Separation of Church and State

What does separation of church and state refer to?

The issue of separation of church and state is an umbrella for a variety of disputes in the marketplace of ideas in the United States. For example, the separation of church and state prohibits churches from endorsing candidates for political office. Any church, temple, or mosque that specifically endorses a candidate stands to lose its tax-exempt status. Specifically related to public schools, the issues include prayer in schools, intelligent design, the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, school vouchers, and the teaching of the Bible in the curriculum. This entry reviews the arguments about the separation of church and state as it pertains to the First Amendment, outlines the significant U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have consistently upheld the separation of church and state, and suggests ways that school boards can be proactive in dealing with challenges to the separation of church and state. (Taylor, pp. 71-78)

The conservative religious reform argument that public schools are responsible for the moral fiber of the United States represents a common fallacy of logic: “After this, therefore on account of this— post hoc ergo propter hoc.” Some religious reformers want the church-state separation mitigated, or at least returned to the halcyon days of their own early educational experience. (Kuznicki, pp. 65-181; Taylor, pp. 71-78)

In short, God has not been expelled from any where in the state; prayer has not been outlawed; we do have separation of church and state as “settled law” in America; we have freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion; the First Amendment applies to the states. Voluntary participation in religious activities is protected. The only prohibition that relates to in this idea is that state-sponsored religion has been banned. Neither institutions are allowed ...