California_state_capitol-fisheyeThis country was founded under the idea that church and state shall remain separate; let’s hold American government to its promise. That promise is that  American values should be left to the individual citizens rather than having laws or government define them for us.

The fabric of this country is made up of vastly different values from household to household.  We are a country rich in diversity in our backgrounds, religious beliefs, and values. Since the values are so different, we should avoid having the state reconcile any differences in the varying definitions that we may have. When the state gets involved in defining moral conduct, it then becomes a decisive stance on which value will be honored.

The obvious example is the debate about  same sex marriage. Same sex marriage debate trickles down to the conversation of adoption, health care, and so much more.  

For example, only 18 states allow same-sex couples to adopt children. Even though many conservatives oppose laws such as these, Romney has stated with regard to gay adoption that “[i]n [his] view that’s something that people have the right to do, but to call that marriage is, in [his] view, a departure of the real meaning of that word. Obama is also a supporter gay adoption and recently made history when he stated that gay marriage was something he supported. Even though we have both nominees for president supporting gay adoption, many states still have laws in place that prevent the adoption.

By keeping state and church separate, we can have confidence that our constitutional rights will not be infringed upon. Allowing American values to be decided amongst individuals honors and respects the individual beliefs of the diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures of all Americans.

This post is part of a weekly conversation with our Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. To see the original question and what the other writers have to say, see "How Do We Best Sustain American Values?"

Image via ProComKelly/Flickr