As a country, America was founded on the principle of religious freedom. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." At its core, this is a declaration of impartiality: an affirmation that the United States respects all faiths and non-beliefs equally. It is a concept born from history lessons where a church-state meld often led to repression, persecution, and bloody conflict.
Even Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma agrees. He and Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, wrote for Time magazine, ”the right to practice any faith, or to have no faith, is a foundational freedom for all Americans. This right is also behind what Jefferson meant when he spoke of a ‘wall of separation’ between the church and the state.”
The wall separating church and state is under attack, and our democracy is at risk. Rooted in the First Amendment of our Constitution, this tenet stands as a bulwark between religion and government, establishing the United States as a sanctuary of spiritual plurality. Yet, this essential freedom is under threat, and we must be vigilant in its defense.
Sign the petition: Protect the separation of church and state.
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Recently, however, this principle has been under unprecedented attack. From public schools becoming grounds for religious favoritism to the Supreme Court's rulings permitting public funding for religious schools, the bedrock of church-state separation appears to be eroding. Such developments not only chip away at the wall of separation, but they also distort the tapestry of our nation's religious diversity.
Now, to those arguing that religious integration into state affairs is a representation of “moral values,” let's get one thing straight: promoting one religion over another or privileging religion in public institutions isn't about upholding morality—it's about undermining equality. In a diverse country, we need our government to be a neutral umpire, ensuring fair play for all, irrespective of their religious beliefs.
What's more, the separation of church and state is essential not just for the sake of the “state” part of that equation but for the “church” part, too. Entangling religious institutions with government affairs invariably opens the door for political interference in religious matters. It's a two-way street that, frankly, none of us should want to travel down.
The separation of church and state isn't a minor detail in our democracy—it's a cornerstone. It protects religious freedom and diversity, keeps our political discussions accessible to everyone, and, most importantly, ensures a level playing field where every American, no matter their faith, has an equal shot.
Separating church and state guards our pluralistic society, and we must defend it if we are to maintain the balance that allows all of us, in our many beliefs, to call America home. If we don't, we risk losing a fundamental part of what makes our democracy work. And that's a cost we can't afford.
Sign the petition: Separation of church and state is what makes our democracy work.
