Do you think there is true separation of Church and State?

The institutions of church and state are separate in the United States, and I think the Supreme Court has generally done a good job of ensuring it remains that way. However, this does not mean there is no religious affiliation with political life in the US at all. On the contrary, religion is a part of the American way of life, and as such, it’s impossible to avoid any contact between politics and religion.

When it comes to considering separate religions, the Supreme Court has the difficult job of allowing freedom of religion while preserving law and order. These have sometimes resulted in conflict. For example, the Supreme Court banned polygamy among Mormons in the Utah territories; however, the Supreme Court did rule in Wisconsin vs. Yoder that the Amish could keep their children out of school after 8th grade, as required by their own value system and despite Wisconsin state law. Also, in Cantwell vs. Connecticut, the Supreme Court said the states had no right to require religious groups to apply for a permit to distribute religious material, which Connecticut was doing at the time with Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are other examples.

Overall, I think the Supreme Court, despite what some people think, has done a great job of preventing the establishment of any one religion in the US, while also preserving religious freedom. It hasn’t been easy…