[McBuff]

The problem is in the use of the word "church" rather then "religion or faith". .. "church" suggests a particular, organized ecclesiastic body. The founders did not want to give government recognition to any one church body or religious body. What they wanted is that all religions should be free to influence people and society in terms of providing the virtues that are essential for a moral and ethical society.

As Benjamin Rush said, " The only foundation for a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.”

[jwalsh07]

What Santorum said was clear to anybody with half a brain and non statist tendencies. He was simply making the point that Kennedy’s statement on absolute separation was garbage and that people of faith and non faith but had every right to assemble and be heard in the public square. Damn constitution always gets in the way of authoritarian statist pukes.

[Mariner]

"The problem is in the use of the word "church" rather then "religion or faith". .. "church" suggests a particular, organized ecclesiastic body."

That is ABSOLUTELY the issue.

If Santorum meant something besides what his words clearly said then I hope I will hear him issue correction.

[GilesB]

You are wrong - “Church” means as you have described. “church” means the whole body of believing Christians, not a particular institution.

Santorum was obviously using “church” and its “body of believing Christians” meaning, not “Church” meaning a specific (in his case Catholic) institution.