Randall Balmer on the seperation of Church and State

[DrPhilmmkay]

Todd--you'll find extremists almost anywhere. There are no freedom of religion in Islamic states, yet there are extremists willing to kill in the name of God.

[JustinTymeToday]

preachers who want to be politicians?? Don't wag your finger at the religious right Balmer, when you are an ordained preacher and you ran for political office. I guess you should include yourself in that mix. I'd rather have my preacher meeting with the president than molesting boys. Separation of church and state never meant that the church should sit silent on moral issues. Jesus spoke truth to power; so should we

[teaguetodd]

...it very seriously. and now their societies are very secular. ...in the u.s., however, people still take religion very seriously. and the freedom of religion (or freedom from a state religion) has allowed more radical types of religious extremists to flourish in greater numbers. certainly more than would have been possible under a state church.

[teaguetodd]

i agree with his assertion that religious faith has flourished in the u.s. thanks to the freedom of religion guaranteed by the separation of church and state (which is a fact lost on most of the religious right). but i also always saw this lack of a state religion as one of the main reasons why the u.s. has so many religious wackos. when you have an established state church that everyone "must" belong to, they all grow up mouthing the words and going through the motions, but they don't take...