69 million page views

Separation of Church and State is American; Is Foreign to and Not Islamic

Reader comment on item: Israeli Arabs: An Existential Danger to Israel
in response to reader comment: First salvo in the intellectual offensive against Islam should be separation of church and state.

Submitted by M Tovey (United States), Dec 7, 2021 at 14:56

In the arena of continuing contentions of religious animosities, this observer arrives at a similar conclusion and even sympathizes with reader Prashant's observations; but a paradox surfaces that has a long running contention of its own contravening indications of irreconcilable circumstances. It is the content and context of 'separation of church and state', a decidedly 'American' legal concept that was derived from a series of similar confrontational implications in American jurisprudence regarding imposition of religious edicts/mandates from a governmental platform of authority. An extraction from a letter of opinion while the situation of imposing religious restrictions in a public forum was being challenged became American law at the behest of the highest court of the land and its misinterpretation has been a thorn in the side of American freedom ever since. Its misinterpretation is experienced from all sides of the view, from all refractions and infractions of its applications in American society.
While the first of the implications is that religious freedom is the law of the land, rule of law that is perceived as 'religiously' based was not to become a basis of arguing that rebellion to law and order was perceived and 'protected' as an act of freedom. An attack on civility was not authenticated, but the pushback on religious objections to certain antisocial behaviors in order to maintain social order soon became the 'war cry' to those whose attitudes towards religion in general were less than civilized. This exists in America today.
In the world, on the other hand, social civility based upon religious observations of being dutiful to one's obligation to the rule of deity is as diverse as there are religions and the rules of compliance are myriad and as such, are impossible to keep track of, much less made to be enforceable.
The American style of governance was never made fully acceptable outside of America; the world-scape is littered with failed attempts to 'Americanize' democracies since no other nation has ever fully understood how America was set to function; and today that concept in America is compromised by the socialist progressive movement. It's that rebellion that too many believe will replace the Constitutional form and separation of church and state will eventually become the final victim.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (20) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Armageddon is near [198 words]SlayhyDec 15, 2022 22:57289757
1Politically, Jews are Masters at Shooting Themselves in the Foot - Except in Israel [641 words]RobertOct 14, 2022 12:02287446
Looking at Judaism from a Decidedly Differing Perspective - Issues Do Appear Self- Inflicted - But Ignoring the Law Always the Culprit [248 words]M ToveyOct 15, 2022 22:43287446
2Islam is a clear and present danger to every other thought [327 words]PrashantOct 10, 2022 17:10287305
1Religious Existential Danger to Israel Generally - Islamically Driven Invectives Specifically [256 words]M ToveyOct 10, 2022 18:49287305
2Hindu Civilization vs. Islam(ism) [162 words]RobertOct 13, 2022 11:45287305
Israeli Security-Victory-Peace Always Under Threat if Islamic/Mulsim Theosophical/Ideological Aspirations are Not Self Mitigated [164 words]M ToveyOct 10, 2022 10:43287292
Expel disloyal Jews too, and enact an Israeli RICO [152 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveOct 9, 2022 16:31287269
If Secular Government Does Not Recognize Religious Rights - Then What Does Defense Lose When Not Defending All [132 words]M ToveyOct 10, 2022 13:51287269
What makes the Druze and Bedouins exceptions [67 words]RaoOct 13, 2022 04:13287269
Arabian Identity Crises - Who are the True Sons of Ishmael that Share Abraham's Legacy [118 words]M ToveyOct 13, 2022 13:36287269
A country is not a roach motel [198 words]DaveOct 13, 2022 13:46287269
Loyalty to American Constitutional Values Not the Reason for the Immigration Invasion - Immigrants Seeking Freedom Seeded with Enemies Foreign [290 words]M ToveyOct 14, 2022 12:44287269
2First salvo in the intellectual offensive against Islam should be separation of church and state. [796 words]PrashantDec 5, 2021 21:38277095
Separation of Church and State is American; Is Foreign to and Not Islamic [372 words]M ToveyDec 7, 2021 14:56277095
Can we generalize your statement? [76 words]PrashantDec 5, 2021 11:41277089
Why Appropriations of Israeli Culture Are Unrelenting [152 words]M ToveyDec 6, 2021 00:28277089
1The price to pay for Judenrien [105 words]David W. LincolnJun 1, 2007 10:1395640
The future vision of Palestinians in Israel [24 words]steven LJun 1, 2007 10:1295639
Contraindications That Israel Will (Never) Ever Be Left Alone - Arab Population Infusions Notwithstanding [285 words]M ToveyOct 27, 2021 11:0295639

Comment on this item

Mark my comment as a response to Separation of Church and State is American; Is Foreign to and Not Islamic by M Tovey

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

See recent outstanding comments.

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)