Democracy & Strict Separation of Church and State Options

[*Kathleen*]

Resolved: Democracy is best served with a strict separation of church and state.

Okay...now...just post about what you believe in. I need some practice for the next two months' LD debate.

[anoniez]

Well, your first and second quotes, at least, seem to agree with my argument that the constutition was created to keep the government from interfering with religion, not religion from entering the government. (more explanation later in the post.)
For example:

"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling in religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises" (letter to Samuel Miller, Jan. 23, 1808).

"civil powers alone have been given to the President of the United States, and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents"

(e.g. the government can't interfere with the church.)

The government interfering with religion and religion affecting the government are two very separate things. First of all, the former violates the right of freedom of religion- the latter does not. Religion must affect the government in some way at any time- there's no way to prevent it. The fact that it affects the government doesn't mean that the government will try to force everyone to conform to that religion. Everyone is affected by their religion, therefore it must enter the government, unless we want a completely robot government. However, the government interfering with churches and telling them what to do does violate the first amendment. This is what the founding fathers wanted to prevent.

"The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man" (Letter to J. Moor, 1800).

If you restrict the clergy from entering the government, isn't this actually hurting democracy, which is based on equality, including equality of opportunity? Denying someone the right to participate in the government based on their religious background, which I suppose you plan to do to fix this, doesn't conform to the principles behind democracy.