The Issue of Seperation of Church and State in America

The "wall of separation between church and state" is clearly stated in the Constitution under the First Amendment. However, what limitations should politicians have in expressing their religious beliefs or there of? In the article we read in class today, "American democracy's real doctrine: religious neutrality," author Jane Eisner incorporates a republican conservative, an extremely atheist liberal man, and a devout catholic democrat. Senator Santorum, the republican conservative, believed that Jefferson's "wall of separation between church and state" that was passed as the government neutrality of religion in the constitution only led to more secularization within the government system, which fueled more fights over religious neutrality within politicians. Justice Hugo Black, who happened to be anti-Catholic and anti-Jew, was the head of the supreme court during the Everson v Board of Education of the township of Ewing trials. He made the trials more contradicting and confusing by promoting not religious neutrality but rather anti-religion in government. He contributed largely to the continuous growth of the wars of religion in the mid 1900s in America. John J. DiIulio, a catholic democrat wrote The Godly Republic. In his book, he published that he did not support "religious establishment nor in strict separation" and believed in a "faith friendly equal protection". His wording supports the involvement of religion in politics, but should it really be allowed. The article goes on to say that "Catholics may be ascendant now, with a decisive majority on the supreme court and unfettered access to the elective office." If Catholics have the majority religion, though, what happens to the other minority religions? The author later states that "protecting the neutrality doctrine is so essential for American Jews." So, can politicians who promote religious views damage other religions and create an imbalance of religious powers, eventually disrupting the "wall of separation between church and state"?