Why is separation of church and state important?
This country was founded by people escaping religious persecution in other lands. Because of this history, it has always been characteristic of the United States to be a haven of religious freedom. In fact, because of the Establishment Clause, the United States is the most religiously diverse nation in the world. In many countries, government interference in religion has caused widespread persecution, ranging from government sanctions restricting the practice of certain religions to physical punishment or death. The embodiment and protector of our fundamental right to freedom of religion is the First Amendment. Without the First Amendment, there would be no protection against religious persecution. In order to protect the rights of the majority, the rights of the minority must also be protected, and the best way to do this is to remove religious affiliations from our governing bodies.
