Luis Tobon
REL 3127 Church and State
Professor Grisel d'Elena
08/03/2025
Church and State Reflection
The video lecture “REL 3127: Church and State: The U.S. Govt Role in Church and
State” features a conversation between professors about how religion, especially Christianity, is
tied to U.S. history and law. They debate whether the U.S. is a Christian nation, whether the
government respects the separation of church and state, and how religion influences politics and
public life. This reflection connects their discussion to our class lessons (1–14) and includes my
opinion on the professors' views.
The professors in the video mostly agree that the U.S. is not officially a Christian nation,
even though Christian beliefs have influenced the culture. One professor says we live in a
“Judeo-Christian culture,” not a Christian country. This matches what we learned in Lesson 1,
which explains that the First Amendment protects both the free exercise of religion and prevents
the government from establishing a religion (Lesson 1, 2023). In Lesson 5, we learned that in the
case Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States (1892), the Court called the U.S. a "Christian
nation," but this was not a legal ruling it was more of a cultural statement. Later court decisions
moved away from that language. In reality, the U.S. is made up of many religious groups, and the
Constitution does not mention Christianity.
The professors bring up important points about the government’s role in religion. One
said that the founders, like Jefferson and Madison, wanted a "wall of separation" between church
and state. This reflects what we saw in Lesson 3, especially Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the
Danbury Baptists. He made it clear that government should not interfere in religion and that
religion should not control government. However, the video also points out that this separation is
not always clear. In Lessons 9 and 10, we studied how public schools were once heavily
influenced by Protestant Christianity. In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Court ruled that school prayer
was unconstitutional (Lesson 10, 2023). This shows the courts have tried to keep religion out of
public schools. But as the video shows, debates continue like whether religious symbols can be
on public property, or if government money can go to religious schools through vouchers
(Lesson 10, 2023).
One bias I noticed was a clear fear of religious control over the government. Some
professors were very worried about movements like Catholic integralism, where people want the
U.S. government to follow Christian rules. They warned that this could threaten democracy and
religious freedom. In Lesson 14, we learned about how religion has influenced politics for
example, in the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights movement, and the Moral Majority in the
1980s. Religious people have always been active in politics, but that doesn’t mean they want a
theocracy. I think the professors were right to be cautious, but they seemed a little too afraid of
religion in general. Another bias was how they talked about France. They criticized French laws
that ban religious symbols like the hijab in public schools. While I agree that this may be too
strict, the video didn't explain France's history with church control and why their secularism is
different from ours. In Lesson 8, we studied how different countries balance religion and
government differently.
I agree most with the professor who emphasized personal freedom and religious
pluralism Alex. He said the government should protect freedom of religion, but not force religion
into public life. This matches what we learned in Lesson 2, where Madison argued that religion
is a matter of personal conscience, and the government should not be involved in religious
decisions (Lesson 2, 2023). Alex also talked about the Do No Harm Act and said religious
freedom should never be used to hurt others. That reminds me of Lesson 13, where we talked
about how religious organizations can sometimes avoid taxes or laws under the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). While protecting faith is important, it should never be used to
discriminate.
Some professors said that religion should be completely removed from public institutions
including public universities. I disagree. In Lesson 6, we learned that teaching about religion in a
neutral and academic way is not the same as promoting religion. Religious studies help students
understand history, ethics, and culture. Banning them would not respect free speech or education.
Also, one professor strongly opposed religious exemptions for things like refusing to bake cakes
for gay weddings. While I agree that no one should be discriminated against, I think we need to
be careful not to force people to act against their deeply held beliefs. As we saw in Lesson 7, the
Free Exercise Clause protects religious actions unless the government has a strong reason to
interfere (Lesson 7, 2023). We should look for balance between religious rights and civil rights.
The video discussion reminded me how complex the issue of church and state really is.
The United States is not a Christian nation, even though Christian values helped shape the
country’s culture. The government has made many efforts to separate church and state, especially
in public schools, but there are still debates about vouchers, religious freedom laws, and how
religion affects politics. Overall, I believe in protecting religious freedom for all, including
people who believe differently or don’t believe at all. I agree with the idea that the government
should stay neutral and fair. Our lessons show how hard it is to balance these rights, but the First
Amendment gives us a strong foundation. As long as the government respects both free exercise
and no establishment, religion can thrive without becoming a tool of political power.
Reference
Church and State: The U.S. Government’s Role in Church and State. (2022, April 1). YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGNlRrUYz_E
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 2: Colonists. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 3: Founders. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 4: Civil Religion. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 5: A Christian Nation. REL 3127 course materials, Florida
International University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 6: Interpretation. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 7: Free Exercise. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 9: Establishment. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 13: Religion and Taxes. REL 3127 course materials, Florida
International University.
d’Elena, G. (n.d.). Lesson 14: Social Politics. REL 3127 course materials, Florida International
University.