Three important ideas:
1) In the seventeenth century, the Reformation period began when Europe had a series of religious wars.
Every religious group, including Protestants and Catholics were fighting for political power.
The solution was to hav an established church.
2) Religious intolerance wasn't allowed, so anyone who failed to support state religions or attend public worship,
would be taxed. The idea of seperation of church and state was brought up by Theologian Roger Williams, who was then exiled from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony.
3) Diverse religious groups were growing so fast, it was impossible to have one church dominate others. In the eighteenth century, Americans
believed that freedom of religion and belief were rights for the individual, and every individual has the right to say or believe whatever they wanted.
Two ways this helps you answer your unit questions
1) It gave me the history of how the era of Reformation led to the idea of seperation of church and state.
2) It also talked about howthe idea of freedom and religion gave people an idea that they needed a free society.
One question you still have about the reading
1) How would having an established church influence society today?