engaged to do. No one religious society shall ever be established in this state, in preference to another; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of any civil right merely on account of his religious principles."
In the context of religion, however, the U.S. Supreme Court's first reinterpretation of the Bill of Rights began in a 1940 Supreme Court ruling, Cantwell v. Connecticut. Here, the Court applied the "free exercise" clause of the First Amendment to the states.
The next landmark ruling came down in 1947. In the case, Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court applied the "establishment clause" of the First Amendment to the states. In the context of the "separation of church and state," the Court made a foundational reinterpretation of the Constitution. From 1947 forward, the Court has ruled with regularity on religious issues with remarkable consistency. Their rulings, and those of lower courts (federal and State) have become the “law” of "separation of church and state."
There are plenty of people that scream bloody murder because the individual states have been "robbed" of their right to set any religion they wish as the "state" religion. However, all one has to do is read through the forums on the "Christianity" thread to recognize what horrendous land mines would occur if each state got to decide on the "official" religion of the state.
The U.S. Constitution was properly written to protect anyone from Congressional intervention with regard to the Congress of the United States. And the U.S. Supreme Court AND lower courts have made the best decision to protect all citizens of the nation from intervention by individual states.
Actually, we don't have a "separation of church and state". It's not in our Constitution. Maybe your Civics teacher shouldn't be teaching Civics.
True. The 1st amendment only says what Congress can and cannot do, and Congress does not define a nation as Christian or non-Christian, the people do. Vast majority of Americans are Christians, or at least live by Christian traditions, and that makes US a Christian nation. That, and the fact that every single State Constitution mentions God.
True. The 1st amendment only says what Congress can and cannot do, and Congress does not define a nation as Christian or non-Christian, the people do. Vast majority of Americans are Christians, or at least live by Christian traditions, and that makes US a Christian nation. That, and the fact that every single State Constitution mentions God.
That does not make us a christian nation, it just means that christianity is the most common religious belief. You can't group all people under that category, especially when many people of no faith, or of differing faiths, fight for this amazing country.
For those who think the US is a "Christian nation" (still not agreed upon as to what that is): what does that say to the millions of us who are overtly NOT Christian (Jews, Muslims, hundreds of other religions, and atheists like myself)? Are we to feel not welcome here? Seems to me that the body of laws (federal and state) has made clear that we have NO official State Religion, and that it's permissible to have any OR NO religion and still be a citizen in good standing. If that were to change (and I think some of you may want it to, without being direct about it), do you want us to leave????
As someone else pointed out, we have many threads on this topic which always turn more political in nature and has to be shut down. Great Debates forum or P&OC
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
thread to recognize what horrendous land mines would occur if each state got to decide on the "official" religion of the state.
