What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he referred to a "Wall of Separation between church and State"?

Question

Was he a bad man? Did he fry in the fires of hell?

yo, cynic...*note the non clarity of your post*. english 101 for u.

Is this a concept that W and company can't grasp?

Answer 1

I suggest you visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Wash DC and decide for yourself. (if you can't make it at least check out: http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/timeline.html )

He understood how a state can destroy one's ability to practice their religion. [Actually he may not have understood as well as someone who is beheaded in Pakistan for becoming a Christian]. He was against any government control on the practicing of religion and worked tirelessly to promote this freedom.

It is one the key building blocks of our democracy and has helped every faith in our country, bar none. I don't know what religion you are, but without Thomas Jefferson there would probably be fewer of you! If that sends him to hell, I guess we'll all be there anyway.

Do you really want your government promoting a religion? Can you think of a better way of driving people away from it?

Look at Iran. The people feel they have no choice but fit in with the extreme bastardized religion of their rulers. Just wait until they have a choice! Their flock will be gone faster than ice cream in the Maranjab Desert. (http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=221837 )

Answer 2

Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as the third President on March 4, 1801. On October 7, 1801, a committee of the Danbury Baptist Association wrote a congratulatory letter to Jefferson on his election as President. Organized in 1790, the Danbury Baptist Association was an alliance of churches in Western Connecticut. The Baptists were a religious minority in the state of Connecticut where Congregationalism was the established church. (5)

The concern of the Danbury Baptist Association is understandable once we understand the background of church-state relations in Great Britain. The Association eschewed the kind of state sponsored enforcement of religion that had been the norm in Great Britain.

The Danbury Baptist Association committee wrote to the President stating that, "Religion is at all times and places a Matter between God and Individuals -- that no man ought to suffer in Name, person or affects on account of his religious Opinions." (6) The Danbury Baptists believed that religion was an unalienable right and they hoped that Jefferson would raise the consciousness of the people to recognize religious freedom as unalienable. However, the Danbury Baptists acknowledged that the President of the United States was not a "national Legislator" and they also understood that the "national government cannot destroy the Laws of each State." (7) In other words, they recognized Jefferson's limited influence as the federal executive on the individual states.

Answer 3

He wanted to assure no installation of a 'national church' would occur. The wall (constitution) would guarantee that.

But the following is a part of the letter he disgarded to keep from offending the Baptist on the eastern part of the country.

"Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorised only to execute their acts, I have refrained from presenting even occasional performances of devotion presented indeed legally where an Executive is the legal head of a national church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and discipline of each respective sect"

"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."""

Answer 4

This is an important part of our democracy. For a current example; the cleric governed state of Iraq that is a threat to the peaceful formation of a democracy. Religion and government can be in the same room but religion has a detrimental effect on government operations. In some countries the wall of religion will not allow for progressive reform in society governments.

Answer 5

notice though that what jefferson said is not what is written in the constitution, all the constitution says is that the government cannot have a national religion nor stop the people from practicing the faith of their choosing "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," what one man thought that should mean is irrelevant except to those out to take away the rights of others. if you hate freedom move to China

Answer 6

On the walls of the Jefferson Memorial you can read:

'God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the mind of the people that these liberties are a gift? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?' (there's more)

Sounds like the Founding Fathers were wise enough to allow freedom of religion while being great men of faith themselves.

Answer 7

Jefferson said that because he didnt want a exploitative theocracy to form in government like it did in Great Britain.

Answer 8

Well he wasn't a Christian. Jefferson was clearly a Deist.

He was actually reassuring a Baptist church with that letter. They were concerned about their state interfering with the operation of the church. It was welcome information, as it should be now.

Answer 9

No he was a very smart Dietist who didnt want to see another Henry VIII or another George. He had the right idea.

Answer 10

Since none of us is god we have no right to judge him. He was a very smart man