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The History and Impact of Religion on Politics in America

Conclusion

Stephen Sills

001 Political Science

Dr. Romero

August 15, 2017

References

It is the right of the people to live out their beliefs in the public sphere.

-should not be prevented by the government.

-state have the right to allow religious expression, i.e. in their government.

Other religious groups also have the same right to freedom of expression.

-they must come to understand the origin of the values behind our democracy.

Bruce, Steve. The Rise and Fall of the New Christian Right. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Carwardine, Richard J. Evangelicas and Politics in Antebellum America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.

Church and State.” ACLU the Briefing Paper, 1999, doi:https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/FilesPDFs/church_state99.pdf.

Dreisbach, Daniel. “The Mythical Wall of Seperation”: How a Misused Metahpot Changed Chruch- State Law, Policy, and Discourse.” The Heritage Foundation. Published July 23, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2017.

Lacorne, Denis, and George Holoch. Religion in America: a Political History. Columbia University Press, 2014.

Huntington, Samuel P. Who Are We?: the Challenges to America's National Identity. Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Kmiec, Douglas W. “ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: The Separation of Church and State.” Hoover Institution, Hoover Institution, 6 Jan. 2006, www.hoover.org/research/another-brick- wall- separation-church-and-state. Retrieved August 2, 2017.

Olmstead, Clifton E. History of Religion in the United States: (An Absorbing, Authoritative Account of Religion in the United States from Colonial Days to the Present): (5. Print.). 1965.

Siegfried, Andre. America Comes of Age: A French Analysis. Translated by H.H. And Doris Hemming. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1927.

Tocqueville, Alexis de, et al. Democracy in America., 45,38. J & H.G. Langley, 1845.

"Who Are We? - Summary" Literary Masterpieces, Critical Compilation Ed. Frank Northen Magill. eNotes.com, Inc. 1991 eNotes.com 2 Aug, 2017.

Separation of Church and State

Principle originates in letter from Jefferson to a Congregation of Baptists in New England.

Impact of Religion on American History

"The legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or preventing the free establishment thereof." (Dreisbach)

ACLU argues there must be a strict separation between Church and state.

-to protect minority religious groups from potential discrimination.

-establishment clause applies to states via the 14th amendment.

Great Awakening of 1740:

-growth of the Methodists and Baptists.

-movement reached roughly 40 percent of total population.

Second Great Awakening heavily democratized religion in a way that it never was in England:

Foundations of Religion in America

"the centeral idea of this period was of religious renewal was that faith no longer needed to be regulated:enthusiasm - guided, of course by preachers-replaced the formalized creed, rituals, and commentaries of learned theology. Simple knowledge of the Bible, with no mediation by an interpreter recognized or certified religious authorities, was considered sufficient." (Lacorne, pp. 47)

Daniel Diesbach of the Heritage Foundation argues that Jefferson did not intend the statement this way.

-merely a political letter, not a principles statement concerning the constitution.

-Jefferson's separation between the Federal government and the states and religion.

States have the freedom to promote or prohibit religion.

Religion as a result took a more public role, as a result, several social reforms were passed, such as prison reform, poor relief, public education, and even temperance. (Olmstead, pp. 47)

Puritan Pilgrims arrived in 1620, and laid out the first foundation of a democratic society in America.

-Mayflower Compact.

Tocqueville:

Prominent French commentator on the early United States.

-attributed democratic principle to religious belief of the Puritans.

Other reasons:

-keeping other parties from leaving.

-was a largely theocratic rather than democratic.

Issue of Slavery and Religion

Rise of the Religious Right

Two narratives of American Identity

slavery has been an issue since the countries inception.

-Condemned by Thomas Pain and Benjamin Fanklin.

-New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc. had banned slavery in their states.

-abolition of slavery first occurred in England on 1833.

-Much of the strength of abolitionist groups came from evangelicals and other key promoters of revivalism and social reform.

Southern clergy supported slavery using Christianity.

-Jewish laws concerning slavery.

-Slavery not prohibited, only cruel treatment by an unjust master to slave.

During the election of 1960's, via the candidacy of Barry Goldwater, the Republican party realized that they could run a campaign based on traditional family values and states rights.

-large constituency felt their values were threatened.

-Led to the creation of Jerry Fallwell's Moral Majority.

-they were successfully able to get the southern evangelical vote.

-increased from 61 percent in 1976 to 77 percent in 1980.

Two origins of these values and narrative of American Identity.

-1st: Tradition of Enlightenment.

-inherently secular; ideals of political freedom and natural rights separate from any type of religious creed.

2nd: Tradition of the Reformation.

-inherently Judeo-Christian/Anglo-Protestant.

Enlightenment thinkers understood a Supreme power the metaphysical justification for natural rights.

-otherwise there is no basis.

Essential question: was the government intended by the founders as a strictly secular state, or is religion (i.e. Christianity) necessary in government to preserve the country's values?

Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence:

"we hold these truths to be self evident, that the people are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights, among these which are life, liberty and the pursuit of of happiness."

Jefferson is saying natural rights grounded in a Creator.

-political institutions presuppose natural rights.

-also presuppose a supreme being as well as metaphysical justification for those rights. (Kmiec)

Immigration and Religion

In the 1830's, there was a strong influx of Catholic immigrants from Europe.

-Many objected to the recitation of protestant prayers in Public schools.

-riots ensued in following years, and even fatalities.

Anglo-protestant community reacted negatively.

-Know Nothing Party argued that they had to adopt "Anglo-Saxon moral, social and religious principles." (Seigfried, pp. 142,144)

-KKK argued immigrants should be barred altogether.

Samuel Huntington denounces multiculturalism as deconstructing American values.

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