- July 21, 2015
- Posted by: Sergei
- Category: Argumentative and Controversial
It is evident that the issue of church and state separation is a widely debated topic in today’s society. The two constituent parts of modern society play a pivotal role in its development and progress in the given country. Some people speak in favor of the separation of church and state, while others strongly oppose it. There are several reasons for such a situation, but first the pros and cons of such separation should be discussed.
As for the pros of separation of church and state, it should be noted that if a person lives in a democratic society, he/she has to realize the fact that separation of state and church is a must, as only such measure can prevent various religions from being affected by the government of the state. If a person hears the word “state”, it just means that the focus must be put on politics, rather than some religious aspects. Religion should be left to religious organizations only, and the state should not participate in any religious campaigns. Religion is thought to be one of the controversial issues in the life of every person. Religious beliefs should be valued by every individual, but the state affairs have nothing to do with religious matters. In order to achieve democracy, the state and church should be separated, as this is the best solution to the problem of making a society democratic. In terms of the democratic society, the separation of church and state is a must, as it guarantees the successful development and progress of this or that country. It should further be noted that separation of church and state is designated in the Constitution of the USA, and should be followed without exceptions. Only with the help of such separation, a society can become democratic and democracy in this case should be valued most of all.
However, there are also drawbacks of the state and church separation. If the church is separated from the state, the government of the country cannot dictate the religious principles to be followed by the society. In fact, this can be considered both a negative and positive side. On the one hand, if to separate church from the state, the government will not be able to force people to believe in this or that truth. On the other hand, without such guidance people would not be able to choose what religion to follow. If the church is totally separated from the state, the country is given an opportunity to govern people in a way it wants. However, the church is also given such freedom, so that people may become distracted and not realize what is better for them. This is one of the major drawbacks of the state and church separation.
It is claimed by some people that separation of state and church is not mentioned in the Constitution, although this statement can be argued about. But if to take such suggestion seriously, most people will simply start wondering what their status in the society is. Overall, as long as the state’s governmental officials do not force citizens to choose a religion to follow, everything will go smoothly. The most important goal of the government is to ensure that the society constantly evolves and develops. In this regard, one of the basic qualities of the US democratic society is freedoms and liberties existing across the country. The most important liberty of citizens is a right to choose this or that religion without being forced to do so. There are no rights that would restrict or reinforce certain religious beliefs so that separation of state and church remains a controversial issue that can be perceived differently depending on one’s own perspective.