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Church & State Issues/Is this unconstitutional?
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Question
I do not know whether or not this is within your range of expertise but I thought I would give it a try. Is it true that some states prohibit certain sexual activities between conscenting adults, and can even prosecute people for living together outside of marriage? If this is true, how is that not unconstitutional? It seems such laws(i.e. laws criminalizing same sex relations) are based on biblical principles, and not every believes in biblical teachings. Can the government seriously tell us what to do in the privacy of our bedrooms, or who we can live with? Thank you.
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
The courts have given mixed messages on this topic and I'm unsure what the latest is, so I guess my answer is that I'm not really an expert on the topic. Try the ACLU website--www.aclu.org--where I think you'll find a better answer.
My personal opinion is that you are essentially right--that it is unconstitutional to pass laws based only on moral ideas found in a book some consider sacred--but the legality is much more complex than it should be, in my opinion.
Regards,
Ed B.
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Answers by Expert:
Ed Buckner
Expertise
Nationally known freethinker will answer questions on church and state, including giving specific quotations and historical or logical support on religious liberty questions. I`m an expert on the U.S. Constitution, First Amendment, and the Treaty with Tripoli (1796-97). I am a Regional Director for the Council for Secular Humanism, active in the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and a leader of the Atlanta Freethought Society and The Georgia Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I earned a Ph.D.in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University in 1983.
Experience
Nationally known secular humanist will answer questions on church and state, including giving specific quotations and historical or logical support on religious liberty questions. I`m an expert on the U.S. Constitution, First Amendment, and the Treaty with Tripoli (1796-97). I am the Executive Director for the Council for Secular Humanism, and a former leader of the Atlanta Freethought Society and The Georgia Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I earned a Ph.D.in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University in 1983.
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