The establishment clause in the First Amendment. Meaning?

Question

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

The meaning is: The Government will NOT establish a State Religion. ( See Church of England )

The separation of church and state is false. It is entirely based on mis reading a letter between the Danbury Baptist Church and Jefferson

"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."

This is the close of the letter.

Where he states that man "has no natural right in opposition to his social duties",
I beleive this to the claim that (for instance), religion (prayer) in the schools is not in opposition with the "wall of separation".

Answer 1

It has regularly been interpreted by the courts to mean that the government can not take any action that favors any religion over another.

This is why government schools can not sponsor prayer.

I'm not sure why anyone would think there was a misunderstanding or misreading of the letter:
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & 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 & State."

Some good reading on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seperation_of_church_and_state

Answer 2

Seperation of church and state. It is narrowing by the minute.