Seperation Of Church From State Essay example -- essays research paper

Separation Of Church And State The separation of the state from the church has been present in the constitution ever since it was written. The first amendment relates to a citizens freedom. This freedom does not only allow this practice speech but on thought as well. It states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† (Barton, America: To†¦ p.15). When the constitution was formed society in general belonged to Orthodox Christian. John Quincy Adams, in a speech on July 4,1837 asked the crowd, â€Å"Why is it, that next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and venerated festival returns on this day?† He goes on to explain the important ties between the birthday of the nation and the birthday of Jesus Christ. He says that the Declaration of Independence was first organized on the foundation of Jesus' mission on Earth, and that the Declaration â€Å"laid the cornerstone of human government upon the fir st precepts of Christianity. Adams stressed that the major impact of the Revolution was that Christian principles and civil government were connected in an â€Å"indissoluble† bond. (Barton, America's p.17) Other Founding Fathers were very outspoken about Christian beliefs. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and one of the men most responsible for the Constitution declared, â€Å"Providence(heaven) has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christian rulers.† (Barton, America's p.8) The law always stated the seperation of the two, the actual limitation was in its implementation in the cases of Everson v. Board of Education and Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court uses Jefferson and Madison's Virginia Statute, a bill that both men pushed in Virginia legislature, as a basis for the intent of the 1st Amendment. Jefferson and Madison pushed for the Virginia Bill for Religious Liberty, also called the Virginia Statute. In 1978 a few lawyers got together and considered a constitutional law. The original law said that public school teachers in grades 1-6 "shall announce that a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, shall be observed for meditation." This law did not work for long, because it still allowed oral prayer in public high schools. Later in 198... ...ft and Right Relentlessly Censor Each Other. New York: Harper Collins Publisher, 1992. 345 Wyatt, Robert O. Free Expression and the American Public: A Survey Commemorating The 200th Anniversary of the First Amendment. Murfreesboro: Middle Tennessee State University, 1990. 87. Free Expression and the American Public: A Survey Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the First Amendment. Murfreesboro: Middle Tennessee State University, 1990. 87. United States. Natl. Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America: Amendment I. Trans. Lowi, Theodore J. American Government: Incomplete Conquest. Illinois: Dryden press, 1976. A24 "School Board Bans Open Forums to Prohibit a Student Group Prayer."\Christ Today\(February 1, 1985) 48-49. Bosmajian, Haig. "To Pray or Not to Pray"\The Humanist Magazine,\(January/February, 198 5) 13-17. Gest, Ted. "What High Court Heard About School Prayer."\U.S. News,\(December 17, 1984) 71. Lewis, C. Anne. "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education Policy."\PHI Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984) 163-164. Roberts, Fransis. "The Uproar Over Sch ool Prayer."\Parents,\(January 18,1985) 55-57. Seperation Of Church From State Essay example -- essays research paper Separation Of Church And State The separation of the state from the church has been present in the constitution ever since it was written. The first amendment relates to a citizens freedom. This freedom does not only allow this practice speech but on thought as well. It states â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† (Barton, America: To†¦ p.15). When the constitution was formed society in general belonged to Orthodox Christian. John Quincy Adams, in a speech on July 4,1837 asked the crowd, â€Å"Why is it, that next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and venerated festival returns on this day?† He goes on to explain the important ties between the birthday of the nation and the birthday of Jesus Christ. He says that the Declaration of Independence was first organized on the foundation of Jesus' mission on Earth, and that the Declaration â€Å"laid the cornerstone of human government upon the fir st precepts of Christianity. Adams stressed that the major impact of the Revolution was that Christian principles and civil government were connected in an â€Å"indissoluble† bond. (Barton, America's p.17) Other Founding Fathers were very outspoken about Christian beliefs. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and one of the men most responsible for the Constitution declared, â€Å"Providence(heaven) has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christian rulers.† (Barton, America's p.8) The law always stated the seperation of the two, the actual limitation was in its implementation in the cases of Everson v. Board of Education and Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court uses Jefferson and Madison's Virginia Statute, a bill that both men pushed in Virginia legislature, as a basis for the intent of the 1st Amendment. Jefferson and Madison pushed for the Virginia Bill for Religious Liberty, also called the Virginia Statute. In 1978 a few lawyers got together and considered a constitutional law. The original law said that public school teachers in grades 1-6 "shall announce that a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, shall be observed for meditation." This law did not work for long, because it still allowed oral prayer in public high schools. Later in 198... ...ft and Right Relentlessly Censor Each Other. New York: Harper Collins Publisher, 1992. 345 Wyatt, Robert O. Free Expression and the American Public: A Survey Commemorating The 200th Anniversary of the First Amendment. Murfreesboro: Middle Tennessee State University, 1990. 87. Free Expression and the American Public: A Survey Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the First Amendment. Murfreesboro: Middle Tennessee State University, 1990. 87. United States. Natl. Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America: Amendment I. Trans. Lowi, Theodore J. American Government: Incomplete Conquest. Illinois: Dryden press, 1976. A24 "School Board Bans Open Forums to Prohibit a Student Group Prayer."\Christ Today\(February 1, 1985) 48-49. Bosmajian, Haig. "To Pray or Not to Pray"\The Humanist Magazine,\(January/February, 198 5) 13-17. Gest, Ted. "What High Court Heard About School Prayer."\U.S. News,\(December 17, 1984) 71. Lewis, C. Anne. "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education Policy."\PHI Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984) 163-164. Roberts, Fransis. "The Uproar Over Sch ool Prayer."\Parents,\(January 18,1985) 55-57.