“Separation of church and state” is a term thrown out by liberals today. Do they even know the meaning of the phrase or where it came from?

Here’s the quote from Thomas Jefferson (in essence, the founder of “separation of church and state):

“Believing with you 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 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.” -Thomas Jefferson in a letter to a Committee of the Danbury Baptist Association, Connecticut, January 1, 1802.

In future articles we may discuss this again, but for today allow me to make two key points.

1. Jefferson writes the “legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’.” Jefferson did not make this statement to keep the church out of the state, he made it to keep the state out of the church.

2. The letter was to a religious group-Baptists. The phrase separation of church and state was coined in a letter to Baptists. Jefferson was not trying to “slit his own throat” by taking away religious freedom. Instead, he was likely trying to garner support. In no way should Jefferson’s words be used against the church having a role in the state.