Well here it is the long awaited continuation of my Separation of Church and State series.
For those of you new to my blog you can read parts 1 and 2 <here> and <here>.
In part one we discussed how the separation of church and state was created in the U.S. And in part two we discussed where the phrase separation of church and state came from and why it is relevant today.
In part 3 we will discuss
1what type of government the mixing of church and state would give us
2 some examples of what happened in history when church and state have mixed
3 some of the founding fathers views on the separation of church and state..
1 What type of government we would have if church and state mixed.
This type of government is called a theocracy <definition here> . The word theocracy comes from the Greek words, theos (god) and kratia (rule). Theocracy usually refers to divine rule through some human agent or lieutenant. I think we can already see a few problems with having a human political leader claiming to speak for god, but, just in case some can not we will cover that in the next section.
2 Examples of church and state mixing (in no particular order and by no means all examples).
The Crusades <link>
The Spanish Inquisition <link>
The Taiping Rebellion <link>
Witch Hunts <link> <link>
Religious Wars throughout 16th-18th century Europe <link>
Jailing, Torture and Killing of Baptist Ministers in Colonial America <link>
These are but a few examples of what inevitably happens when church and state mix. I think everyone here will agree that the results listed above are both horrific and unacceptable in a free society. Religion and Government always function best when they are independent from each other and is the only way to maintain a free and just society. Because whenever religion and state have mixed it is always the most extreme elements of those two groups that conspire with each other to the detriment of the population at large.
"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes."
Thomas Jefferson <link>
3 The Founding Fathers views on the Separation of Church and State
Here is a comprehensive list of some of the founding fathers views on the separation of church and state. <link>
“Our civil rights have no dependence upon our religious opinions more than our opinions in physics or geometry.”
Thomas Jefferson <link>
Now all of this seems contrary to claims by certain religious outfits that America was founded as a chirstian nation. I believe one of the strongest pieces of evidence against that claim can be found in the Treaty with Tripoli, specifically Article 11 which reads.
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. <link>
Coming up in part 4
What groups in American are trying to deny the separation of church and state?
The tactics used by these organizations.
What would America look like if they had their way?
Remember to follow the links and then come back here and comment.
A reminder the comment policy on this site is any and all opinions and views are welcome. This site encourages open, honest and civil debate. What will not be tolerated however, is name calling, threats, ad hominem attacks or bullying (things we should have all outgrown by the time we got out of grade school) And where possible provide links to back up your statements.
thanks
myeviltwinskippy
No comments:
Post a Comment