What do you feel about the separation of church and state?
966209
Oh, we most certainly need separation of church and state. If we didn't have that principle or the First Amendment, there would be nothing to stop this country from becoming a corrupt theocracy like those our forefathers left when they founded America.\n\nWith the First Amendment and the separation of church and state, we're all guranteed the right to believe as we so choose, including the right NOT to believe in anything at all. We're guranteed the right to our own deep, personal beliefs. Without the First Amendment, the government could TELL us what our beliefs have to be, whether we agree and truly believe in them or not. The government could arrest us or worse for daring to secretly practice a religion other than what it sanctions.\n\nThat's why the First Amendment and separation of church and state is so delicate and precious. It's not guaranteed for one or two select groups. It's for EVERYBODY, whether you like it or not. It safeguards your beliefs as well as those you don't agree with. Without such protection, your beliefs are in just as much danger as mine or anyone else's.\n\nWithout it, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to hold fast to our own beliefs, no guarantee that the government can't up and decide to become a religious nation and do away with those who can't obey without question. To keep that from happening, to preserve our personal rights, we have that separation. We have the First Amendment to guarantee our personal beliefs and protect them from being violated by the government, which cannot tell us to believe or not to believe. Only we can decide that.
1141047
I am an active supporter of many democratic party candidates, and I am a christian.  I have been upset with the Republican party in previous years for claiming to be the religious party or "the party of god".  I believe in seperation of church and state and I know there are others out there like me.
376023
I think the Catholic Church doesn't like divorce but never asked America to ban divorce.\n\nI think this should be the model.  Government exists to protect people's different religions. \n\nWhen someone says I am going to consider my religious believes when they run for something, I am all for it.\nIts not a violation.\n\nWhen a person wants creationism taught in a science class in a public school, this is I think a violation of church and state, and recent court cases seem to think it unconstititional to teach creationism in science class.\n\nI think Jesus and creationism should be taught in something called comparative religion, maybe it should only be an elective, but we need to be able to present the option for people to learn to become culturally literate if they desire.\n\nThats just how I feel.
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?
329646
The United States is currently going through a time where it is not sure of it's religion.  There is supposed to be religious freedom, but it is a Christian country.  I personally am a Christian and I think that is should be part of our culture as a Christian nation.  I'm sorry ur show isn't on.
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.."
815984
The Founders did not intend a complete "separation of church and state."\n\nTheir concern was the state actively promoting or supporting one religion over the other. There is nothing close to this in the USA.\n\nThe ACLU and other groups, thru mountains of unnecessary litigation, have completely misread the Establish Clause of the First Amendment.  The mere mention of "God" for example, hardly favors one religion over the other. \n\nJefferson's phrase "separation of Church and State" was written to a group of Baptists to assure them that they would be free to practice as they wished. It appears no where in the Constitution.\n\nToday, however, this pseudo legal doctrine has been used as a sword to destroy even the most benign religious expression on public property. We are much poorer for it.
1038273
I think the government should stay out of Religion and Marriage since it is usually a religious act.  On the other hand, every religion in the world has a set of morals (minus the demonic types or extremists) which involve not killing others and be nice to people, which I think the governments of the world should take notice of. Does that make since?  \nSo, yes, religion is a personal belief and should not affect the government in such a way as it currently is.  I also feel that a candidate's religion should not be public so that people will vote for him or her based on their intentions for the US rather than "oh he's a good Christian man"
471326
Not in state-funded schools--separation of church and state should be strictly enforced.  In religious-run institutions, they should do whatever they want.  If a student didn't want the religious instruction, they could go somewhere else.  In my perfect world.
