"SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE"

     Many people are surprised to find out that the phrase
"Separation of church and state"
DOES NOT APPEAR in the Constitution.

It is phrase taken
     from a letter writen by Jefferson. (see below)

                                                     Background...

     In the year 1775, Patrick Henry was traveling through Virginia.
He was shocked and saddened by what he saw there.
A man was in the middle of the town square,
and was being whipped. A few days later the man was whipped to death.

What was his CRIME?
     He had been acting as a minister without a license!!

     Remember, the colonies were still part of England at this time,
and the Church of England was officially and legally
the only religion that could be practiced.

     This incident, and others like it, deeply troubled Patrick Henry,
and inspired him to write one of the most famous rallying cries of the revolution:

      "What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet,
as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take, but as for me,
Give me liberty or give me death!"

     So the founding fathers were very concerned
about the government having any involvement with religion.

The first amendment starts out like this:
     "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

 So my question now is this:

If someone working at a local town office puts up a Christmas Tree or a Menorrah,
or any other form of religious expression,
has Congress made a law respecting an establishment of religion?

NO!!!

Has Congress made a law prohibiting the free exercise thereof?

NO!!!

If someone makes them take it down, have they been...prohibited the free exercise thereof...

YES!!!

     Given this example, the person did nothing illegal,
was exercising his UNALIENABLE RIGHT to LIFE,
which religion is a part of,
     LIBERTY to exercise his faith,
and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS,
that his exercise of religion brings him.
     This is a violation of the persons natural rights,
his constitutional rights,
and the rights secured to him by the Declaration of Independence.

     The framers of the Constitution were very learned men,
with a supreme command of the English language.

They meant EXACTLY what they said.

          "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, Jan 1 1802
                                                Address to the Danbury Baptists

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