Religion heavily altered and transformed America throughout the New World into the 21st century. Religion affects the way a person believes and behaves, which plays an enormous role in how a person’s life turns out. Religion influenced a politician’s decisions, decided who could hold office and who would be hired.
Religion has influenced politics in a positive way. Before religion was heavily involved in politics, politicians made decisions for the betterment of the country, not the people. Government officials did not care if their decisions were moral or not. No morality in politics, all changed with religion starting to get involved in politics. Before making decisions, politicians started to think about the ramifications of their decisions to the people. Politicians started to wonder if their decisions were immoral or not in the eyes of God. Politicians with these new found beliefs started to make more rational decisions. Their decisions were less harmful and more humane. The United States Declaration of Independence was celebrated by
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Throughout American history, religion has limited the people’s rights. Some states did not have religious freedom. People couldn’t hold office because of their religion. For example, in 1783 in Philadelphia, Jews couldn’t be a member of the general assembly in Philadelphia because they had to acknowledge “the scriptures of the old and new Testament to be given by divine inspiration” (Petition of the Philadelphia Synagogue to Council of Censors of Philadelphia). This religious condition to become a member of the general assembly in Philadelphia was unjust and discriminatory for Jews. The scriptures of the old and new Testament couldn’t be recited by Jews because that’s not what Jews believed in and Christians in Philadelphia’s government knew this. Thus, religious freedom was not being practiced for a short period in Philadelphia after the Declaration of Independence was