Exemplification Essay: Separation of Church and State -- Expository Ex

   Because of my strong beliefs, I have been called the Antichrist, a witch, an atheist, and a Satanist. Fervent Christians have told me that my â€Å"kind† is solely responsible for the downfall of American morals.    Actually, none of these labels fits me. I am not a witch because the only modern religion to practice witchcraft is Wicca (American Heritage 1381), and I am not a Wiccan. I am not a Satanist because modern Satanists do not believe in Satan as an actual entity; instead, they follow a "religion of the self," as the founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey, put it. (LaVey 1) Satanists also belong to an organization such as the Church of Satan or the Temple of Set, and I do not belong to any such organization. I do not call myself an atheist because atheists tend to not have well-developed ethical systems. I am a secular humanist. This means that I have no belief in supernatural beings or forces (gods or goddesses, angels, demons, leprechauns, etc.); that rational thought is more important to me than blind faith; and that I value freedom of expression, belief, and inquiry.    Now, because I value freedom of belief, it doesn't bother me that people think these things about me. If they want to believe that I fly through the air on a broomstick to a Satan-worshipping orgy, that's their misunderstanding. If they want to think my life is more exciting than it really is, they're welcome. What bothers me is the way that religious bigotry extends to the highest levels of government. George Bush was quoted as saying, "I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." ("Quotes" 5) The problem is that the first amendment states that "C... ... of the majority, the minority endures oppression. The quality of government suffers when it has been mixed too much with religion, and the quality of religious motives suffer when they have been polluted by political motives.    Let's move to a true separation of church and state.    Works Cited American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd. College Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982. "Blue Laws." Barron's Concise Student's Encyclopedia. 1993 ed. LaVey, Anton. "The World's Most Feared Religion." Cloven Hoof, Issue 127. Scott (Last name unknown). "Quotes." 6 pp. Online. Internet. 13 Jan. 1997. Available http://www.paranoia.com/~wcs/quotes.htm Worbois, Dean. "Founding Faiths." 3 pp. Online. Internet. 13 Jan. 1997. Available http://www.postfun.com/worbois.html [Note: this document has been moved here --webmaster, 11/25/97]