The Founders, unlike modern politicians, esp. of the Left, were great students of history, and the religious civil wars of England were recent history to them. England had finally reached a condition where the govt. still supported the Anglican Church, but people were able to worship in other churches. The Anglican Church became something of a joke, with pastors' employment being referred to as a "living," much like a civil service job. The holder of the living might have little competence or motivation to be a good pastor, but he had to have the right social and political connections, much like the politically-appointed hacks in govt. positions.
[[The establishment clause of the First Amendment was to prevent Congress making anylaw regarding establishment of religion. I.e. it could not set up an established church for the nation as a whole,]]
That is correct- however, the government choosing to worship one religion is not setting up a religion for the whole country because it is not forcing anyone to abide by that religion’s constitutions- in england, there were penalties for not belonging to the church of england- and htose not belongign to the church were penalized in courts as well- that is an government establishment of church- that is a case of government mandates regardign religious affiliation being enforced and executed by the government- in other words, it forced peopel to either join, or suffer hte consequences both judicially, and civily