Summary
Religion remains a significant part of the American culture to date, incorporated in most symbols of power and national unity, ‘In God We Trust, visible on the motto and coins. Religious freedom has seen the acceptance of different religious beliefs in the United States, from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. In the first amendment of the constitution, freedom of religion was among the five freedoms and rights amended “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” During the British colonial era, religion offered a reprieve to freedom fighters that God ordained the struggle for freedom. The involvement of ‘ministers’ in the fight for independence provided courage to realize a solid free American future.
Separation of Church and State
the first amendment of December 1791 saw the ratification of bills that saw America achieve modernity and civilization. Among them was the religious amendment,’ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’’ The founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, stated that the involvement of any government in religious matters would corrupt the church. In 1879 the supreme court passed the ‘Separation of the church and state, amid claims of interface and influence of political category in religious matters, with the latter accusing the former of the same. The ‘separation’ meant that the two bodies would operate independently with little or no interference. The Separation allowed for diversification in religion across states in the United States; thus, religion found the current strong base and foundation. Separation further aided the fight for freedom from British powers. As many denominations emerged, the reality of liberty was imminent and vivid. The policy of the Separation of the church and the states was that God provided equal rights of existence for all citizens, but it was the state’s task to ensure that the rights were protected from exploitation.
How Americans Differ from European Religion
The Americans believed in the sovereignty of the fight for independence and saw religion’s onset as a God-given opportunity to fight for freedom righteously. The American faith is stronger than the European faith in various ways. The church (religion) in the United States and the state (federal government) operate as stand-alone. In the USA, the church; provides calm for the soul and favor from God while the state offers boundary and temporal happiness. The thoughts and ideologies of the two are vital in attaining national unity and prosperity.
In Europe, on the other hand, the government and the church operated closely. In Germany, for instance, after abolishing the monarchical system of governance and adopting the Weimer constitution 1918, the government dictated rights and freedoms to specific churches, the roman catholic and the protestant (Lutheran) denominations. In other European countries, like Italy, religion was sacred, and it controlled the government to date. Italy is one of the most religious nations, hosting the papal city Vatican and Rome.
The church in the United States of America propelled freedom and national cohesion celebrated then and now. Central European nations, on the contrary, (Britain, and Italy) had their governing bodies influenced by their religion. America, to date, enjoys religious diversification, where citizens express their beliefs and faith freely. European countries have nonetheless stuck to notably ancient religions that have a stake in the governing of their nations.
Work Cited
Prud’homme, Joseph. “Separation of Church and State, American Exceptionalism, and the Contemporary Social Moment: Viewing Church-State Separation from the Priority of Slavery.” Religions 12.1 (2021): 34.