Separation of Church and State?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" that is in fact all the constitution has to say about the matter. the term seperation of church and state comes from a letter Jefferson wrote in response to an address from the Danbury Baptist Association, congratulating him upon his election as president. His intent is revealed later when an unedited draft is turned up, the unedited letter makes it clear why Jefferson drafted it. He wanted his political partisans to know that he opposed proclaiming fasts and thanksgivings, not because he was irreligious, but because he refused to continue a British practice that was an offense to republicanism. The exact phrases "wall of eternal separation between church and state" and "the duties of my station, which are merely temporal" are also telling. Under the advice of linoln, the references to thanksgiving and fasts were removed. The Supreme Court, later in history, in Reynolds v. United States stated "that it may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the 1st amendment." refering to the letter.

Actually, separation of church and state, according to the Constitution, states that Congress will make no law establishing a religion nor will they prohibit the free exercise of a religion. It does not address the actions of any church. Churches are free to express themselves in all areas of society and politics and to openly support whoever and whatever they choose. These decisions are up to the individual religious leaders.

for those interested in history,thinking of church and government,think of the inquisition. Keep religion completely out of government,unfortunatly,that is like keeping lawyers out as well. As for the tax exemption,the roman chatholic's are the richest outfit in the world,and the others are not far behind,they can build new places anytime they wish and when you think of building a house,would it not be nice to be able to have one for the same price and not have to pay taxes till you choke? I just wish we could get an honest government,but then,I do a lot of dreaming.

The first people that came here were excaping governments that were run by religion. Our founding fathers wanted the same of the new country, and it was this way for a long time. But, in recent years that has changed, the republicans have tried to use churches to rally their base. The Bush administration created faith based inititives that used Taxpayer dollars to help communities. This helped Bush in 2004, and they will try to use them again in this year to help win. I don't believe this is a good idea, and I don't think that the government should ever support ANY religion. Because, if we support one then we will be forced to support, and I know wouldn't be a good idea.

You're right, the separation of church and state is as you describe. However, the Constitution is only a starting point. Later decisions have broadened the separation to avoid mixing the political and the religious. I assume your question is pointed to towards the danger of losing non-profit status if a church takes a political opinion. Personally, I feel that is justified. As individuals, we should use whatever criteria we feel is appropriate to determine for ourselves who we will vote for. However, a church is not an individual, it's an institution that enjoys special privileges. Those privileges are subject to regulation by the government that gives them. If a church wishes to present itself as a political entity it must deal with the consequences of that behavior. Religion and government are dangerous bedfellows, to allow churches free political reign could be very detrimental to our society. It could also be beneficial, but I would rather the benefits be seen at the individual level and not the institutional level. On the other hand, the trend to the secular in the country is equally disturbing. The founding fathers were very clear about their feelings that religion was an important part of a free society. If we make everything secular we are losing a vital part of ourselves. But, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Churches (or whatever religious institution someone subscribes to) should not be in the business of telling people how to vote, only providing guidance on what people should consider when voting. But that's my personal opinion.

I believe that separation of church and state came about because of all the "problems" caused when the type of religion to be followed was dictated. Personally, its a good concept that still applies today. As far as the tax exempt status .. no, it no longer applies and should be changed. The tax exempt status should be changed and not be exempt because its a religion.