Accommodationism in the United States

Accommodationism in the United States is a judicial interpretation of accommodationism which espouses that "the government may support or endorse religious establishments as long as it treats all religions equally and does not show preferential treatment."[1] Accommodationists espouse the view that "religious individuals, and/or religious entities may be accommodated by government in regard to such things as free exercise rights, access to government programs and facilities, and religious expression."[2]

Accommodationists hold that religion "has beneficial consequences for human behavior; that is, religion provides a transcendent basis for morality and provides limits for the scope of political conflict".[3] They teach that religion "combines an objective, nonarbitrary basis for public morality with respect for the dignity and autonomy of each individual" and thus "balances the need for public order with a respect for individual liberty".[3]

Since the time that the first president of the United States, George Washington, wrote a notable letter to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) affirming their right to conscientious objection with regard to war, "the accommodationist position has been dominant in U.S. law and public culture".[4][5] It is also advocated by many social conservatives of many political orientations, such as Christian democratic political parties.[6]

Accommodationism stands in tension with the judicial interpretation of separation of church and state, and the constitutionality of various government practices with respect to religion is a topic of active debate. Both principles arise from interpretations of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

  1. ^ Developing Core Literacy Proficiencies. John Wiley & Sons. 15 September 2016. p. 118. ISBN 9781119192541.
  2. ^ Ravitch, Frank S. (2007). Masters of Illusion: The Supreme Court and the Religion Clauses. NYU Press. p. 87. ISBN 9780814775851.
  3. ^ a b Wilcox, Clyde; Jelen, Ted G. (16 September 2016). Public Attitudes Toward Church and State. Taylor & Francis. pp. 20, 100. ISBN 9781315485478.
  4. ^ Nussbaum, Martha (11 July 2010). "Veiled Threats?". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2017. On the whole, the accommodationist position has been dominant in U. S. law and public culture ─ ever since George Washington wrote a famous letter to the Quakers explaining that he would not require them to serve in the military because the "conscientious scruples of all men" deserve the greatest "delicacy and tenderness."
  5. ^ Nussbaum, Martha C. (24 April 2012). The New Religious Intolerance. Harvard University Press. p. 76. ISBN 9780674065918.
  6. ^ Studies in Political Economy, Issues 19-21. Carleton University Graphic Services. 1986. p. 97. Shortly after Independence, George Washington offered an influential statement of the accommodationist position in a letter he wrote to the Quakers, apropos of their refusal to perform military service (1789)...