Seperation of Church and State (Essay Sample)

Name Instructor Course Date Separation of Church and State in USA The separation of church and state in the US is one of the main ways the state has contributed to political theory and practice. Prior literature suggests that the aim of separating the church and the state was to protect both the state and the church. This was so to achieve or provide the liberty of worship, and subsequently for citizens to use religion as they wished. The separation, although supported by most US citizens, currently is perceived as jeopardy. This has seen to substantial debates and the objective is to seek whether the state and religion should be intertwined, mainly because there are instances where the government appears to favor one religion (Seidman and Murphy 10). Separation of the church does not apply in churches alone, but also other religions, and in particular, synagogues and mosques. For example, the same constitution, which has provisions of the separation of church and state, has passages, which appear to imply a view of the government’s relationship with religion. This is evident in the instance of “popular sovereignty,” which president Abraham Lincoln later described as “a government of the people, by the people and for the people.” In the foreseeable future, the United States government will have to establish a religion as an official religion, but for now, there are subtle ways, which the government has appeared to be supporting religious groups, both directly and indirectly. This is obvious in the logic that the churches do not pay tax, the government employs clergy in prisons, military and in the congress, and religiously affiliated hospitals, learning institutions receive government funds. On the other hand, the religious display on public property is controversial in the US, considering that the state owns public property, then, it becomes clear that the concept of separation of church and state is not upheld (Amundson 1-30). The government passes a religious message, either directly or indirectly in other many ways. Religious symbols or language is evident in the official mottos of the government, for example, “In God We Trust.” Although there have been formal legal challenges against such religious messages, the court has argued in favor of the texts. The court has further allowed legislative prayers during judicial sessions, and this only supports the notion that the “separation of church and state” is a myth. To be specific, the United States government has appeared to favor the Christian religion, and the most recent case affirms it all. In the year 2012, President Barack Obama, told a group of religious leaders that the passion of Christ played a role in helping him to overcome the hardship of an embattled presidency. In fact, the president went further to say amen, which publicly re-affirmed that he was ...