Religion and Government
Religion and government research papers discuss the two dichotomies in relation to how they interact in the political arena. America has a long history of integrating religious beliefs into law. Have Paper Masters write a custom research project that examines this practice and explicates why religion and government were never meant to mix.
When one hears the words "government" and "religion" in the same sentence, most assume that the speaker is referring to the separation of church and state. This mandate which has served as the basis for banning prayer in public schools and for contesting the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance remains one of the most pertinent aspects of government today. The government cannot and shall not abridge any individual's religious beliefs nor may it in any way establish a church under which the American citizenry can be ruled.America, as a country of immigrants, has a population that reflects the religious makeup of the world. In this country one finds well-represented the three largest of the world's religions:
Despite the fact that modern conceptualization of the separation of church and state appears to imply that government has always set forth on a path to remove itself from the institution from religion, the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. The Library of Congress in its overview of the founding of America notes that when European settlers first arrived in the colonies, religious fervor was a centerpiece for the development of society and government. Thus, at a time when Americans vehemently protest the intermingling of church and state, the government reveals that many of the processes the shaped the development of government in this country were underwritten by the doctrines of Christian religion.
Examining the development of government in the colonies during the Seventeenth century documents from this time period clearly suggest that religion played an integral role in the development of law. Specifically, the Seventeenth Century Laws of Massachusetts, which were modeled after the scriptures of the Old Testament, demonstrate how the colonists sought to incorporate religion into their government. What is perhaps most interesting about this decision however, is that the development of the new government in the colonies is juxtaposed against the images of religious persecution that many colonists faced in England. In short, it is surprising to see that after so much persecution, the colonists would consider making religion an integral part of their new government.