[Nyboe]

the statement "separation between church and state" was made up by a liberal it has nothing to do with the constitution.

The constitution just stipulates that government shall not establish a state religion (ie. Church of England)

[Right Wing Professor]

the statement "separation between church and state" was made up by a liberal it has nothing to do with the constitution.

Thomas Jefferson was a liberal? BWAHAHAHA!

[dmz]

Doesn't it seem to be true by definition, that if there is no state religion, then religion and the state are separate?

[Ohioan]

The constitution just stipulates that government shall not establish a state religion (ie. Church of England)

Correction. The Constitution states that Congress shall not establish a Federal Religion. It also states that it cannot meddle with State action on the subject. In other words, although I do not advocate it, the Founders were perfectly tolerant of the idea of a State Church--and there were such at the time.

See Leftwing Word Games & The First Amendment.

William Flax

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

It was landmark U.S. Supreme Court precedent Reynolds v. United States in 1878 that made "separation of church and state" a dubiously legitimate point of case law, but more importantly; it confirmed the Constitutionality in statutory regulation of marriage practices.

Ironic isn't it?

[Rhadaghast]

Your very right. A historian that I heard recently states that the phrase separation of church and state is not found in any of the original American historical documents, including personal correspondence. It is found in the communist manifesto.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>> The constitution just stipulates that government shall not establish a state religion (ie. Church of England) <<<

I believe the Constitution states the Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion The "government" is not mentioned. The 1st Amendment also states the Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Justice Joseph Story, in his 1833 Commentaries on the Constitution, explains the religious clauses of the 1st Amendment.