|
|
======================================================
THE "WALL OF SEPARATION" BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
Jefferson apparently originated the phrase, "WALL of separation between Church and State," in the letter to the Danbury Baptists. "Believing... that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate 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." -- Thomas Jefferson to Danbury Baptists, 1802. ME 16:281 The complete letter from which the above is taken may be viewed at: http://w3.trib.com/FACT/1st.jeffers.2.html Letter from Danbury Baptist Association and Jefferson's Reply Others spoke of the separation of church and state besides Jefferson, however.. "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 (I do not have the citation of a source for the Madison quote.) =========================== At 02:39 PM 6/3/98 EDT, you wrote: >I heard a news snippet about the reconstruction of Jefferson's letter wherein >he writes of the "wall of separation" but cannot find any further reference. >Can you guide me? > >Martin Zitter > I just now received this information via email. This is all I know about it: ------------------------------- Thought you would be interested in what the Christian Coalition has said about the Danbury Baptist letter and, today, are claiming that Thomas Jefferson's phrase, "'wall of separation' between church and state was written to mollify a political constituancy. Jefferson actually allowed religious worship inside Federal buildings and was an opponent of any state interference with religious expression." This was all issued in the Christian Coalition's most recent press release. They are so desperate to get the Religious Freedom Amendment passed in tomorrow's vote in the House, that they've resorted to churning out disinformation. -------------------------------- As they say, The more things change, the more they stay the same. The religious clergy are STILL trying to gain influence in government. Jefferson was a strict opponent of any state PROMOTION of religious expression. Best wishes, Eyler Coates ------------------ Jefferson's Danbury letter has been cited favorably by the Supreme Court many times. In its 1879 Reynolds vs. U.S. decision the high court said Jefferson's observations 'may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the [First] Amendment.' In the court's 1947 Everson v. Board of Education decision, Justice Hugo Black wrote, 'In the words of Thomas Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect a wall of separation between church and state.' It is only in recent times that separation has come under attack by judges in the federal court system who oppose separation of church and state." Robert Boston, Why The Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church & State (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus, 1993), p. 221