Separation of church and state

The separation of church and state is a concept and philosophy in modern thought and practice, whereby the structures of state or national government are proposed as needing to be separate from those of religious institutions. The concept has long been a topic of political debate throughout history. The term "church" in Western civilization is usually associated with Christianity. However, the phrase as a whole refers to religion and religious institutions in general and its/their relationship to government. In countries where other religions are dominant, the words mosque, temple, or synagogue are often substituted.

Secularism and theocracy

Secularism is the belief that the government should be a secular institution; that is, have no state religion, have no legislation that outlaws or favors one religion over another, and have no religiously motivated regulations on the eligibility of the nation's politicians. A secular state has no power over the nation's churches and the nation's churches have no political powers over the members of the government. A related notion is the French laïcité. However the concept of secularism can easily be extended into one in which the expression of religion is actively restricted or persecuted. (see also anti-clericalism)

Related Topics:
Secularism - State religion - Politicians - French - Laïcité - Anti-clericalism

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Many Western democratic nations place a high importance on the separation of church and state. Some nations, such as the United States of America, Australia and Canada, even have specific clauses in their constitutions which are widely interpreted as forbidding the government from favoring one religion over another.

Related Topics:
Western - United States of America - Australia - Canada - Constitution

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Other democracies, such as the United Kingdom, have a constitutionally established state religion, but are inclusive of citizens of other faiths. In countries like these, the head of government or head of state or other high-ranking official figures may be legally required to be a member of a given faith. Powers to appoint high-ranking members of the state churches are also often still vested in the worldly governments. These powers may be slightly anachronistic or superficial, however, and disguise the true level of religious freedom the nation possesses.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - State religion - Head of government - Head of state

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The opposite end of the spectrum from secularism is a theocracy, in which the state and state religion are inseparable, and the rule of law is based on interpretation of a religious texts such as the Bible or the Qur'an. Examples include Saudi Arabia, the Vatican and Iran. In such countries state affairs are managed by religious authority or by its explicit consent. In theocracies, a citizen is considered to be a member of the state religion merely due to his citizenship, and is subject to religious injunctions and is legally required to believe and worship appropriately.

Related Topics:
Theocracy - Rule of law - Bible - Qur'an - Saudi Arabia - The Vatican - Iran

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Though they favor a religiously neutral state, secularists generally do not hold that the state must be opposed to religion. However, traditionalist religious critics of secularism often consider secularism to be a departure from tradition in the direction of atheism. Those who believe that the state has religious obligations, or that it must be informed by religious values, often regard secularism as atheism.

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Some political philosophies, such as Marxism generally hold the belief that any religious influence in a state or society is a negative thing. Nations that officially embrace such beliefs, such as the former Eastern European Communist Bloc countries, will be "officially" atheist, and denounce or persecute members of religious faiths. Critics of state-atheism often argue that since atheism is in itself a belief, state-atheism is really just another form of theocracy.

Related Topics:
Marxism - Eastern Europe - Communist Bloc

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Some contend that secularists who object to expressions of religious opinion by political leaders or on government property are at odds with freedom of speech. The issue is more complicated when it is difficult to discern whether the political leaders are speaking personally or as a function of their position.

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