igious bigotry and exclusiveness has fostered civil war and terrorist attacks that freedom of religion is a fundamental right of all. As will be discussed herein, what is needed is further strengthening of the separation of Church and State and not any increase in the association of the two.
Briefly, The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (Harwood, 2003). Under the terms of this Amendment, any law, court ruling, jury verdict, or regulation that denies adherence of a minority religion or belief system the rights granted to practitioners of all other belief systems is unconstitutional. Similarly, the First Amendment prohibits granting to designated religions rights that are not enjoyed by others. As William Harwood (2003) has noted, the federal government and the state governments have made numerous attempts to ensure that members of all religious groups and belief systems are treated equally under the law and in the workplace. This, however, is fairly recent and is being challenged by religious and other interest groups that would like to see aspects of the First Amendment changed (Martin, 1996).
Edwin S. Gaustad (1999) described the influence of religion in the early life of the colonies, accurately pointing out that Protestantism was dominant in the New England colonies and that for many early settlers, the linkage between political entities such as villages and the established "church" was both accepted and seen as necessary. Gaustad (1991) also pointed out that even before the American Revolution and the establishment of an autonomous nation, there were those who rejected religious pluralism; activists such as Roger Williams called early in the 17th century for religious freedom, the right to worship as one saw fit without interference from the state or any "established" church, and for tole...