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Statements On Religious Freedom

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The Anti-Defamation League stated in its article titled "Founding Fathers and U.S. President's: Statements on Religious Freedom," available on the ADL website (accessed Oct. 30, 2013):

The Founding Fathers that we had before us went about it a different way when it came to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment then it did with any other forms of speech. Which it states that when you have strict separation of religion and government will ensure that you have religious freedoms for all individuals and faiths. After they did this a lot of the different religions have flourished and thrived since the founding of the republic. Some of the people claim that the First Amendment’s Clause does not even appear at all in the First Amendment at all, …show more content…

He is constantly warns how we should never blend Christianity into the law of the new nation. The words of separation are not actually written in the text, it states that all the state and federal officials will not be bound to any oath or affirmation to support the constitution. It states you would not have to take any kind of test that is based on religion if you are wanting to qualify for a certain office or public trust which is stated under the United States First Amendments. The First Amendment Establishment Clause states that there will be no certain faith or religion that would become the official faith of the United States and that gives the religious freedom that we have today.The government is not forced to support any church or religion and so it will not interfere with the beliefs of any …show more content…

The reason they did not is because the thought of eliminating church would Horrify them.

Mark David Hall, PhD, Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University, stated in his June 7, 2011 report titled "Did America Have a Christian Founding?":

He states that there are very few of the Founding Fathers promoted the Separation of Church and State. He stated that religion and christianity was necessary for public happiness. The Founding Fathers did not want congress to establish a national church, and there were many that opposed establishments at the state levels as well. All of the Founding Fathers agreed that all the dispositions and habits would lead to political prosperity. He also agreed that civic authorities could promote and encourage christianity, and it was appropriate for elected officials to make religious arguments in public squares and there are no public places that can be stripped religious symbols that they have tried to do in certain

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According to 48 Liberal Lies about American History, Larry Schweikart argues that the founding fathers of the United States truly did want religion to be incorporated into government. James Madison, one of America 's founding fathers, first considered the relationship between religion and government when he saw a group of Baptists in a local jail. He determined that it was necessary for all citizens to have an equal opportunity to practice their own religion, whether their beliefs align with the government or not. Madison eventually paired with Thomas Jefferson, and together their support for religious freedom changed legislation.

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Thomas Jefferson was a pioneer on the topic of church and state and how those two things have no power over the other in any way, shape, or form. Jefferson explains this when he mentions “Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint.” Jefferson believes that God created us to be free of everything, including religion. That is why Jefferson didn’t want to give up that freedom even to the government he was so strongly a part of. Jefferson then goes on to talk about how it is extremely wrong when a church forces a man to support or change his personal views just because of an outside source, Jefferson even calls it “tyrannical” some of the methods that the church had to gain control of people.

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Although the phrase the separation of church and state is frequently misunderstood it is extremely important to know the meaning of this phrase. This is the distance between organized religion and the national state, and to sum this phrase up religious groups will not control the government and they will not dictate the government. I personally think the signers of thought the separation of the church and state was a good idea only because this keeps down confusion and it prevents individuals from being upset and thinking that they are being taxed for the purpose of someone else’s religious hospitals, schools, or

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Once Thomas Jefferson declared his stand on the first amendment the churches felt they could finally be free from the state. The signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution most likely understood the complete meaning of separating God from government because they were God-fearing people; however, they may not have completely understood the separation of church and state as stated previously. The meaning of separating God from government is simple. All laws and rights originate under God.

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were somewhat more opaque about their beliefs. In passing the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom—the basis of the later First Amendment—they brilliantly exploited the fear that each Christian sect had of persecution by the others. It was easier to get the squabbling factions to agree on no tithes than it would have been to get them to agree on tithes that might also benefit their doctrinal rivals. In his famous “wall of separation” letter, assuring the Baptists of Danbury, Connecticut, of their freedom from persecution, Jefferson was responding to the expressed fear of this little community that they would be oppressed by—the Congregationalists of Connecticut.

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The seperation of church was one that Jefferson championed (Jacobson 7). It should be noted that, in his writings, he made clear why the seperation of church and state works (Jacobson 7). The seperation of church was there to restrict government from illegally restricting the religious rights of citizens (Jacobson

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During a time period that was present around 400 years ago, many colonists sought religious and economic freedom and decided to break away from the British government to form an independent nation. This area they inhabited is now called, the United States. In this time of great change, the colonists had to completely formulate a new government. Since one of the major motives for breaking off of Britain was for freedom of religion, it ended up becoming a good base for the building up of a new government. Religion gave many advantages to the growth of government through unifying the people, establishing power, and constructing order.

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While Jefferson’s beliefs show that there should be a complete separation, Dreisbach wrote that in the amendment, the Bill “speaks in terms of the non-establishment and free exercise of religion”. (The

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Many historians, researchers, politicians, and scholars have considered reconstruction as turning point for the ratification of equality laws that would eliminate racial segregation for equally rights. However, a close follow-up of the controversial developments that occurred immediately after the end of the Civil War in 1865 indicates dissimilarity. The reconstruction era might have made a history of enabling African Americans to vote and become state legislatures, but some major political personnel consider Reconstruction as a failure, which led to non-ending political controversies, murder, and assaults indicating general failure. Robert Smalls and Wade Hampton are some of the major political people who participated in the continuity of the Reconstruction era and their actions and words prove its failure, as explored in this study. However, their consideration of black freedom contrast because Smalls demonstrates the harmful actions of

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Many colonists had believed the word in the First Amendment that states “every man has the right to free speech and to speak his own opinion and beliefs” and many others believed in the word of the pastor that voting for so and so in the presidential election will get them a successful and productive term with the church’s aid. Those that had believed in the pastor at the time tried to enforce Christianity on others and believe that all other religions are wrong and sinful. In 1779, Thomas Jefferson wrote a Bill stating in the second section “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or beliefs; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in nowise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. ”(Jefferson pg. #482)

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1315 Words | 6 Pages

Perhaps, they had already lived in the Colonial times where the church and state worked simultaneously and saw how at times this arrangement would violate fundamental liberties. “Wall of separation between the church and the state”,

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855 Words | 4 Pages

The Constitution forms a secular document , and nowhere in the Constitution appeal to God , Christianity , Jesus , or any supreme being . Actually , later in the first Amendment , it points out this , “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 .”Although the Constitution does not mention " Separation of Church and State," neither does it say "Freedom of religion . " However, the Constitution implies both in the 1st Amendment . Also , according to Thomas Jefferson was one of the people who supported " Separation of Church and State," as well as one of the founding fathers , we can sure that it is not a powerful argument to say America did had a Christian founding because some of the founding fathers are Christian

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498 Words | 2 Pages

Was America founded by men of God? Or was America founded by men who believed in the necessary freedom to practice all beliefs? The men who founded America did not found it as a Christian Nation, and this is seen through two main documents and many quotes left by the

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Thomas Jefferson desired a democracy where governmental decisions would not be affected by religious beliefs and biased views of the situation. Thomas Jefferson viewed separation of church and state here is some of his insight on the topic, “...legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties” (Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists). Jefferson became the sole author for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which became the the most important religious separationist papers of the 1700’s. Jefferson’s ideas and writings for separation of church and state helped to form the American Enlightenment period, and to further his ideals based upon his

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1407 Words | 6 Pages

This is both good, and bad, it really just depends on the issue. Politics should definitely consider the word of God while making important decisions for our nation. However the government should not decide important roles for the church. Leave decisions to the church and businesses that support the church.

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