Of course, the points made in the essay at the head of this thread are right on the mark. Anyone who understands the history of settlement of the several States will realize how inconceivable the ACLU interpretation of religious freedom actually would have been to the Founding Fathers. They get by with it not only because of the appointment of Leftists to the Federal Courts--particularly during the 1930s through 1960s--but because too few Americans know the history of settlement.
The Constitution, as written, left questions of morality and social custom--as well as Faith and education--wholly to the States, which in turn left much to individual communities. The area where Americans came together as a Nation never embraced such questions; rather it was on the basis of a new found mutual respect, forged on the anvil of the Revolution. Virginia Cavaliers and Massachusetts Puritans did not abandon their distinct characters in 1776 to 1783. They learned that they could come together on common pursuits and common interests, without sacrificing their rights to manage their own affairs. Neither group ever desisted in the slightest from acknowledging their ultimate dependence upon a Creator, and one will look in vain for any evidence of a departure from the custom of the times, by which our honored Founders closed virtually every major public address with what was tantamount to a prayer.
William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site