Quote:
Originally Posted by ila
Separation of church and state does not mean that a politician is not allowed to have any religion at all or that a politician is not allowed to express opinions about and/or based on religion. Separation of church and state simply means that laws are not allowed to be passed that are based on any religion.
|
In the United States, the separation is a bit more complex than just not allowing laws based on any religion. That type of law might be one that requires us all to accept Jesus as our personal savior.
But it also disallows laws that can be construed as limiting any religion in any way. And therein lies the biggest problem, because the "limit" has been defined as restricting taxes on the many of the huge real estate and corporate holdings of, for example, the Mormon Church (holdings that have nothing to do with religion
per se, but are financial investments); most of the financial empire of Scientology; and so on.
Just a clarification.
I bet, though, that if a reporter were to ask Sarah Palin to explain this concept, cite the article of the U.S. constitution, or reference even one court case related to it, she would get her "deer-in-the-headlights" look, then wink, and then try to change the subject. Unless, of course, she knew the question was coming and had written the answers on her hand.