The Challenging Issue of the Separation of Church and State :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Challenging Issue of the Separation of Church and State When the first amendment was written it said â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment or religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   This was written because America didn’t want a mandatory religious system like that of England.   American people didn’t want freedom from religion they simply wanted freedom of religion.   Even the men who wrote the constitution believed that God could do much more than man, therefore they used the Bible to help form the government. Our constitution has been amended and changed driven by the effects of modern controversies. The founding fathers did not intend to create a Christian nation.   The Christian cross and American flag were displayed in public places with hardly any voice of dissent.   Jefferson felt that he did not have the constitutional authority to lead the people in act of prayer. Under the strong influence of Virginia, southern states decided to rewrite their constitution and disestablish all Churches.   The constitution was then rewritten with God’s name removed. The issue whether or not church and state should be separate didn’t evolve until the 19th century, and today it is hot topic among both separationists and accommodationists alike.   Separationists are the people who push separation of church Separationists feel that neither state nor the federal government can set up churches / aid religion; there should be absolutely no governmental funding of religious activity/displays, any praying in public school / teaching of evolution.   On the opposing side, accommodationists oppose separation between church and state, interpreting the first amendment exactly as it is stated.   No where in the first amendment does it say â€Å"separation of church and state . Accommodationists support government funding of religious schools / organization, they support government organized (non denominational) prayers, and the funding of religious displays. Religions place in schools has always been scrutinized.   In 1954 ‘under God’ was placed in the pledge of allegiance.   Since then, regulations have severely changed.   Prayer in schools has been deemed unconstitutional. Instead, schools allow a moment of silence as long as no religious intent is applied.   Prayer is allowed in schools as long as students initiate and control the religious meetings. In Doe vs. Santa Fe, during a school football game over the school PA system, a prayer was announced.   The school claimed prayer â€Å"promotes good sportsmanship and student safety, and to establish the appropriate environment for the competition.