Church in CultureChurch in Culture

Debates over school prayer, Debates over school prayer, faith-based charities, faith-based charities, abortion, school vouchers, abortion, school vouchers, death penalty, same sex death penalty, same sex marriage, even the marriage, even the presidential candidatespresidential candidates

Most Americans strongly Most Americans strongly equate religion with personal equate religion with personal ethics and behaviorethics and behavior

It is an antidote to moral It is an antidote to moral decline they perceive in our decline they perceive in our nation todaynation today

Crime, greed, uncaring Crime, greed, uncaring parents, materialism- many parents, materialism- many Americans feel that these Americans feel that these problems would not be as bad problems would not be as bad as they are if people were as they are if people were more religiousmore religious

Strong respect for religious Strong respect for religious diversity that translates into a diversity that translates into a strong tolerance of other strong tolerance of other people’s beliefspeople’s beliefs

Americans expect they will Americans expect they will encounter people of different encounter people of different faiths in their daily livesfaiths in their daily lives

Many Americans feel the Many Americans feel the nation has gone too far in nation has gone too far in removing religion from public removing religion from public schoolsschools

Only 6% call for school prayer Only 6% call for school prayer to be tailored to the Christian to be tailored to the Christian majoritymajority

Most would be reluctant to Most would be reluctant to isolate students whose beliefs isolate students whose beliefs are differentare different

Voice concern that school Voice concern that school prayers may infringe on the prayers may infringe on the rights of parentsrights of parents

Public favors a moment of Public favors a moment of silence over a spoken prayersilence over a spoken prayer

Most would like their political Most would like their political leaders to be more religious leaders to be more religious as individuals because they as individuals because they believe it speaks to their believe it speaks to their charactercharacter

Most do not consider a Most do not consider a candidate’s religious affiliation candidate’s religious affiliation when votingwhen voting

58% say it would be wrong to 58% say it would be wrong to do sodo so

Most are suspicious of Most are suspicious of politicians who wear their politicians who wear their religion on their sleevereligion on their sleeve

Jewish and nonreligious Jewish and nonreligious Americans are much more Americans are much more unnerved by prospect of unnerved by prospect of mixing and politicsmixing and politics

80% of Jewish say they still 80% of Jewish say they still have to be vigilant against have to be vigilant against anti-Semitismanti-Semitism

2/3 of Evangelical Christians say 2/3 of Evangelical Christians say there’s “a lot of prejudice” there’s “a lot of prejudice” against themagainst them

Much more likely to believe Much more likely to believe devout politicians would craft devout politicians would craft better policies and to believe better policies and to believe religious elected officials should religious elected officials should be less willing to compromise on be less willing to compromise on key issueskey issues

The study did not report The study did not report views of Muslims, Buddhists, views of Muslims, Buddhists, or other major faiths- the cost or other major faiths- the cost was too high to studywas too high to study

Individuals of every Individuals of every persuasion are included in persuasion are included in general random samplegeneral random sample

Many feel that if Americans Many feel that if Americans were more religious, crime were more religious, crime would go down, families would go down, families would do a better job raising would do a better job raising their children, political their children, political leaders would make better leaders would make better decisionsdecisions

Most Americans fear that the Most Americans fear that the country would decline if people country would decline if people lost their religious faithlost their religious faith

Americans are, however, not Americans are, however, not well-informed about the well-informed about the religious makeup of the country, religious makeup of the country, or about religions other than or about religions other than their owntheir own

Groups in the minority, such Groups in the minority, such as Jewish or nonreligious as Jewish or nonreligious Americans, are more cautious Americans, are more cautious about religion gaining more about religion gaining more influence in societyinfluence in society

Most Americans believe in Most Americans believe in religion’s power to instill religion’s power to instill morals and good behaviormorals and good behavior

Many are persuaded that Many are persuaded that religion should be a visible religion should be a visible part of a child’s educationpart of a child’s education

Most- but certainly not all- Most- but certainly not all- seem to feel that efforts to seem to feel that efforts to keep religious expression out keep religious expression out of the schools have gotten of the schools have gotten out of handout of hand

Most recognize the need to Most recognize the need to respect and accommodate the respect and accommodate the diversity of religious beliefs in diversity of religious beliefs in the school settingthe school setting

Try to balance their desire to find Try to balance their desire to find a place for religion in the schools a place for religion in the schools with their wish to be inclusive to with their wish to be inclusive to families of all kinds of beliefsfamilies of all kinds of beliefs

Majority prefer a moment of Majority prefer a moment of silence as opposed to prayers silence as opposed to prayers that refer specifically to Jesus or that refer specifically to Jesus or GodGod

Jewish and nonreligious Jewish and nonreligious Americans are more wary of Americans are more wary of efforts to expand religion’s role efforts to expand religion’s role in the schoolsin the schools

Americans are generally Americans are generally proud of the country’s proud of the country’s religious diversity and religious diversity and anticipate few problems with anticipate few problems with people of different religious people of different religious faiths living togetherfaiths living together

Most seem willing to Most seem willing to accommodate and celebrate accommodate and celebrate different faiths- not solely the different faiths- not solely the Christian faith of the Christian faith of the FoundersFounders

Most value nation’s religious Most value nation’s religious diversity, they expect people diversity, they expect people to exercise tact and to exercise tact and discretiondiscretion

Is there and should there be a separation of church and state?

Words are not actually in Constitution

Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter about the First Amendment

First Amendment

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

“Wall of separation between Church and State”

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church and State” - Thomas Jefferson 1802

1892- Trinity DecisionSupreme Court declared: “this is a

Christian nation.”“The highest glory of the American

Revolution was, it connected in on indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” –John Quincy Adams

Examples

Supreme Court building built in the 1930’s has carvings of Moses and the Ten Commandments

God is mentioned in stone all over Washington D.C. on its monuments and buildings

Oaths in courtrooms have invoked God from the beginning

The founding fathers often quoted the Bible in their writings

Presidents have given inaugural addresses mentioning God in their speeches

Prayers have been said at the swearing in of each president

National anthem mentioning God

Liberty Bell has a Bible verse engraved on it

The original Constitution of all 50 states mentions God

Declaration of Independence- mentions God four times

Chaplains have been on public payroll

Bible used to used as a textbook in schools

Supreme Court Cases

Engel v Vitale, 1962New York- school prayer was

adopted to be said at the start of each day’s classes- known as the “to whom it may concern prayer”

Justice Hugo Black: “It is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers…”

Ruling did not stop school prayer completely- voluntary prayer was still permitted

Murray v Curlett, 1963Madalyn Murry O’Hair- filed a

lawsuit against school board of Baltimore

Court said “Neither the First nor the Fourteenth Amendment was intended to stifle all rapport between religion and government.”

Went to Supreme Court though- ruled 8 to 1 in favor of abolishing school prayer and Bible reading in public schools

“Religious freedom, it has long been recognized that government must be neutral and, while protecting all, must prefer none and disparage none.”- Justice Tom Clark