美国的政教关系

Church-State Relations in the United States

政教关系是美国政治文化中的一个重要内容 ,涉及宗教、政治、法律等领域内一系列重大原则问题。美国宪法第一修正案确立的政教分离与宗教自由原则是处理政教关系问题的基本原则。近年来 ,美国政教关系的热点主要体现在公共场所的宗教表达、公立学校中的宗教活动、宗教信仰与法律规定和社会公德相冲突等问题上。政教关系所面临的新难题之一是如何对待新兴宗教运动的兴起和发展。政教关系问题的解决方式主要是法律手段 ,如何运用已有的法律或设立新的相关法律 ,成为在政教关系问题上各方争夺的焦点。对政教关系问题的处理 ,体现了美国社会的价值标准 ,反映了美国法制与道德 ,世俗与宗教既统一又矛盾 ,既相互协调又相互制衡的特性。

The church-state relationship is an important part of American political culture, involving a series of important issues in religion, politics, law and so forth. The principles of the separation of church from state and of the freedom of religion established in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution are the laws for handling the church-state relationship. The points at issue in the relations are religious expression at public places, religious activities in public schools, the conflicts of religious belief with legal provisions and social ethics, etc. One of the new issues confronting church-state relations is how to deal with the upsurge and growth of the rising religious movement. The solution of issues in church-state relations depends mainly on legal measures and how to make use of the existing laws or establish new laws has become the focus of competition. The handling of church-state relations in the United States embodies the value of American society, reflects the characteristics of both union and opposition, and coordination and mutual restriction in the relationship between the legal system and morality, and between secularity and religion.