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1. How does America's current treatment of religion compare with the vision of the founding fathers?

// George Washington: "Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause." //

Issues like abortion and gay marriage have been fiercely debated in and out of America's political arena for a long time.

Ironically, as states increase legislation that favors the religious, they are ostracizing themselves further and further away from The Founding Fathers' vision of America. As proclaimed by Founding Father John Adams "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Interesting, considering how devout politicians are when it comes to Christianity. Without fail, they will say "God bless America." Fox news reports that 21 states are at "high risk" of outlawing abortion ( Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin). Undoubtedly, the religious side is the sole motivator for such legislation. Politicians cite biblical quotations ("sanctity of life, **you knit me together in my mother's womb**") as rationales for bashing abortion.

To the subject of gay marriage, it is best to first examine a quote from a website detailing this pervasive issue. "Indeed, if it weren’t for the idea that marriage is sacred, it seems unlikely that the debate would be as rancorous as it is." Sacred, and rightly so, implies religion, the very thing so desired to be ousted from politics by The Founding Fathers. If politicians made decisions based on the needs of the people and not the Bible (remember John Adams's quote?), then the concept of "sacred marriage" would be restricted to ultra-religious mini-communities and homosexuals would be allowed to marry. Unfortunately, gay marriage is hotly debated and politicians like Huckabee are shamelessly homophobic. Compare this cesspool of religious influence to the America envisioned by Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. To be sure, they believed in God, but understand the importance of keeping government secular. If Jefferson's morbid quotation "History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free, civil government" is to be taken as something of a plea for secular government, then America has much mending to do to return to its secular ancestor, the one loved so much by the first three presidents.

2. Based on the vision of the founding fathers, what modern issues and controversies should be separated to church from state (and vice versa)?

The founding fathers were very specific about their views of religion and the need to keep them separate from the politics and issues of the people. In fact, it was Thomas Jefferson himself who originally coined the phrase "Separation of Church and State". He also was the one who pushed to have it published in legislation as the first amendment of the Constitution. Mr. Jefferson would be simply shocked at the arguments politicians are using for popular issues. We've all heard the speeches... the "god-willing i shall this" and the "with god as my witness i will end that". These religiously based political speeches mainly concern the topics of abortion and gay marriage. The arguments against the legality of both of these are exclusively and only religious. "Indeed, if it weren’t for the idea that marriage is sacred, it seems unlikely that the debate would be as rancorous as it is." This is also the case for abortion. Religious people argue abortion saying that it's taking a human life and that it religiously immoral. And this isn't just talking about Christianity. Buddhism, Church of England, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism all have very specific views on the legality issues and moral crossroads that is abortion. Religion, it would seem, is making our legislation and politics more and more confusing and controversial.

3. What could America do to return to the original ideals of the founding fathers regarding the total separation of church and state (The First Amendment)?

These issues, of whether or not to live up to moral values and religious values, have been debated for a long time. Many people believe that the country must be run a certain way, while others seem like these people are being too demanding and self-centered. It seems like there is only one way to end this debate for once and for all. If the government left some of these issues up in the air people would be able to decide how to live their lives based on their own personal values. The First Amendment of The Bill Of Rights states this, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." These basic freedoms are for all Americans, not just some. People have the right to live their lives according to their personal moral values, not someone else's religious values. You cannot force religion onto someone. You cannot live their life for them. If all people have these basic liberties, you cannot take them away from any of them. At the end of the day it comes down to you and you alone, you cannot take responsibility for someone else's actions.