Why do born-again Christians forget about the First Amendment (separation of church from state)?

Question

The First Amendment seeks to create separation from state and religion. It forbids a state religion. Yet born seek to put Christian their principals into law and turn the USA into a Christianity nation. Even many religious politicians talk about how their religious beliefs influence their policies. Many Christians Americans would claim that there were good Americans. Yet, to be that there would have to obey Constitution. http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am1.html

Answer 1

i am a born again Christian and firmly stand for the seperation of church and state.

Answer 2

If you focus solely on excluding religion, you will end up including only atheism. This is not equal representation. I personally want a wall of separation between church and state, mainly to keep the state out of the church's business and out of the individual's religious choices. But atheism is becoming much like a religion, excluding those that don't share their beliefs, and should be treated like one under the first amendment -



Amendment I



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.

Answer 3

The first amendment forbids government from interfering with the church. Go back and read it for yourself!



And if the government EVER tries to make Christianity THE "state religion", that's when I rebel against the government - and I'm a Christian!



But it NEVER says that the church can not influence the government to do the right thing.



You might say that the church is the "conscience" of the government.



It was Christians who got rid of the child labor in England. The government tried to stop the Christian movement.



It was Christians who fought against slavery when the government sanctioned it.



Read about William Boothe, the founder of the Salvation Army, and see for yourself how Christianity influenced the government for the better.



Yes, the government should never be allowed to dictate to you what your religion should or shouldn't be, but the church is responsible to influence government for good.

Answer 4

• I can tell you “Why do born-again Christians forget about the First Amendment (separation of church from state)? - Y”. It is very simple because the 1st Amendment NEVER states that there should be a separation of church and state. It states that the government is prohibited from making of any law “respecting an establishment of a religion”. It also keeps government from interfering with anyone from practicing their religion, interfering with free speech, interfering with freedom of the press, interfering with peaceful assembly or prohibiting petitions for government redress of grievances.



• You will never find ANY wording in any of the USA’s laws that says there is or should be separation of church and state. That wording is from the communist/socialist agenda. Yes the founding fathers discussed it in personal communications but they intentionally left the wording out of all their legal documents and for a good reason. They intended for America to be a Christian country based on Christian virtues and morals. All you have to do is read some of their correspondences and you will see they continually refer to their new country as a Christian country.



• They never intended to have separation of church and state. If they had intended to have separation of church and state don’t you think it would have been stated as such? But as I said it is part of the communist/socialist agenda and if you want further proof read Russia’s Constitution. It does state that there has to be a separation of church and state. How why do you suppose that Russia, a socialist country, has to have a separation of church and state in their constitution but America doesn’t? It is because Russia is an atheist state while America is (was) a Christian state.

Answer 5

Separation of church and state was one idea in one letter from one guy. It's not in the Constitution. The fact is, the vast majority of Americans self-identify as Christian, so of course it has some influence on politics. Having Christian ethics does not establish it as the official religion of the state, and so does not violate the first amendment. Atheists cling so hard to one phrase in that one non-Constitution letter that it's laughably pathetic.

Answer 6

It only says that it will not establish a state religion. Much more has been applied to it than the framers intended. Congress opens with prayer from a chaplain. That' doens't hurt anything, and it doesn't establish a state religion, which is the purpose of the religion clause, put in because the king of England was the head of the Church of England.



Individual politicians expressing their faith is protected by the constitution. The constitution does not say the U.S. shall establish Atheism as the state belief.

Answer 7

1) Yet born seek to put Christian their principals into law and turn the USA into a Christianity nation.



Making the U.S.A. a "Christian nation" is vague and can mean many things. However, "putting Christian principles into law" is NOT a violation of church and state and, in fact, has been done since the existence of democratic elections in nations with a Christian majority.



Democracy **is designed** to allow the principles of the majority of voters - regardless of their religion - to be made into law, and that is **exactly what has happened** since Christian democracy began. Please inform yourself regarding the actual meaning of "separation of church and state". Democracies do NOT permit the sort of separation that you expect.



