Separation of church and state
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Contents |
[edit] Overview
"The separation of church and state is a concept and philosophy in modern thought and practice, whereby the structures of state or national government are proposed as needing to be separate from those of religious institutions. The concept has long been a topic of political debate throughout history." -- [W][edit] United States
This separation has become of particular interest lately in the United States, in that there has been a strong cultural movement to "include [the Christian] God" in daily life, and to "put God back" into various arenas from which religion had generally been excluded. Supporters, especially on the religious right, claim that the US is a Christian nation, often backing up this claim with revisionist history and quotes from early US historical documents taken out of context.
Some resultant issues include prayer in public schools and the wording of The Pledge of Allegiance.
[edit] Points for Discussion
- How is it bad if God is excluded? How is it bad if God is included? Does "including God" include all religions, or are some disqualified as being pagan, heathen, etc.?
- Why should an atheist feel excluded, or even threatened, when God is mentioned? (see discussion page for more)
[edit] Related Pages
- It is often claimed that the US is a Christian nation, and the separation of church and state was a later invention or at least imposed against the wishes of the US founding fathers.
- Gateways to Better Education is an organization promoting the insertion of religious education within public school classrooms in the United States
[edit] Quotes
| Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said (emphasis added): |
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The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. |
| (source needed) |
[edit] Links
[edit] Reference
- Wikipedia: | separation of church and state | First Amendment to the United States Constitution |
- Conservapedia: as of 2008-01-09, begins with language clearly intended to push anti-Separation buttons in religious conservatives
- dKosopedia
- SourceWatch
[edit] Filed Links
[refresh]
- 2009-06-17 :more:talk: Speaking at Netroots Nation § “I have agreed to appear on a panel. But I do not agree with the premises of the panel, "A New Progressive Vision of Church and State, as described: "The old liberal vision of a total separation of religion from politics has been discredited..."” more...
- 2009-05-16 :more:talk: Obama Can’t Turn the Page on Bush § “...Rumsfeld approved [a collection of daily cover sheets] for the Secretary of Defense Worldwide Intelligence Update, a highly classified digest prepared for a tiny audience, including the president, and often delivered by hand to the White House by the defense secretary himself. These cover sheets greeted Bush each day with triumphal color photos of the war headlined by biblical quotations. GQ is posting 11 of them, and they are seriously creepy.” more...
- 2009-05-01 :more:talk: High school teacher found guilty of insulting Christians § “James Corbett, a 20-year teacher at Capistrano Valley High School, was found guilty of referring to Creationism as “religious, superstitious nonsense” during a 2007 classroom lecture...” more...
- 2008-09-24 :more:talk: MY TURN for week of Sept. 29, 2008 § “...quite frankly, a plaque of the ten commandments in the Johnson County courthouse in the heart of the Bible belt seems completely appropriate to me. It is, after all, the foundation of our legal system, our morals, and our principles.” more...
- 2008-07-05_Obama's_America_blesses_God
- 2008-07-05_Body_Of_Christ_Snatched_From_Church,_Held_Hostage_By_UCF_Student
- 2008-07-01_Prepared_Remarks_of_Senator_Barack_Obama
- 2008-03-16_McCain:_America_Established_as_a_Christian_Nation
- 2008-01-11_Religious_Right_Group_Jumps_All_Over_Americans_United
- 2008-01-08_Huckabee's_New_Baptist_Vision
- 2007-09-23 :more:talk: Teacher fired for saying the bible should not be taken literally § “A community college instructor in Red Oak claims he was fired after he told his students that the biblical story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted.” more...
- 2007-07-05_Jefferson_Bible_reveals_Founding_Father's_view_of_God,_faith
- 2006-10_In_God's_Name
- 2006-06_Obama_religion_speech
[edit] Projects
[edit] antithetical
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This page is in need of updating.
This section should probably have its own page for separation of school and state, which could discuss topics such as the misuse of the term "academic freedom"
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[edit] Commentary
- 2007-10-02 Critical Mass: Bishops Advise Supreme Court On The Laws Of God by Rob Boston
- 2007-09-20 A Lesson on Why Liberals Worship Separation of Church and State (see also: Rush Limbaugh)
- 2007-09-14 Russian Roulette: Orthodox Church Leaders Seek Influence Over Public Schools by Rob Boston: "One of the most foolish arguments the Religious Right uses against church-state separation is that the concept is communistic."
- 2006-11-12 Public school teacher tells class: "You belong in hell": an example of why separation is important
- 2005-12-?? why the mail is no longer delivered on Sunday by Susan Jacoby: some history on separation of church and state in the US
- highlights and commentary by Arthur Silber
[edit] Discussion
- TruthMapping: Should there be a division between church and state?
