Separation of Church and State Essay examples - 2383 Words

Introduction The fusion or separation of church (or in greater sense, religion) from the affairs of the state (nation) is an issue whose relative importance in any society cannot be overemphasized. This stems from the impact of having state affairs directly influenced by religious beliefs and practices in the case of the fusion of the state and religion. Better still the separation of the state from the clutches of religious beliefs has the propensity to significantly affect way of life as well as the rate of development in a society. In my opinion however, I sincerely believe that the church (by extension, religion) should be separated from the secular state. This is especially important in heterogeneous societies where citizens†¦show more content†¦It is not surprising that after the break-away that followed the reformation movement, the Roman Catholic Church never fully recovered it preeminent position as the fulcrum of state authority in Europe. The attendant effects of Martin Luther’s reformation in the early period of the sixteenth century occasioned by his posting of the 95 theses that raised objections to some of the then prevalent practices of the Roman Catholic Church eventually led to a significant breakaway from the church of a relatively more liberal Christian sect known as the â€Å"Protestant†. It is worthy of note however that the Roman Catholic Church tried albeit unsuccessfully to placate the breakaway by instituting a â€Å"counter-Reformation† but this only achieved a cleansing of the church internally without achieving much in its most important mandate to prevent the protestant breakaway. Consequently, Europe was enmeshed in bloody religious war largely between forces loyal to the papacy in Rome and those who sympathized with the runaway protestant movement. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church invariably began to lose its pole position in the scheme of things in an already divided Eu rope. As observed in the text, The Western Humanities: the Renaissance to the present, â€Å"By the time Europe had recovered from the first waves of religious wars in 1600, a new system of sovereign states had replaced the old dream of a united Christendom (DeShow MoreRelatedSeparation Of Church And State1446 Words   |  6 Pagesthe separation of church and state still necessary in the overall legal and social aspects of a modern society such as the United States? Research and history show that maintaining the church separate from the government is important for the ongoing success of a free and well functioning society. Separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine which states that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from one another. Ideally, the church shouldRead MoreSeparation Of Church And State Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesSeparation of church and state is a defined as, the understanding of the intent, and function of the Establishment Clause, and Free Exercise Clause. The Combination of church and state has been a topic that, many generations have struggled with for centuries. The first amendment of the constitution states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law about our religious beliefs, or prohibiting our free exercise of religion† If we put our faith in the constitution to define the founding father’s standpoint ofRead MoreThe Separation Of Church And State902 Words   |  4 PagesA Closer look at the Separation of Church and State in the United States Although â€Å"God† is mentioned in the Constitution, this country was built upon the principle of separation of church and state. Despite this ideal, those elected into office: propose, pass, and deny laws based on their religious beliefs, completely disregarding the previously mentioned principle. The problem with that is that the country is so ethnically and culturally diverse that one religion representing an entire nation ofRead MoreThe separation of church and state1200 Words   |  5 PagesThe separation of church and state has been a long debated topic in the history of America. Although founded upon Christian ideals, the framers of the Constitution explicitly outlined the government to function secularly, in what is commonly referred to as the â€Å"Establishment Clause†. When interpreting the Constitution in regards to religion, there are two primary philosophies. The first philosophy this paper will explore will be referred to as Positive Toleration. In gen eral, the idea of positiveRead MoreSeparation of Church and State701 Words   |  3 PagesSeparation of Church and State To understand Locke’s argument for the separation of church and state you first need to understand what the purpose of the government is. Locke stated that the government is supposed to support civil interest. These civil interests include property, life, and security. Therefore the government’s job is to protect the civil interests of the people using force lawfully. Once Locke institutes the power of the government he develops three important assumptions vitalRead MoreSeparation Of Church And State1095 Words   |  5 PagesThe separation of church and state has been encountered and challenged several times in the Supreme Court, which was first mentioned by Thomas Jefferson. However it is not solidly stated in the Constitution on what is right or wrong and good or bad. This theory was modified from various elements from the Constitution essentially the first and fourteenth amendments. In the first amendment it is written Congress shall make no law respecting an esta blishment of religion or prohibiting the free exerciseRead MoreThe Separation Of Church And State1632 Words   |  7 Pages We are currently living in a time where freedom of religion is guaranteed in the United States. It has been since the first amendment of the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1791. The first amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting the establishment of religion or impeding the free exercise of religion ( (Rotunda, 2004). This amendment established the separation of church and government that our country was founded on and still practices today. We as Americans are freeRead MoreSeparation Of Church And State1825 Words   |  8 PagesSeparation of church and state refers to the division of the relationship between religion and government. Various laws apply to different countries around the world about the separation of church and state. Some involve religion so much into their daily lives; it controls how their country is run. In other places, where it is not mandated as much, it becomes a problem in disputing what is and what is not right. The United States of America faces this issue as they struggle deciding what the meaningRead MoreThe Separation Of Church And State1594 Words   |  7 Pagesdirection and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, and inhabitants of communities, societies, and states. While documents have been written to help the leaders of our country, there is constant debate over what changes need to be made. Some believe that the country is falling apart while others think minor adjustments need to be made. The separation of church and state is also a topic of debate. The question of what needs to be changed and where religion falls in all of this are alwaysRead MoreThe Separation Of Church And State Essay1641 Words   |  7 PagesThe separation between church and state is a debate that continues to grow with tension as the culture of America rapidly polarizes. A long-standing claim that America was founded on Christian doctrine is a common argument in favor of the church and state to remain tog ether, yet the most commonly used metaphor explaining what the â€Å"Separation of Church and State† contextually means in today’s terms is simply that government and religion should not coincide with one another in any capacity. Evidence