DID YOU KNOW THAT THE PHRASE “SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE’ IS NOT FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION?

The idea that it is found within the U.S. foundational document, and its frightening misinterpretation has been propagated throughout this great land with an increasing voracity within the last 50 years.

The phrase “Separation of Church and State” has been associated with (but NOT FOUND WITHIN) the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment actually reads like this:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Again, the phrase “separation of church and state” is not found in this amendment, nor is it found anywhere else in our Constitution. And yet jurists today cite it as proof and precedent in present day court decisions to unconstitutionally limit religious public speech and activity. They venerate this phrase without question, as if it (and their interpretation of it) were the official wording of our hallowed foundational document, sanctioned and supported by the whole of our founding fathers, without dissent from any other statesmen.

This could not be further from the truth!

What’s more, the meaning of the phrase is taken out of context from the corporate opinions, behaviors, and common law of the day. In other words, even if the statement were in the Constitution, it’s meaning has been twisted into a dogma that it was never intended to portray...not even by the statesman who wrote it. In addition, the Free Exercise Clause of this ammendment is violated every day as religious speech and ideas are prohibited from our public schools, and many goverment properties. This was certainly not our founders' intention.

The American Founding Fathers (men who had significant input and guidance in some form or fashion in the origination and early development of our nation) are about 250 to 300 in number. There were 55 Constitution drafters, 56 Declaration of Independence Signers, and 90 Bill of Rights Drafters.#1 Many others were involved in the formation of our new government at either the Federal or State Level, having effect in their official positions (for example, as educators, clergymen, or statesmen) or simply through the influence of their educated opinions.

To gain a grasp on historical accuracy, every American should read, if only a small amount, the written opinions of all the founding fathers. These are the men who attended and debated the issues at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, or attended state conventions to ratify it; the Clergymen, the Congressmen who later formulated the Bill of Rights, the first Supreme Court Judges, the educators who founded our great universities, or the newly formed Executive Branch.

Presently, these and hundreds of other opinions of the founding fathers are virtually ignored when it comes to interpreting the first amendment today. Instead, the sentiments of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are repeatedly quoted to reinforce the separationist dogma that has become prevalent in many courts today.