When and where does the phrase "separation of church and state" come from?

Answer 1

NOT from the constitution but from a letter Jefferson wrote to a church. He was stating that it was not the governments responsibility to hinder or interfere with the church. Boy has that got twisted around.

Answer 2

The phrase separation of church and state is a common interpretation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . ." The phrase was popularized by Thomas Jefferson in an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists. The phrase itself does not appear in any founding American document, but it has been quoted in opinions by the United States Supreme Court.

Answer 3

Comes from a letter which Thomas Jefferson wrote to help explain the Constitution of the United States prior to it being adopted as the official governing document of the US.

He was dealing with the Free Amendment and the fear that those who had come to America for religious freedom had. They were concerned that the government could limit their ability to worship as they pleased. He stated that the Constitution would erect "a wall of separation between the church and the state" so that the federal government would never have the power to tell people they could not worship God.

Answer 4

The full quote is from Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists, in which he gave an more detailed explanation of the First Amendment...

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

Answer 5

Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 to answer a letter from them written in October 1801. A copy of the Danbury letter is available via the link below. The Danbury Baptists were a religious minority in Connecticut, and they complained that in their state, the religious liberties they enjoyed were not seen as immutable rights, but as privileges granted by the legislature--as "favors granted." Jefferson's reply did not address their concerns about problems with state establishment of religion--only that on the national level. The letter contains the phrase "wall of separation between church and state," which led to the short-hand for the Establishment Clause that we use today: "Separation of church and state."

The letter was the subject of intense scrutiny by Jefferson, and he consulted a couple of New England politicians to assure that his words would not offend while still conveying his message: it was not the place of the Congress or the Executive to do anything that might be misconstrued as the establishment of religion.

Answer 6

Seperation of church and state. In England as well as some other countries, you had a "State" religion, any other religion contrary to theirs was squashed. When a new King or Queen would take command, they often would change the Religion to what theirs was and give a decree, that this was the new religion. It often change several times. Some of the servants decided that they wanted freedom to choose their own religion and not be ordered to follow which ever the King dictated. Hence the phrase "seperation of church and state"
we now misuse this phrase to mean something it was not intended for.. we think that if the government allows a religious emblem or allows prayer in school that it is going against seperation of church and state... when seperation of church and state simply states that the government can not mandate nor dictate a single absolute manarchy of one religion of their choosing and the people have no choice but to surrender to it than their own,,, often the idea dictated by the radical muslims and Islam

Answer 7

Most people think it originated with Thomas Jefferson, but he was repeating the phrase from Roger Williams of the Dansbury Methodist Church in his reply to a letter from the church.

Answer 8

It is not in the constitution of the USA but it was in the constitution of the Soviet Union. But people use it to get prayer out of school. Get the 10 commandment out of our school and the new $1 coin coming out does not have IN God Do We Trust. Are we turning Communist or what?
But when you hear someone qote Thomas Jefferson, they dont know all the fact. He was very close to being a communist of the time

Answer 9

From the pit of Hell, about 100 years ago. hasnt it been a great 100 years since? More murder, addiction, pedofiles, drug use, immorality, guns in schools.....ya that was a great choice!

It was supposed to be for the government to stay out of church affairs, but its used to kick G-d out of society.

Blessings
David