In U.S., far more support than oppose separation of church and state

Source: Pew Research Center

The First Amendment to the Constitution states that the United States shall have no official religion. Nevertheless, Christians make up a large majority of the population, and the role of Christianity in the nation’s identity continues to be a frequent topic of debate.

Some Americans long for a more avowedly religious and explicitly Christian country, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. For instance, three-in-ten U.S. adults say public school teachers should be allowed to lead students in Christian prayers, 19% say the federal government should stop enforcing the separation of church and state, and 18% say the Constitution was inspired by God. Moreover, 15% say the federal government should declare the U.S. a Christian nation.

But the clear majority of Americans do not accept these views. Two-thirds of U.S. adults say the Constitution was written by humans and reflects their vision (67%), and a similar share say the government should never declare any official religion (69%).

Suggested reading

The Muslims Who Inspired Spinoza, Locke, and Defoe 

We hold these Truths to be Self-Evident Also: Thomas Jefferson Memorial Inscriptions

Why Thomas Jefferson Rewrote the Bible Without Jesus’ Miracles and Resurrection

Categories: Secularism

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