Defining the Separation of Church and State in the U.S.

Many people have misinterpreted the separation of church and state to mean that religious views shouldn’t play a role in public discussions and lawmaking. Someone might say, “We shouldn’t restrict abortion because the pro-life perspective is based on religious values. It’s a violation of the separation of church and state to impose those views on others.”  This is a gross misrepresentation of this constitutional principle. If that were the case, then stealing wouldn’t be penalized because that too is based on a value judgment.