write the difference between freedom of religion and secularism(long ans)
Answers
Answer:It is a well-established principle of American law that the Constitution requires a separation between church and state. The general understanding is that the Constitution prohibits any religious expression in the public square and that American governmental territories are obligated to be a religion-free zone. That conventional wisdom might lead to a surprise of most American citizens that “the separation of church and state” is not mentioned in the Constitution. Never. Not once. In fact, at the time the Constitution was drafted it was understood as a matter of general fact that religion played a large role in society and, in fact, was expected to take a prominent place in the establishment of the new American nation.
That is not to say that the fundamental principle of separation of church and state has no place in the American experience, but rather that its construction is often misunderstood. The colonial and subsequent immigrant experience in America was built on a foundation of religious freedom, not freedom from religion. In fact, America’s first settlers, the Pilgrims, were yearning to establish a place of free religious worship where they were free from the totalitarianism of a despotic state—they were not seeking to be free from religious society in all respects. The freedom to worship as we choose, free from government interference, is the most fundamental of religious principles—it is so important that it was established as a matter of preferential treatment in the Bill of Rights as the First Amendment, the primary amendment, which among the freedoms of speech, the press and assembly established the freedom to exercise religion.
The foundation of religion—rather than the freedom from religion—is an essential rudimentary basis of American society. It is the difference between a secular government and a government that does not interfere with religious practice. America has never been built on a construct of secularism. We trust in God on our currency. And Congress begins its sessions with a prayer. The president often asks God to bless the American people. This is consistent with the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing impediments to our expressions of religion.
The construction, placing religious freedom at the center of the American experience, is why a law, like in France, that prohibits the wearing of head coverings is illegal in the United States. In June, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in the case regarding a religious Muslim woman who was fired from her job as a saleswoman at Abercrombie and Fitch because she wore a hijab, that the retail outlet could be sued for violating her rights. American courts have similarly found in favor of a Seventh Day Adventist who was punished for refusing to drive a bus on Saturday and in favor of a Jew in the Air Force who was facing discipline because he said wearing a kippah while piloting a plane was a matter of religious principle.
In the alternative, the European Union has established a structure not based on religious freedom, but rather the preeminence of secularism. As a result, the French legislative body has made it illegal to wear items of religious expression. Last year, a teacher in Germany sued because she is a religious Muslim and wore a scarf in the classroom. The secular court ruled that the termination from her job was rational and correct. It is a result that would never be countenanced under American law and the First Amendment principle of religious freedom.
So considering the First Amendment’s religious language, how did the concept of “separation of church and state” become so prominent in the understanding of American law? The answer is found in the notes of the First Congress, which wanted to create a framework different from Europe where the government and church were intertwined. A note leading to the creation of the First Amendment stated: “The Constitution did not create a nation, nor its religion and institutions. It found them already existing, and was framed for the purpose of protecting them under a republican form of government, in a rule of the people, by the people, and for the people.” In other words, religion was here first, the government cannot interfere. It was Thomas Jefferson who first talked about a separation of church and state, and said the practice of religion “should be secured,” from the government.
Explanation:
freedom of religion secularism
poiuytrewqasdfghjklmnbvcxzzaqwsxcderfvbgtyhnmjuiklop