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“Then no single set of religious moral prescriptions (or proscriptions) can be basis of public policy or national identity” (13).
In the book Love the Sin: Regulation and Limits of Religious Tolerance, Janet R. Jakobsen and Ann Pellegrini call the reader’s attention to the conflict between religion, sex and tolerance. The authors effectively demonstrate how “no single set of religious moral prescriptions (or proscriptions) can be (the) basis of public policy or national identity” (13). Furthermore, Jakobsen and Pellegrini explain how America has yet to separate the distinction between the Protestant’s church morality, religious freedom and American ideology.
An example of America’s difficulty with separating church and state is that legal
“ It remains to be noted that none of the great constitutional rights of conscience, however vital to a free society is absolute in character. Thus, while the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion goes a long way, it does not serve to protect acts judged to be morally licentious, such as poly amorous marriages. Children cannot be required to execute the flag salute which is forbidden by religious belief… Similarly freedom of speech, often defended by the courts, does not extend to the seditious utteran...
One of the biggest misconceptions of today’s society is that politics is run by pure fact and argument, with no spiritual aspect. However, Amanda Porterfield verifies in her novel Conceived in Doubt that this statement is pretentious and false. Amanda Porterfield takes us back to the time of early government structure and development. This era in the United States is in a stage of constant change and reformation. The United States could even be argued as blind by their religious views, affecting their morals and well-being for the future of the nation. In her novel, Porterfield stresses that the government is in no way free of the church’s principles and deserts the attempt to break the bond.
Butler, J., Balmer, R., & Wacker, G. (2008). Religion in American Life : A Short History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
At this time in our nation's history, two-hundred thirty years and counting, there is a great debate raging on. In many peoples' eyes our country has made a turn for the worse. We have thrown our Forefather's to the wayside, and there belief in strong Christian influence along with it. To them all could be solved if we merely "re-instituted" the Christian morals and teachings that this country was founded on. On the other hand, there are many who are calling for the complete and utter extraction of all Christian and other religious beliefs from public life and governmental law. To these individuals nothing good and beneficial can ever come from religion. Both of these belief structures are sadly flawed to their very core. But where is the middle ground and why haven't we been able to find it. This is precisely where Jon Meacham's American Gospel shines like no other. If nothing else Meacham's book is an answer to the times. American Gospel covers religion, philosophy, and ideology that shaped American law and thought from the birth of our rich and diverse nation to the time of the Reagan presidency.
As James Madison, the fourth President of the United States said, “The religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man, and it is right of every man to exercise it as they may dictate” (Haynes, C...
As James Adam said “We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” The seed of Puritan ideas had been planted in the soil of North America in 1620, by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This seed, now aptly watered by the growing population of the America, has grown into a magnificent tree which still lives till this day. Such Puritanical Ideas has rooted itself in the soils of America; men becoming hypocrites; how sex equates to sin; and the secular power of the Christian Church.
“every man calls barbarous anything he is not accustomed to; it is indeed the case that we have no other criterion of truth or right-reason than the example and form of the opinions and customs of our own country. There we always find the perfect religion, the perfect polity, the most developed and perfect way of doing anything!” (231).
There is a significant difference between government and religious morals even though both are ethical authorities. These two moral authorities conflict with one another while both are to help people make sou...
Thomas, Oliver "Buzz". "How To Keep The 'United' In United States: Coping With Religious Diversity In The World's First 'New' Nation." Church & State Feb. 2007: 19+. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.
America is constantly evolving and redefining itself. We have come to the point where we are less inclined to criticize individuals that are different from us and more inclined to embrace eachother’s eccentricities. Those who oppose a separation between church and state claim that because this country was founded on religious principles, our government should continue to base its laws on Christianity. An article entitled, “Standing up for Church-State Separation in Difficult Times,” states that, “Religious Right groups are crowing and insisting that they have some sort of mandated to make their repressive agenda the law of the land,” however, we no longer live in the 1700’s (13). Times are changing and America is no longer predominantly white, Christians. In order for America to remain the melting pot we are all so proud of, we must accommodate all beliefs. A separation between church and state is necessary if America wants to give all of its citizens their religious rights.
Religion among Americans is currently very widespread currently. Research shows, approximately 90 percent of Americans profess a belief in God. Therefore religion remains a great influence on American culture. But ironically, the United States is among the few nations that doesn’t establish an official religion. This is called the separation of church and state. The implementation of the separation of church and state, in the 1990s, has been a controversy that has not only transformed the government but also the education of our current society.
Religious life has spawned times of war and times of peace and it has been responsible for changes in the human condition and even the course of human history. Professed beliefs are passed down by religious traditions, ideally speaking, these beliefs have consequences effecting social behavior. This analysis is particularly evident when examining the critiques of some Chris-tian [traditionalist] interpretations that take exception to gay culture. The underlined message to these persons arguments seem to be that condemning homosexuality in society is not about deny-ing ones rightful place in the world, but rather about steering people away from the nature of sin that is associated with undercurrents of its practice. The logic behind such a message is that all human beings are natural sinners however, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT) community just happens to be engaged in a more critical form of that sin through the activities surrounding their homosexual life-style. This understanding is, to Christian traditionalists, the Word of God and being such, they consider it to be a moral law. Adhering to this rule of under-standing often allows its believers a certain elitist justification that they consider to be beyond reproach. There are a few problems with many of the claims that support what these proponents of interpreted religious scripture and doctrine hold as sacred. The purpose of this paper means to challenge the social behavior and rhetoric stemming from Christian conservatives aimed at homo-sexuality, as well as, to exam the current state of affairs existing in gay culture as it pertains to religion, society, and the argu...
Introduction: Neither the resolve of patriots nor the labor of men freed Americans from the hands of tyranny. The fathers of this nation, as well as those who fought for her ability to prosper were united by their unwavering faith and trust in God. The future of this world lay heavily upon their shoulders, yet they carried the burden willingly for the duration of their lives and passed it down from generation to generation. As a result, a new nation was born and grew into one of the most powerful countries of the world. Although America began as a Christian nation, it has pulled away from the fundamental beliefs that held this nation together. Despite their ancient predecessor’s emphasis on faith and Christianity, the current government has taken a more secular path. The legality of abortion and the exclusion of religious references in public institutions are a couple of examples how morality has been corrupted within the government. Society itself also forsakes the religious path, twisting the concept of morality to fit the lifestyles they wish to lead. David Barton uses line graphs to demonstrate the decrease of morality since 1950. Violent behavior, the circulation of sexually transmitted diseases, and the birth rate for unwed girls, has drastically inclined while educational achievement and family stability have dropped at an accelerated rate (242). It is apparent through the government’s choices, the media, and the attitudes present in average society that Americans have drifted far away from the principles on which this country was founded. Without a genuine faith and trust in God, American society will continue to deteriorate until memories of a once great nation are all that remains.
...n turn, the Sovereign is not concerned with whether or not the dogmas of the civil religion are right or wrong but instead with the moral, social, and political consequences it brings forth (Trachtenberg, 1993).
In the past few years, America has been becoming more and more liberal with its stance on various issues. We are changing laws and practices that have long been in place, and while some view it as progressive, others view it as morally wrong. By encouraging changes in practices that were established with a Biblical mindset, America has begun to subtly alienate the Christian. Although America is still a land where individuals are free to practice their faith freely, it is becoming harder to display...