Separation of Church and State: The Independence of Thought and Function

Yesterday I was speaking to a group of students (my sister’s class (she is the teacher)) about government, politics, and our state. During the question session, I was asked why during the tour of the state capitol building there was a chapel in the building since in this country we have a separation of church and state. Now this might be sounding like the beginning of another one of my endless rants on religion, but don’t worry this isn’t going there. Now here goes my best shot at constitutional interpretation, and personal opinion. First off, as I have said before people founded this county who fled Europe due to a persecution of their religious beliefs, the Puritans and the Quakers (not the oats people). In the first amendment to the Constitution in the Bill of Rights, its first three words are Freedom Of Religion, and it specifies that congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of a national religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof. Then there is the ninth amendment, it protects rights not specifically enumerated in the bill of rights and that interpretation of the constitution and the bill of rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. On our money the words IN GOD WE TRUST is printed, our pledge of allegiance included ONE NATION UNDER GOD, the bill of rights says that all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights among them Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. My point is that religion has also been a cornerstone of our country, however, at the same time a building cannot stand on just one cornerstone. Freedom to practice the beliefs of your choice has also always been a part of our country and its founding as well. I have no problem with an athlete praying before a game, I have no problem with a student who prays is school, I have a problem with mandatory time for “silent reflection” Not every student prays, not every student believes in the same religion, I don’t think this should be something that is forced. I firmly believe in the separation of church and state religion should not be legislated, just as social issued should be considered on merit rather than religious ideology. It’s a fine line, and I know its hard to walk on one side or the other of that line. The founding fathers went through great difficulty in setting up the governance of this country and protecting the rights of the people. So back to the original cause of this question, do I object to a chapel (it’s a room set aside in a corner of the first floor) being in the capitol building, no I don’t, because people are not forced to go there, there is not a mandatory prayer session held in the room, it is there so that if someone chooses to exercise their freedom to express their religion there is a place that they might do so. That’s not contrary to the separation of church and state, that exemplifies it.