150605
I think we all need to go back and read the Constitution. Most of you who are against Christianity just go off the crap you hear from other people. Read it. You will find no trace of the words "Separation of Church and State". And to the question.... Because If we werent being persecuted we would have reason to doubt the word of God. Jesus who was ultimate as God and everything good was ultimately executed  in this world. Good and Godly things and people will always be persecuted. Yes our founding fathers found this country with the idea that the government wouldnt rule the church. Because that is what they escaped. Unfortunately many people twist and squeeze the actual words of the constitution and threaten them to say "freedom of religion, as long as youre not christian." Atheists are allowed to be atheists at school, work, and play. Minority religions are accepted. But christians...... we have to hide who we are at work, school, and any public facility. The truth is that nearly 87% of America claims christianity, but only around 12-14 percent agrees that Jesus is God. Or that there is an absolute truth. Or that Jesus not only redeems us but reigns over us. We are to take His yoke upon ourselves. Many "christians" have widely accepted the idea of being saved from hell but reject the idea of yielding their lives to His lordship. Sad, sad, tragedy it is. For those are the ones to whom will say "But I have done great works in your name" and He will say "Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you!"......
759128
Sorry, not a theist, but... I would LOVE it if they would stop endorsing religion.\n\nGeorge Bush senior said that he doesn't think atheists should be considered citizens of this country.  God on money is, to a lot of people, an "eh" subject.  They don't care enough and they don't know why anyone would make such a big deal about it.  I don't think they realize that with every bill and coin printed or pressed, our OWN government is going AGAINST the constitutional "separation of church and state".  If we allow ourselves to wallow in apathy, into what other murky religious waters will our government lead us?\n\nOh, I know that religion is being legislated into our secular law.  You don't know how outraged that makes me.  I really really don't care if someone wants to glue a thousand gold crosses together and wear it as a dress while proselytizing from their roof.  I DO care that THEIR religious dogma is being used to sculpt the laws of my SECULAR land, the laws I have to obey as an American.\n\nForcing people to accept some particular idea or adhere to behavioral standards from someone else’s religion means that their religious freedom is being infringed upon.  We DO have religious freedom in this country, or ideally we do.  Realistically... Christianity has been allowed to run the show for far too long.
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.
112353
It's the "seperation of Church and State" thing. However, I do not agree with them. That has been with us since the beginning and I don't think it hurts anyone to say it. People have a choice whether to recite the words and if they don't like it, they don't have to save. Some of these folks don't want God anywhere in their lives and that's their choice but I think they go too far sometimes. It's bad enough that so many have lost God in this country but it is their constitutional right to object. God bless. =)
5207
Morality and Religious Laws tend to go hand in hand, which is typical, as it deals with personal nature, instead of governmental issues.\n\nHowever, National Law, Local state Law, and civil law tend to follow the morals of religion to some extent.  This is a true crime, in my opinion, as it allows religion to dictate what the state can and can not do.\n\nTo some extent our government has harbored a christian ethos into running this country.  However, to be inclusive of other faiths, and other nationalities within our own community, the government has adopted a policy of seperating church and state.  but this ethos, that of sepration, isn't always as clean cut as one would hope.\n\nLet us hope that in the near future we will adopt a stance of removing religion from state governments and federal governments.  To finally allow the SOCIETY to control religion, and let the GOVERNMENT worry about PROTECTING the society.
583447
Nothing has been stripped away from you. You still have the freedom to practice your religion, as you choose.\nThat is the commonality that separates the U.S. from other cultures. FREEDOM. There are other countries that practice Christianity. That is not what makes the USA the country that it is.\nFreedom is what separates us from others. The freedom to practice Christianity, or Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, etc., or no religion.\nThe freedom to dissent, without being arrested or killed. The freedom to bear arms. The freedom to come and go out of this country, as we please. The freedom to pick and choose our own mates, or none. The freedom to have 0 children or 10 children. The list is endless in this country.\nAs with all "families", we bicker amongst ourselves. But, as with all families, we stand together and fight against outsiders. \nAnd please don't bring up Iraq as an example of not standing together. I don't think too many people would have objected if we had stayed with the original goal of pursuing Bin-Laden and Al-Queda (sp?).\nWe're still more united than you think.\nAs far as the concept of separation of church and state, this is not a theocracy, rather a democracy or republic, however you would like to phrase it. The government should not be "exclusive", but "inclusive". To espouse one particular belief would exclude a very large segment of the population. One should never be made to feel like an "outsider" in ones' own country. Not in the United States. The land of freedom.\nAs long as we still have the right to go to our respective churches (or none) and worship as we please, there should be no complaints.
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".
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!