Question

The lack of a national religion supported and established by the federal government has been hailed as one of the most important principles that ensure religious freedom in the United States. In addition, the ability to practice any religious or non-religious beliefs is equally applauded as a core tenant of religious freedom. , the debate over religious freedom continues throughout our nation. 

Utilize the Constitution, established case law, and scholarly sources to complete the following assignments: 

•Describe one argument that claims separation of church and state is necessary to maintain religious freedom.


•Describe one argument that claims separation of church and state is not necessary to maintain religious freedom.


•Explain which argument is the most credible, reliable, and valid and why? 


Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

Answer

Separation of the Church and the State and its Effect on Religious Freedom

            The separation of the church and state and the right to freely exercise one’s religion or religious affiliation has long been viewed as the cornerstone of religious freedom (Ivers, 2000). However, two arguments arise in light of the above statement; the first one is that the separation of the church and the state is necessary to maintain religious freedom, and second one is that the separation is not necessary to ensure religious freedom. The first argument expresses that religion and government are entirely different entities, instituted to perform different functions. While the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly use the phrase “separation of church and state” it is evident that its drafters did not intend to create a Christian nation. This view was reinforced in Everson v. Board of Education in which the Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional clause prohibiting establishing a religion through law was intended to create a clear separation between the state and the church (Kauper, 1973). While the role of religion is to obtain God’s favor and ultimately save souls, governments are created to enhance order in society. When these two are kept separately, society is at peace. Mixing them together leads to feuds, animosity, persecutions, violence and bloodshed (Green, 2014).

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The second argument advances that the separation of the church and the state implies a culture of secularists, blatant disregard for the sovereignty of God and it enhances irreligion among citizens. The separation of the two entities may also be said to be a foreign concept to the founding fathers of the United States of America as expressed in the national anthem. It seems that it only came up in the mid-nineteenth century as a means of repressing Protestant dominance at the expense of Catholics (Green, 2014). This argument emphasizes that separating the church and the state may not necessarily lead to the attainment of religious freedom. Whereas the first argument is fairly well advanced, it begs the question as to how society can exclude God from His own institution. Christians strongly believe that God is a God of order and that all authority in heaven and on earth comes from him. Nevertheless, while it is fair to include the doctrines of the church in the day-to-day operations of government, it is wise to continue promoting the separation of the state and the church to allow all other religions to be practiced freely and to avoid religious conflict.

References

Green, S.K. (2014). The Separation of the Church and State in the United States. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ivers, G. (2000). American Constitutional Law: Power and Politics (Vol. 2). New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

Kauper, P. (1973). Everson v. Board of Education: A Product of the Judicial Will. Arizona Law Review, 15, 307-319.