If the 1st Amendment says there is to be a wall of separation between church and state...?

Question

Why do McCain and Palin get to talk so much about how things like the "War in Iraq is God's work" and other religious comments like that? Why do the people put up with it? There is a reason religion and government should be separate. Why you might ask? Just look at the Middle East or pick up a history book. Jefferson understood that the two domains should not mix...is America forgetting that?

Answer 1

I do not put too much stock in comments such as those.  To me it is only being said to target a certain portion of the audience.  And I am grateful all the time to our founding fathers that church and state are separate.  

Answer 2

woah,

good point

Answer 3

stop making sense.  You will infuriate the right.

Answer 4

The "Wall of Separation" phrase came from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists to express that there was a wall keeping GOVERNMENT from interfering into the rights of individuals and groups to practice religion as they see fit.... you have the Jefferson argument backwards.  I suggest YOU pick up a history book yourself and learn what exactly the founders believed.  Granted, Jefferson didn't have much respect for the beauracracy and politics of organized religion, but he was FAR from saying that faith didn't belong in the government.

For those who feel "God has no place in government, and never has" I suggest the following books

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Redisco...

http://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Founder...

http://www.greenleafpress.com/catalog/in...

"And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." - The final words of the Declaration of Independence

Answer 5

because these days the government thinks they are above the bill of rights

Answer 6

"[America] is a nation of zealots ruled by atheists" I don't remember who said this but it is a good quote. And relevant.  You are absolutely right, this is supposed to be the main staple in American government but unfortunately peoples personal beliefs trump the first amendment.  Most people in the U.S. are religious and most people vote based on religious/moral belief.  The religious groups, particularly Evangelical, are huge voting blocks and, as in the Bush Jr. elections, can win elections and love pushing their beliefs on other people.  So until people are willing to extricate their religious beliefs from their moral and logical ones, and stop trying to control their neighbors, politicians will always pander to the religious and make religion a force in politics.      

Answer 7

The separation of church and state means that the state will not interfere with the church - it says nothing about the other way around.

Unfortunately, far too many of my fellow Christians poo poo this separation.  They somehow think if there was less separation of church and state that the state would look more like (their) church.  Uh, guess again.  Look at England.  The church of England is the most liberal church on the planet (and "liberal" in church circles is totally unrelated to what "liberal" means in politics - in Christian churches the terms "conservative" and "liberal" are used to describe whether you take the Bible literally or figurative - the more literal you are, the more conservative you are; the more figurative your interpretation of the Bible, the more liberal you are).  It is the conservative Christians who want to diminish the separation of church and state, yet they fail to realize that if that separation didn't exist, neither would their church.

When there is no separation of church and state, it is the state that dictates to the church - rarely is it the other way around.  That means everybody, including say atheists, gets to vote (in the state) on what the church believes in.

The founding fathers all came from countries where there was no separation of church and state.  They saw how it negatively impacted the church.  Many of them left their home countries to come to America to avoid persecution.  They wanted to make sure that their state would never dictate to their church.

So back to your question, why do McCain and Palin talk about their religious beliefs?  They believe in God.  They believe he is in control.  They believe that no one is capable of disrupting God's plan - whatever happens in this world happens because either God planned it, or he allowed it to happen.  What is so wrong with them expressing their beliefs?  Wasn't our country also founded on principles like freedom of speech?

Answer 8

All the 1'st Amendment says, is there shall be no Official State sponsored religion. Not that people cannot have religion or have it influence the way they see the world.

Answer 9

Those comments are no more religious than the comments that fill the constitution and all of the other founding documents.  Perhaps you should reread them and note how many times the word God is mentioned.  What the founding fathers were looking to avoid was the government choosing one specific religion and forcing it upon the people.  The founding fathers were religious and obviously believed in a Creator God.  The founding documents are based on natural law which is outlined in all major religions.  The idea that the Iraq War is God's work is just another example of natural law.  It was phrased in that way to appeal to the religious right, but if you are not religious just ignore the word God and replace it with something else.  The bottom line is that the atrocities Sadam was commiting in Iraq should not have been going on because people have certain natural or God given rights.  You do not have to believe in a god to believe that, but many people do believe in a god so it makes the most sense to them when explained in that way.

Answer 10

This is completely silly to pinpoint this on McCain and Palin. Obama earmarked and then gave $1.5 Million in federal tax dollars to Rev. Wright's church. How many times have I heard Obama, Hillary, Biden and other democrats bring up religion when the situation calls for it?  

Obama "felt a beckoning of the spirit and accepted Jesus Christ into his life."

Hillary Clinton grew up in a Methodist household, she taught Methodist Sunday school like her mother, is a member of a Senate prayer group, and regularly attends the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington. Don't think Hillary uses religion in her quotes?

“In the Bible it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive, and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that I'm keeping a chart.” Hillary Clinton

So let me guess... you don't think you are partisan???

Answer 11

First Amendment:

"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."

Looks to me like "Congress" can "make no law respecting an establishment of religion."  This is "Congress", not the judiciary or the executive branches.

For a president, governor, or judge to utter prayers or cite their own religious beliefs does NOTHING in the way of deterring the intent as written of the First Amendment.