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"last time religion played a big part in law making..." - It still does. I have yet to hear one argument against gay marriage that is not based on religion. Almost every argument used against abortion is based on religion. Prayer in school is still debated. Government tangles with religion all the time. It must stop.

Unless much mistaken, there doesn't seem to be much separation from church and state anymore. Maybe there really never was, and it's only come into light due to all the conflict with another world religion nowadays. Since basically the terrorist have won in what they were aiming, and have plunged the whole United States and part of the world, into religious frenzy.

If you take a close look at the main news broadcasters, you'll notice that we don't think like Americans, and maybe not even like individuals, but as either Catholic or non-Catholic, and Republican or Democrat. And if we pay close attention to our own leaders, most seem to be citing the Bible or God, but I'm very afraid they may not have the real dedication that Bible and religious study requires, and may just be citing for all the wrong reasons.

The problem is not that there should be a Separation of Church and State. The problem is that many have used this idea to attempt to erase religion from our society as a whole. There is no such thing as a separation of church and state from a Constitutional standpoint. This was a term created by Jefferson in a letter. The actual Constitutional concern was to prevent the state from creating a state run religion, or in some other way abridging ones freedom to practice ones own religion without fear of persecution. It was never designed to keep all religion off the public stage and out of the public conscience. As for the Witch Trials, what you are talking about is hysterical over reaction and it is not limited to religion. Extremism is bad no matter what sector it comes from.

Religion from re-ligare - literally to religament (together)... Sometimes a diseased body needs dismemberment to save the rest, but a healthy body is at loss missing even one part.

The question then is: can it be remedied without amputation, if so, then the social body of one group or another should be helped to accod the rest, and not cut off entirely, but if it is an incurable social ill then that membership (literally body part) should be discluded.

In other words, religion should be removed if it ceases to benefit anyone in context of the whole. So long as any good toward the whole group is presented, no matter how feeble, then to lose it, would just make things more difficult.

There already is a separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers guaranteed that no religion could be mandated as the official religion. Remember that the pilgrims came to America looking for relgious freedom, not for freedom from religion. They wanted to openly practice their religion without fear or repercussions.

The United States of America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. This was the moral guidance the Founding Fathers used to form our Republic. It was also the inspiration for breaking away from England, as evidenced by the phrase in the Constitution: "endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights".

Relgious symbols were not meant to force-feed any religion. However, at the time our country was founded, religion played a large role in peoples' lives. On our currency it says "In God We Trust". On the stone wall behind the Supreme Court justices, the Ten Commandments are engraved. Congress opens with a prayer. Bibles used to be distributed to every member of Congress as a matter of course.

None of these things forces anyone to practice a certain religion. However, guidance such as The Ten Commandments were intended to guide our moral compass.

A lot of the 10 commandments are just basic decency, and some of mans laws. All the noise made about the 10 commandments was sort of sad. I respect peoples feelings about not placing them in public buildings but, 10 commandments which tell you decency is a necessary thing, is pretty true if you want to make it in life & be successful with other people. But because there is a religion attached to them, then decent or not, no religion allowed. Kind of says something about how we fail to really use perspective.

It's called the First Amendment:

"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."

I think that pretty much says it all. Show me where it says "Separation of Church and State."

There is no such thing as "separation of church and state". The idea is a poor interpretation of the constitution.

The protection is a freedom from a state run religion. Nothing more. It has been bastardized into the "protections" that come from not understanding the framer's intent.

It is clearly mandated with good reason in our Constitution by some individuals with great perception and foresight. Just take a look at Afghanistan and Iran, etc. if anyone doubts it's reason and value.

incorrect it was so the USA would not have a Government taxation and a Governmental Religious Taxation like in Britain at that time.

Freedom of religion means freedom to practice and as you have seen in god we trust ten commandments in state buildings and prayers at the opening of the House and Senate dictated a opposite truth from your skewed views.

God Bless.