Separation of Church and State

The framers of the Constitution were taught by history that government should not be used to enforce the tenets of a particular religion. Many of the immigrants to these shores came because they were subjected to abuse by a government which enforced a state religion. Even in the colonies, more than thirty people were declared to be witches and executed for arousing the suspicions of powerful Christian religious leaders. Our forefathers provided a simple and effective answer - Separation of Church and State. There is to be no state religion. Everyone is allowed to practice his own religion so long as it does not materially encroach on the rights of others. The simple statement in the U. S. Constitution First Amendment is, "Congress will make no laws regarding religion". This approach has worked very well in the 217 years since the writing of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. There have been no major conflicts between opposing religious groups. Indeed, there have been a few cheap politicians (W. Bush wasn't the first.) who have tried to stir up religious conflict for their own purposes. (Slavery and segregation advocates and the KKK come to mind.) But, there has been nothing on the scale of the "troubles" of Northern Ireland or the warfare in Bosnia.

For those among us who think that their particular religion should be adopted and enforced by the government of the United States, think for a moment of your fate if the wrong (meaning someone else's) religion is adopted. 

None of us want to be bound by the tenets of another religion.  A sense of fair play should tell us that we should then not try to force our religion on others no matter how fervently we may believe.