Separation of Church and State

The issue of the meaning and application of "separation of church and state" in the US Constitution, has been discussed and debated over the years, but most heatedly over the past several decades.

There appears to be no serious debate among scholars over the original intent of the Founding Fathers. It was two-fold: First, they clearly stated that the Government could not establish a State Religion; this was a major reason for the emigration of people from England to the New Land. Second, they also clearly stated that the Government could not interfere with the exercise of religion by its citizens, that all people were free to practice their religious beliefs. So, why the raging debate today?

While it would not be accurate to label the USA a "Christian Nation," the majority of Americans profess to be Christians. This is the primary reason for the establishment and the popularity, from a religious perspective, of national holidays such as Christmas and Easter. There is a growing attack on such holidays and on such practices as governmental prayer breakfasts and swearing on the Bible by atheists and agnostics, who see these things as de facto Government endorsement of Christianity. It is also why this year there was an attempt to eliminate The National Day of Prayer. The issue of the 10 Commandments being displayed not in Government facilities and in schools is also a relatively recent one, with adversaries stating that the presence of the 10 Commandments is an endorsement of religion.

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is the most vocal adversary of any practices that appear to be Governmental endorsement of religion, but there are other organizations taking adversarial positions as well. On the other hand, organizations such as The Alliance Defense Fund are actively positing that the removal of such accepted practices from American public life would be tantamount to interfering with the free exercise of religion.