Church And State

The separation of Church and State is important and required by the Constitution; however, that separation is hard to find in the real world of competitive and divisive politics involving the interpretation of Holy Scripture to justify just about anything.

I’ve read: (begin) The first amendment to the US Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The two parts, known as the "establishment clause" and the "free exercise clause" respectively, form the textual basis for the Supreme Court's interpretations of the "separation of church and state" doctrine. 

Three central concepts were derived from the 1st Amendment which became America's doctrine for church-state separation: no coercion in religious matters, no expectation to support a religion against one's will, and religious liberty encompasses all religions. In sum, citizens are free to embrace or reject a faith, and support for religion—financial or physical—must be voluntary, and all religions are equal in the eyes of the law with no special preference or favoritism. (end)

Nevertheless, there are many who would impose their religion on all citizens.  Christianity is one such driver for that imposition.  This is dangerous.  All are free to choose the faith they wish to adopt and follow, but no one should assume they have a national priority.  We all worship one God and the manner we choose to worship that one God should not be dictated.  

Our biggest concern should be the rise in “religiously unaffiliated.”  I suspect its rise will get steeper with time for a variety of reasons one of which involves young people witnessing older adults displaying hypocritical and hateful behaviors in contrast to what their faith requires.  Church self-wounding has had a dramatic effect due to clergy sexual abuse.  

Moreover, today’s young are unlikely to be as drawn to the mysteries and miracles of our faith, especially the well-educated and scientifically trained and astute. For example, no longer is our universe small in scope as when the ancients imagined the heavens above a dome around the Earth.  Our universe is unimaginably immense.  Our galaxy is just one of billions.  

Here are 2022 Pew Survey results: (begin) Only a few decades ago, a Christian identity was so common among Americans that it could almost be taken for granted. As recently as the early 1990s, about 90% of U.S. adults identified as Christians. But today, about two-thirds of adults are Christians. The change in America’s religious composition is largely the result of large numbers of adults switching out of the religion in which they were raised to become religiously unaffiliated.

In other words, a steadily shrinking share of young adults who were raised Christian (in childhood) have retained their religious identity in adulthood over the past 30 years. At the same time, having no religious affiliation has become “stickier”: A declining percentage of people raised without a religion have converted or taken on a religion later in life. (end)

Unsettling to be sure.  

Deacon David Pierce