What are your 5 pros/cons of Separation of Church and State?

[Bishop93]

What are your 5 pros and cons of Separation of Church and State.

Or,just give me your general opinion on it.

Why?...I'm just curious

[HickmanJosh]

Pro:Non-religions and people of different religions arnt discriminated against. Con:Moral standards of religions are harder for a secular government to maintain.

Regardless Christianity is not a political system, it is a faith. There is really no need for the Church to gain worldly power and influence.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Originally Posted by Bishop93

What are your 5 pros and cons of Separation of Church and State.

Or,just give me your general opinion on it.

Why?...I'm just curious

As commonly stated and often misunderstood, the separation of Church and State does not exist in the USA Constitution.

Read the Establishment Clause. The language is clear and precise. It was meant NOT to remove God from public discourse, but to protect the Church from the abuses England inflicted on Holy Mother Church.

[Bishop93]

Originally Posted by HickmanJosh

Pro:Non-religions and people of different religions arnt discriminated against. Con:Moral standards of religions are harder for a secular government to maintain.

Regardless Christianity is not a political system, it is a faith. There is really no need for the Church to gain worldly power and influence.

Yes,Christianity isn't a political system.I wasn't implying that we give the Church power.

I think the best part of SoCaS is that non-religious people and people of different religious aren't discriminated against.

The worst part is that we can't use religious influence as examples for how some people should act morally,compassionately,and with dignity.

[Langdell]

Originally Posted by Bishop93

What are your 5 pros and cons of Separation of Church and State.

Or,just give me your general opinion on it.

Why?...I'm just curious

Interesting question!

I'll post this before reading the other responses:

PROS:
- The State is not overly entangled in the Church's business.
- In a big, pluralistic country like the USA, it makes it easier for people to get along.
- People aren't forced to help support a State-sponsored religion with which they may not agree.

CONS:
- Government policy-making is divorced from any real morality. The prevailing morality is just a mushy version of utilitarianism.
- Public buildings can't have even non-denominational references to God.
- Public school teachers can't encourage religious belief and practice even generally.

.

[cho pilo]

Originally Posted by Sailor Kenshin

As commonly stated and often misunderstood, the separation of Church and State does not exist in the USA Constitution.

Read the Establishment Clause. The language is clear and precise. It was meant NOT to remove God from public discourse, but to protect the Church from the abuses England inflicted on Holy Mother Church.

I think saying that separation of Church and State is not in the Constitution is like saying that right to own a gun is not there, either.

[mary bobo]

Originally Posted by cho pilo

I think saying that separation of Church and State is not in the Constitution is like saying that right to own a gun is not there, either.

I think you are attempting to interpret the Constitution to suit yourself. The Constitution says there shall be no establishment of religion i.e. a state religion as in some countries. If you read the Federalist Papers you will see the intent of the founders with regard to both the first and the second amendment.

[duffyk4]

Originally Posted by mary bobo

I think you are attempting to interpret the Constitution to suit yourself. The Constitution says there shall be no establishment of religion i.e. a state religion as in some countries. If you read the Federalist Papers you will see the intent of the founders with regard to both the first and the second amendment.

Interesting thought. The lack of authority on how to read the constitution is one of the root causes of most debates happening in the country right now, and can also be compared to the rise of the Reformation and how a lack of recognition of the authority of the Church to interpret the Word is causing much debate right now.

Is there truly a "Magisterium" of the Constitution to determine what the Early Founders truly wanted? Even they were divided on many things. And don't say the Courts, because we should all know they're just as corrupt as any other branch of government.

[donsnow]

Originally Posted by Bishop93

What are your 5 pros and cons of Separation of Church and State.

Or,just give me your general opinion on it.

Why?...I'm just curious

From the paperback TIME 2008 ALMANAC
Under 'United States, Constitution, Bill of Rights' page 623:
Amendment 1
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 to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

There, we have it all in context.

It reads to me that Congress actually has little or nothing to say about existing religion, nor may Congress establish a religion, according to the establishment clause.
To me, in context with the 10th Amendment (The powers not designated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people.) it's against the Constitution for the Federal Government to restrict the expression of religion in State, County or municipal buildings, schools and other public places.

For the record, the concept of Separation of Church and State comes from a private letter by Thomas Jefferson, that he wrote to a Baptist preacher. The concept, then, is not at all Constitutional, but rather a private Jefffersonian doctrine.

I haven't read the the Federalist Papers.