If anyone has forgotten their world history to the point that they can't understand all the implications of this part of the First Amendment to the Constitution, we can take a little walk down memory lane.
In Europe, prior to the colonization of the American continent and for years, thereafter, state religions were a fact of life. In some countries, the clergy carried as much and, in some cases, more, authority than the monarchy. The church, mostly the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, were involved in the making of laws, the decisions to make wars, and the education of the young. Moreover, they had the right to persecute those who either held other religious beliefs, were agnostic, atheistic or of a scientific or humanist bent. In one of the most horrendous chapters of European history, the Catholic clerics were given free rein to torment and torture so-called "heretics" and to put them to death. NO minority religion, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Protestantism or any other belief was tolerated by either the church or the governing bodies. These were the Spanish and Italian Inquisitions, an era that should have taught the civilized world a lesson about separation of church and state.
Because they were among the persecuted, a small, Protestant sect called the Puritans emigrated to the "new world" and set up a colony in which they could practice their religion, freely. These Puritans were to form the basis for much of the fundamentalist religion that spread throughout the nation as the country was formed. Unfortunately, the Puritans immediately began, upon founding their colony, to do to others exactly what was done to them and that was to establish Puritanism as the only "true" religion.
The idea of separation of church and state embodied in the First Amendment was a very good idea on the part of our founding fathers. Most of them, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, were basically Theists. They believed in a Supreme Being but in no particular doctrine or dogma. It is plain to see that freedom OF religion also, by implication, then, guards our right to freedom FROM religion. Christianity is NOT the "official state religion" of the United States Of America.
That is not to say that there are not hordes of pious, "true believers" who think it should be and who think that their doctrine, their interpretation of scripture and their dogma should be the law of the land. These folks are the ones who whine that the Ten Commandments (a Judaic system of religious law) should be allowed to be posted in government buildings, who push Christian school prayer on non-Christian students and who stand out in front of women's clinics shouting hate and hellfire at the women and staff who enter.
Ever since its inception, they have battled against Roe v Wade and a woman's right to choose. And, now that it looks like they have received a set-back in that area, they are getting louder and more annoying than ever. The operative word here is CHOICE. If your religious beliefs prohibit termination of a pregnancy, then don't do it. It's as simple as that. But you good old boy, patriarchal pastors and pulpit pounders need to keep your noses OUT of what I, my daughters, my granddaughter, my great-granddaugter and all other women not of your spiritual persuasion do with their bodies.
Churches are ubiquitous in the USA. They are on every street corner. Some are magnificent edifices, some are picturesque, rustic and sweet. Some are modern, some are traditional and they all serve an important purpose for the individual who chooses one of those churches for their own. There, they are free to practice the religion of their choice with no government intrusion or persecution. People are christened, baptized, married and buried within the tenets of these churches. They are a part of life and to be cherished.
BUT, they have no business in the halls of government. Those two things, religion and government, are separate entities for a very good reason. No one religion should have the power to dictate belief to the masses and no government should be telling its citizens what to believe when it comes to spiritual matters. We've gotten away from that simple truth in many ways, but, with luck and the right kind of leadership, maybe we can find our way back to the Bill of Rights and really understand what it all means. Idealistic thinking, for sure, but it is my ferverent hope that we can do this thing and make it stick.
Oh, and as I understand it, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) have one state, Utah, in their pocket. Let's not let them have the other 49.
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