Church-state Relations in America - 1017 Words

Church-state relations in America has been widely discussed and hotly debated. One school of thought holds that the church should be absolutely separated from the state, while another holds that the church plays a moral role in state building and its sanctity, without which the state risks falling apart. In my discussion of the church-state relations, I will show that the history of church-state relations has a Constitutional background. I will attempt to discuss the two schools of thought and how they have shaped contemporary American political thought. I argue that the two extreme positions do have a common ground. This is followed by a summary of my key arguments and a conclusion to my essay. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States establishes religious freedom: â€Å"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 people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.† Against the Constitutional background, Thomas Jefferson wrote a Bill for establishing Religious Freedom. The Bill was passed at the Virginia General Assembly in 1777. Jefferson believed that it was not enough to have a Constitutional provision that debars Congress from establishing a religion for all. But it is equally important to separate the Church from the state to guarantee Religious Freedom where each and every one willShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Fire Next Time 901 Words   |  4 PagesThe history of America was followed by awful times involving slavery, racial segregation and inequality of African Americans living in the United States. During this atrocious time period, many African Americans had hope in their lives of America being entitled as one united nation ignoring the color of skin. James Baldwin was one of many important figures during the Black Arts Movement (1960s -1970s). He wrote many influential essays and poems that impacted many people’s views on the history andRead MoreWho Is Australia s Most Important Ally Today? Essay1440 Words   |  6 Pagesally today? And why? The United States of America is Australia’s most important ally today. When considering what makes an ally so great, we must take into consideration a number of factors. 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