These strains of thought are rooted in a continuum of Catholic thinking and legal tradition, not merely ‘in spite of.’
There is absolutely no way under either Catholicism or Protestantism that an idea like freedom of religion is allowed. That comes straight from the enlightenment from which our founding fathers were heavily influenced.
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.
Thomas Jefferson
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
Thomas Jefferson