Separation of Church and State?
820174
That would be the appropriate time for Americans to exercise their right to bear arms.  That is the reason that amendment exists - to allow the citizens of the country the right to take up arms against their government when the government is usurping the rights of its citizens.  I would say the scenario you propose is not likely to happen, but the last six years have gotten us pretty darned close!
661083
The separation of church and state was from a Thomas Jefferson speech and not found in the Constitution.\n\nHad the First Amendment been advertised as a path way to remove faith from the public square it would have never been ratified. The First Amendment was installed to insure that Congress would not create a Church that put the Government in the role of theologian. \n\nThe Founders were looking to prevent Congress from establishing a Religion where they were above the law and to be worshipped. They did not want a repeat of King Henry VIII who created a Church where he ostensibly replaced the Pope.
1012826
I really do not believe you can separate the church and the state. People are part of the state and they are also members of their respective churches. \n\nJust go to a church whose beliefs and teachings you are most comfortable with.
760069
I am democrat. I believe in freedom! Plain and simple. America is about: Freedom! Choice! Rights!\n\nAll of these have been dwindled under republican rule. Yes, im a Christian, but I dont think that church and state should intermingle...separation of church and state is what this country was founded on, and i needs to stay like that to be solid.\n\nRepublicans think they can push THEIR morals onto other people...totally bypassing what america stands for...Independance!
1179358
The Constitution does not discuss any Biblical laws.  The expressed reason for that can be found in the Establishment Clause of Article One of the Constitution.  Lengthy debate accompanied this clause in the Constitutional Convention.  Ultimately it was decided that the institutions of government and religion MUST be kept separate and independent of eachother to prevent future infringement upon either one upon the other.  As a result, this clause is typically referred to as the 'separation of church and state' clause.\n\nConstitutionally and historically, it is apparent that the constitution has no legal precedence for any amendment that would in any way limit the rights or priveleges of American citizens.  No amendment (other than Prohibition, which of course was repealed) has ever provided that rights be lost.  The founders of the U.S. and drafters of the Constitution make clear that constitutional law and religion do not, and should not mix.
737486
I don't think it's legally binding...that would be a violation of the treasured separation between church and state, wouldn't it?
663084
Anytime the gov't tries to incorporate church and state. I can't believe how easily we forget that our ancestors came here to get away from just that. This country was built to allow it's citizens freedom to make their own religious choices. Yet we allow the gov't to sneak their christian beliefs into our laws.
740474
There is no separation of church and state mentioned anywhere in our constitution.  The Constitution states that the government shall not mandate a state religion.  No one is forced to celebrate Christmas, and no one can be prohibited from celebrating it.  As most of us in the US celebrate Christmas, if federal offices stayed open on Christmas, they would be too empty to get anything done anyway, so the only fiscally responsible thing to do is to close them on Christmas.
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.
289670
It's a terrible idea.  The founding fathers had not intentions of there being a nationally endorsed religion.  It would seriously trample the rights of others.  Look at what happened in Iraq, they have a national religion of Islam and a guy was going to be killed for converting to Christianity.  It also is a violation of the first amendment.\n\nQuotes from sources below:\n\n"When the government puts its imprimatur on a particular religion it conveys a message of exclusion to all those who do not adhere to the favored beliefs. A government cannot be premised on the belief that all persons are created equal when it asserts that God prefers some." Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun in the Lee v. Weisman ruling, 1992.\n\n"Thomas 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."
1022891
Interesting question. The problem you have and has been noted by the other answers is that even with a strict separation the only thing accomplished is that the church itself does not directly control the government. The reality is that if I as a religious person of The Church (meant to be vague) were to be elected to a government position of influence I can, and likely will, influence government in ways that reflect my religion.\n\nNothing can be done to stop that. And nothing can be done to stop The Church from organizing candidates to run for office with a common goal/theme.\n\nSo to answer the original question - I feel there should be a strict seperation so that freedom of religious choice is not compromised, though I recognize that religion will always influence politics
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.
660633
I believe there is great danger in letting a church or group of churches to have to much influence and control in government.  Take a look at mideval european governments.  It was all about the Catholic church.  The government needed the church then, so they ended up wedding their functions.  The church at that time had incredible wealth, influence and control over people.  It was impossible to govern without the blessing of the church.  And if you were a citizen, you had no real freedom of belief.  You had to follow the churches teachings or you were run out of town or worse, killed.   \n\nTo be honest, GWB and some of his "faith based initiatives", scares me.  I have no problem with churches offering support and charity as an expression of humanity and compassion.  I am however afraid, that the government will soon become reliant on this involvement and before long we could be back in the same boat as before the U.S. broke away from England.  I don't think anyone wants that.\n\nThere was a very strong reason that our forefathers of this country in the first amendment wrote, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.."
407478
Yes! Even though separation of church and state exists in this country we also have the freedom of religion. You don't have to pray if you choose not to but should allow someone his or her right to pray at any time or place. How could that interfere with anyone else's freedom?
1077753
The government is not going to take the words "under God out of the Pledge of Allegiance.  At least not right away.\n\nThe Humanist (Atheist, Agnostic, Deist, Unitarian, whatever) groups want the words removed from the pledge.  The belief in God by the majority of Americans interferes with their (the humanists) religious beliefs.\n\nThe "wall of seperation between church and state" is a non issue.  It is not in the constitution, and is a phrse taken out of context from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson who was not even a framer of the constitution.  Freedom of religion does not mean freedom from exposure to religion.
688037
We have a government that is supposedly "for the people, by the people". So I guess that if the majority of the people want religion as part of their government, it should be. We shouldn't seclude people of other faiths, though, and there is where the problem lies. Our founding fathers ensured us freedom of religion, and what that means entirely in the eye of the beholder-in this case, the eyes of the majority of American people and voters. It would eliminate alot of problems to completely remove all religious aspects from government, to completely separate church from state (including the "In God we trust"), but there are many people out there to which religion is a huge part of their lives and would hate that. I myself am a Buddhist in the Air Force, and I have to deal with Christian-specific prayers and events regularly, but I'm not very bothered by it, and consider it just part of our "Freedom of Religion".
48850
church and state were intermingled at the time of, and after, the writing of the constitution.  Obviously our forefarthers did not mean to have a God-free society like liberals would like to have.