Separation Of Church And State

Separation of Church and State Freedom of religion was established in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with other fundamentals rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom to the press, to guarantee an atmosphere of absolute religious liberty. Diverse faiths have flourished in America since the founding of the republic, largely because of the prohibition of government regulation or endorsement of religion. Traditions, holidays, and religious values free from government control form an integral part of our national culture. The wall separating church and state must be maintained to guarantee the continued vitality of religion in American life. The phrase “separation of church and state” was first used by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to express the intent of the First Amendment to the
School teachers cannot promote their religion to other people’s children. Local officials cannot require certain religious beliefs on the part of government employees. Government leaders cannot make members of other religions feel like they are unwanted or are second-class citizens by using their position to promote particular religious beliefs. This requires moral self-restraint on the part of government officials, and even to a degree private citizens — a self-restraint which is necessary for a religiously pluralistic society to survive without descending into religious civil war. It ensures that the government remains the government of all citizens, not the government of one denomination or one religious tradition. The separation of church and state is a key constitutional liberty which protects the American public from the religious tyranny of any religious group or tradition. It protects all people from a government intent on tyrannizing some or any religious