Agnostic.com

7 0

First Amendment - Is the separation of church and state absolute or should the government fund religious entities to provide services?

Mark9393 6 Feb 19
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

7 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

4

Yes, there should be a WALL of separation between church and state. As a matter of fact, I think churches should pay property tax = hell, they use the same roads, fire & police departments... they need to pay taxes or the community as a whole must subsidize them.

2

It is absolute in my mind, as I read it , it was important at that time to establish religious liberty. With our immigrant population we have all religions, NO government should ever utilize theology as a core of governing people

EMC2 Level 8 Feb 19, 2018

But then playing the christian game got Trump elected.

@heathen77 Yes and that shows all how gullible the christians are. They have even changed the moral code of jesus to reflect prejudice. I can just jesus walking around with an assault weapon His followers ask him why he has an assault weapon and he must say it is because I have no faith that with Father I am not certain I am safe. This is the republicans.
Their new moral values reflect the old bible more than the new testament. The republicans now support people who cheat and beat their partners and also speak in vulgar terms.

1

Can we really run a military without a Chaplin service?
Why does the military need a chaplain service?

Would anyone be willing to let AA meetings take place in a building that can handle large gatherings for free like churches do?
Churches aren't free

Are we not willing to provide bus services/standard tests/textbooks/library funds/etc to private religious schools?
No, parents should pay for it

Should we take away food stamps from church food banks?
Do food banks get food stamps? If so, yes they should loose them

Multiple studies have shown that clergy in prisons does work, are we willing to not allow a program that works in reforming convicts not run to prove a point?
They're not reformed, they've just become religious crooks.

1

Slippery slope to becoming a Taliban type state!

1

The churches should pay tax, not be funded.

0

I don't think they should get any more or different types of funding than other nonreligious group providing the same service.

0

that is a really good question with no clear-cut answer. It first showed up with King Henry the 8th and courts have debated it ever since.

Go get a copy of "god vs the gavel". Book really goes into the caselaw very well.

It is easy to take an absolute stance on this issue but it breaks down quickly in the real world. For example:

can we really run a military without a Chaplin service? Would anyone be willing to let AA meetings take place in a building that can handle large gatherings for free like churches do? Are we not willing to provide bus services/standard tests/textbooks/library funds/etc to private religious schools? Should we take away food stamps from church food banks? Multiple studies have shown that clergy in prisons does work, are we willing to not allow a program that works in reforming convicts not run to prove a point?

These are complicated questions and anyone who tells me they have it all figured out, well I frankly don't believe them.

Can we really run a military without a Chaplin service? Wouldn't have to. Chaplains could be paid by churches or be volunteers.

Would anyone be willing to let AA meetings take place in a building that can handle large gatherings for free like churches do? Churches don't take public money to do this, do they? If not, then I'm fine with them offering the space for free.

Should we take away food stamps from church food banks? I don't understand this. Food stamps are government assistance, food banks are where volunteers distribute donated food. I don't have a problem with churches collecting food donations and giving them to needy people.

Are we not willing to provide bus services/standard tests/textbooks/library funds/etc to private religious schools? That is correct. I am not willing to fund private religious schools. They can fund themselves through church donations or tuition.

Multiple studies have shown that clergy in prisons does work, are we willing to not allow a program that works in reforming convicts not run to prove a point? If it's all voluntary, then fine. If the public isn't paying the clergy to be there and the convicts aren't forced to do the program, then fine.

@carlyhorton I was going to answer @engineer_in_nj, and then I read your response that hit all my points without me needing to do the work. Thanks! 🙂

@carlyhorton , I completely agree. Not one of the services listed in the previous comment should be publicly funded. Ministers, priest, preachers, etc etc should either be volunteers or work on a donation level. Why should I pay for faith based services that I don't condone. As far as AA goes, it's not my problem that alcoholics need a faith based program to get sober, put yourself into rehab and pay for it yourself. Why would I feel the need to contribute to services needed to a private religious educational institutions?
These are definitely not "complicated questions". The answer is simple, the general public shouldn't be on the hook for supporting religious institutions in any way, shape, or form. Furthermore make these institutions pay their damn taxes!
Oh and P.s., Everyone knows that convicts while in prison always "find jesus", but it rarely sticks. Reformation and morals do not derive from faith, as nonbelievers we all should know this. You either have morality or you dont, and your definitely not going to find them in prison.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:26253
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.