Church-state

[Robert Sheridan]

http://tinyurl.com/7eharvz

While we're on the subject of church-state relations, the subject is being discussed in Britain where the queen has made a statement, link above, in support of the value of religion as opposed to secularism; the striking note, as I read it, is where she says that the established Anglican church has a duty to protect the rights of the eight other main, non-established, faiths in Britain and even of people of no faith.  

The idea of one church protecting the rights of others is interesting, is it not?  

Which faith in America has taken the lead in speaking out to protect the rights of the others, I wonder; Jefferson's deism?  But that wasn't a church, was it?  More like a faith not necessarily attached to an organized religion, I suspect.

I'd thought that church in America was, among other things, sort of a competition for hearts and minds, at least in some instances, at least in the past; see the great awakenings, preaching for souls, which still occurs, revival meeting style.

Even if yours wasn't pushing to get ahead of others, it looked with alarm and perhaps envy when others seemed to be increasing in numbers, income, and power, somehow.

rs

I assume that all major U.S. religions, particularly those supporting colleges and universities, must take the position that the idea of separation of church and state benefits all religions more or less equally and shouldn't be overturned; I haven't heard of any present-day church opposing the idea; what happens seems to be that a church will become active in an area such that it attracts the criticism that it is encroaching on what had been neutral territory, or, by contrast, that government is failing in its duty to remain neutral, such as in the current health-care controversy over birth control insurance coverage for church, or church sponsored hospital, employees.  

I see evangelical preachers on TV exhorting personal salvation and encouraging donations; don't hear much about church-state separation, however; perhaps it's not a message that sells...




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/conlawprof/attachments/20120215/0f1d4152/attachment.html>