- Jim, http://www.bible-reviews.com.

Answer 8

The constitution only prevents the federal government from establishing a religion or recognizing one over another it does not stop religion from having in influence over the people who make up the government. Our government was designed around the concept that the people recognize religion and have faith in a higher authority from which moral values came from these are ethical values and why the supreme court recognizes the ten commandments historical value.

Answer 9

The first amendment does not separate state from religion as the founding fathers chose the Bible from which to use as the basis of truth for legislation and construction of our government. What it does, however, is make sure that there is no church involved in state decisions, as is in Europe.

Answer 10

There is no "separation of church and state" clause in the first amendment. There is a "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" clause. In other words congress cannot establish a state religion, nor can it prohibit you from exercising whatever religion an individual adheres to.



The very first Congress of the United States, opened with prayer, so to imply that the founding fathers original intent was to eliminate religion ("separation of church and state") is a false claim. Note the offering of a prayer does not "establish a state religion" nor does it proscribe rules of acceptable behavior or any actions of worship.



Samuel Adams, the Father of the American Revolution, "arose," according to John Adams' account, "and said that he was no bigot, and could hear a Prayer from any gentleman of Piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his Country." (Note to the ACLU: according to this Founder, opposition to public invocations is a form of bigotry.)



As a result of Sam Adams' intervention, the motion carried and an Episcopalian clergyman, Rev. Jacob Duche', was prevailed upon to open the next morning's session in prayer.



Following the reading of Psalm 35, according to Adams, quite unexpectedly, because it was not the custom of the day, Rev. Duche' launched into a spontaneous and unscripted prayer.



His prayer began, "Be Thou present, O God of Wisdom, and direct the counsel of this Honorable Assembly; enable them to settle all things on the best and surest foundation; that the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that Order, Harmony, and Peace may be effectually restored, and that Truth and Justice, Religion and Piety, prevail and flourish among the people."



Duche' went on to ask God to preserve the delegates' health and vigor of mind, and to grant them "temporal Blessings" and "everlasting Glory in the world to come."



Rather than being scandalized at this "sectarian" prayer, Adams writes that Duche's prayer "filled the bosom of every man present. I must confess, I never heard a better prayer, or one so well pronounced."



It was prayed, he went on, "with such fervor, such ardor, such earnestness and pathos, and in language so elegant and sublime, for America, for the Congress, for the province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston. It had an excellent effect upon everybody here."

Answer 11

The First Amendment says NOTHING regarding the "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE"... It says that the GOVERNMENT would not institute any STATE religion....but that in NO WAY takes away from the INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS of believers, Christians and others, to participate in witnessing and having any kind of personal displays of their faith or public prayer..... The ACLU and atheists just love to throw out the "separation of church and state" to try and suppress the FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT of FREE SPEECH of individuals of faith..... That particular phrase comes from PERSONAL CORRE- SPONDANCE from Thomas Jefferson..................

Answer 12

Scooterpoop, you would have to be a complete mental case to not understand that the only way to interpret that part of the constitution is that its guaranteeing a wall of separation between the church and the state.



it is THE ONLY WAY to interpret that.



if congress can make no law endorsing a religion, that means that the government can not interfere with religion and religion can not interfere with government.



only a total moron (many Fundies) would state otherwise.

Answer 13

The separation allows you to not have a Roman Catholic Church setup. That's all it was intended for. Not Muslims Buddhists or atheists

Answer 14

The first amendment prohibits the government from actions, not people.



"Congress shall not establish..."

"Congress shall prohibit expression of..."



Separation of church and state = establishment of atheism, and that would of course be unconstitutional.



(The concept of "separation of church and state" is found NOWHERE in the constitution.)

Answer 15

I don't know of any politician that talks about their religion......they talk about their faith in God.



Christianity is not a religion

Answer 16

because direct correlation between hardcore religious people and low iq

Answer 17

Because they think they're right and everyone else must conform to their beliefs.