In my opinion, separation of church and state performs several important functions in civil society:
- First, and most important: It puts the religious and non-religious on an equal footing in relation to the secular government.
- It dispels the illusion of power-by-divine-fiat that has plagued so many governments throughout history.
- It protects non-believers from being forced to utter oaths to something they consider imaginary.
Oh, and it's the
Establishment Clause that sets out the ground rules for church-state separation in the United States.