Ties between Church in State in the United States

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#1 The relationship evolved from the original European settlement to the time of the Constitutional Convention and the creation of the U.S. government in 1789. Ties between church and state started out as virtually the same and should be practiced as one such as when the Puritans pilgrims first come to the colony. The Puritans were the first to be allowed to have a decent amount of liberty regarding religion and were a well-known religious group from England that founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They completely tied religion to the government. Some of the rules tying government to religion included only Congregational Church members being allowed vote and you could only become a member if you believed and lived the way the church considered fit. The church also dictated clothing, how to do business, education and recreation. Puritans would harass, extreme persecution like public whippings, and force individuals out of the settlements. This did not set well with Roger William or William Penn. Roger William fought for religious freedom and later bought a piece of land known today as Rhode Island allowing this idea. William Penn founded Pennsylvania and was someone who spoke for religious freedom. He is also the founder of a new church called Society of Friends or Quakers. These two men helped pave the path for religious freedom we practice today. This influenced the American government formation in 1789. Two individuals that led this movement were Thomas Jefferson, the President of America during this time, and James Madison who is considered the father of the Constitution. During the writing of the Constitution Madison agreed saying that the relationship between religion and government need to be separate in the Constitution o... ... middle of paper ... ...s that America is a Christian nation such as “In God We Trust” on our money, “One Nation Under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance, political figures getting sworn in on the bible, the Supreme Court starting off with a prayer and tax exemption for Churches. While this comes off as a Christian nation “In God We Trust” on our money and “One Nation Under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance came later when we wanted to show we weren’t a Communist country. The other examples of political figures getting sworn in on the bible, the Supreme Court starting off with a prayer and tax exemption for Churches is a form of expression. Political figures can be sworn into office on whichever religious book or law book they choose however the bible is the most common. The Supreme Court is upholding tradition and Churches are categorized with charities causing them to be exempt from taxes.

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