The idea
that if a person is religious then they are inherently moral, seems absurd to
me, mostly because it implies that if someone isn't religious then they are
inherently immoral. Religion may have a guideline of moral ideals, but people
are not bound by that. Religious individuals can be immoral, and just the same,
nonreligious beings can be moral and vice versa. Because of this thought
process of mine, I've always supported the separation of church and state.
Religion
has its place in society, and it has for most of the time of humans. But it
doesn't have a place in our government. I believe that everyone can have their
own ideals, but when they force those ideals, especially on the basis of
religion, onto other people, they have effectively crossed a line. I believe
Locke said it well, "Nobody, therefore, in fine, neither single persons
nor churches, nay, nor even commonwealths, have any just title to invade the
civil rights and worldly goods of each other upon pretense of religion."
People shouldn't ignore basic civil rights because their religion tells them
to.
America is
meant to be one big melting pot of ideas and people and religion. When one
religion is dominant in government, we ignore all of the ideals of other
religious individuals. If there is such a strong argument against separation, I
ponder this: Why is Christianity the only religion that is held in high esteem
in our government? Why can't we represent all religions in our system, rather
than just different sects of one?
This issue is important to me too, especially with the large number of immigrants coming into the nation now. This country was settled originally in a search to find religious freedom, and part of that freedom wasn't just freedom to practice religion but freedom from religion. The Quakers that settled here were on the run from religious persecution and I almost feel as if they set us up for that persecution by allowing the government and other positions of power to be run by Religious leaders that allow religion into their teachings and rulings.
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