An Observation Of The Separation Of Church And State
Anabella Morabito
ENG 105 S5- Professor Wheat
December 3, 2010
One Nation Under God:
An Observation of the “separation” of Church and State
On January 20th 2009 President Barack Obama shocked a myriad of Republican Conservatives when he stated in his inauguration address that the United States was not a “Christian nation or a Jewish nation or Muslim nation” but a “nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” This declaration proved to be the first time a newly elected President considered the “non-believer” audience in his inauguration address. It is curious that nearly 230 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence a President would mention “non-believers” in his inauguration speech for the first time in history. Wasn’t it established in the Constitution, nearly 220 years ago, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”?
This line which separates Church and State resembles a dashed line more and more each day; there are loopholes and exceptions that circumvent the wall which is supposed to stand tall between the Church and the State. The influence that moral, religious values have on the policies enforced by government is striking, decisions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, health care reform, and education are infiltrated by religious institutions.
In addition to these issues, the base of any country’s government is the elected President, and any factor of that elected person’s life will influence the decisions he or she makes while at office. Religion cannot be put easily aside in this debate, regardless of the angle it is viewed from religion has a tremendous effect on the ruling of the elected leader; evident in George Washington’s words in his 1796 Farewell Address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a
ENG 105 S5- Professor Wheat
December 3, 2010
One Nation Under God:
An Observation of the “separation” of Church and State
On January 20th 2009 President Barack Obama shocked a myriad of Republican Conservatives when he stated in his inauguration address that the United States was not a “Christian nation or a Jewish nation or Muslim nation” but a “nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” This declaration proved to be the first time a newly elected President considered the “non-believer” audience in his inauguration address. It is curious that nearly 230 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence a President would mention “non-believers” in his inauguration speech for the first time in history. Wasn’t it established in the Constitution, nearly 220 years ago, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”?
This line which separates Church and State resembles a dashed line more and more each day; there are loopholes and exceptions that circumvent the wall which is supposed to stand tall between the Church and the State. The influence that moral, religious values have on the policies enforced by government is striking, decisions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, health care reform, and education are infiltrated by religious institutions.
In addition to these issues, the base of any country’s government is the elected President, and any factor of that elected person’s life will influence the decisions he or she makes while at office. Religion cannot be put easily aside in this debate, regardless of the angle it is viewed from religion has a tremendous effect on the ruling of the elected leader; evident in George Washington’s words in his 1796 Farewell Address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a