Anyone know where it comes from?

Question

The term "seperation of church and state" is nowhere mentioned in any of the founding documents. It was however mentioned in a letter that Benjamin Franklin wrote. Does anyone know anything of that letter?

Answer 1

It's in Jeffersons letter to the Danbury baptists, Madison said it several times, and any scholar of the era agrees that it was the intent of the founders, except for a small group of biased religious people who claim to be scholars.

"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries" - James Madison

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

The second part says the government can't restrict religion, but why do religious conservatives ignore the first part in their arguments? Hmm?

Why do they ignore the fact that the government cannot sponsor or support religion in any way, as the first part says? Hmmm?

Answer 2

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 here. 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 of establishment 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 3

Was a Jefferson letter not Franklin,and the wording of the Constitution makes it pretty clear that's what they meant,maybe not to the extreme some take it today but the fact is that the word games the religious right uses to fight against separation of church and state are no different than the word games the left uses against the 2nd amendment. The problem is not what our founders thought,it's that they didn't realize their progeny would be such a biased polarized group who had nothing better to do than force their world view down everybody elses throat.

AD

Answer 4

"Separation of church and state" is derived from a letter written by the intellectual, Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists. In most ancient cultures, the political ruler was also considered the superior religious leader and occasionally considered divine. This was contradicted by Christians who refused to participate in the state's religion or to acknowledge the supreme ruler's divinity.

Answer 5

It was actually mentioned in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. Here's the link to the text of the actual letter.

Answer 6

The exact phrase was first used in Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists, explaining the decision to seperate state and religion:

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for is faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, 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. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties."
"Congress should not establish a religion and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner contrary to their conscience, or that one sect might obtain a pre-eminence, or two combined together, and establish a religion to which they would compel others to conform" (Madison, Annals of Congress, 1789).

The phrase is not found in the U.S. Constitution. It has been bastardized to be used by non-believers and those who have nothing better to do than find fault with things.

Those that have nothing better to do than find fault: Recently, a PRIVATE COLLEGE (College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va) was FORCED to remove a brass cross from the front of the campus chapel and only allowed to be returned during CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES. But, because of this idiotic decision of the president of the college, a benefactor has pulled a $12 million support from the college.

Answer 7

The letter was actually penned by Thomas Jefferson. The "separation of church and state" was a reaffirmation of the first amendment, prohibiting governments from restricting free religious practice. Contrary to the common idiotic interpretation, it holds that citizens are free to exercise their faith without government interference. It's odd that native Americans can smoke peyote, but Christian kids can't pray in school.