The "Myth" behind "Separation of Church and State."?

Yes... The first amendment, even before freedom of speech, says:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

The founding fathers were very touchy about this. Most states had their state religion in Europe, and barely tolerated people who disagreed with the government. The pilgrims, remember, spent 20 years in Holland because of persecution in England, before getting a charter to establish themselves in America. Once here, they made life very difficult for anyone who disagreed with their very restrictive view of religion. William Penn ("Penn-slyvania") was a Quaker, another group who spent much time in trouble with the law before leaving for America.

Religion in Europe was very political. Much like we thought of "communism" equals "pro-Russia/China, anti-America", Catholicism was "pro-Italy/Spain/France" and anti-England. The King of England was head of the Church of England (Anglicans).

After the English civil war in 1640's which resulted in the Puritans chopping off the head of Charles I, the government of England, once his son regained the throne had little tolerance for groups who disputed his position or disagreed with the state religion.

The various founding fathers were intimately familiar with these issues and most were descended from people who specifically left Europe because they could not practice the religion they believed in. They felt the power of the state had no business in religion, and they made sure the very first amendment's very first clause explicitly said so.

If the government spends money collected from ALL taxpayers to put up Nativity scenes and force children to say the "Our Father" at start of the day, it is on a slippery slope to establishing a religion; exactly wat the first amendment forbids.

As the right-wing laissez-faire capitalists ("republicans") do not think that making sure all peoples' rights are respected is important, it falls to the other side - Democrats, socialists, civil rights activists, etc. - to make sure that the government, as Martin Luther King put it, redeems the promissary note that all men are created equal.

Article VI US Constitution:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Not to mention documents on the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention, the Federalist Papers, writings of many others besides Jefferson.

And no Socialism is among the current goals of the ACLU.

PS Thomas Jefferson did not believe in the divinity of Jesus and previous quotes for Jefferson only show that he saw Jesus are a mortal moral philosopher and not divine. They also do nothing to refute the fact that Jefferson believed to a clear separation of church and state -- the concept of church in this context means no national religion -- not that a government official cannot be guided by moral precepts of their religion

Yes, I knew that...also know about the first amendment...do you? Conservatives hate the ACLU...until their rights are abused and need to have someone help uphold the rights afforded us by the Constitution. Do you have any idea how many times the ACLU has assisted the "little guy"?

Hey Littlewo

You left out "make no law restricting the free exercises thereof"

Every time a law is written that tells me where I can and can not worship in my own way it violates the constitution

______________________________...

Jefferson on the Judiciary branch:

"The Constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please." [Sept 6, 1819]

"You seem to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarcy...The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal...knowing that to whatever hands confided, with corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots." [Sept 28, 1820 letter to William Jarvis]

"The germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution of the federal Judiciary."

EDIT

Lets go with these then

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” [1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia]

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798

The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow men.”

Noel Webster

“In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”

[Source: 1828, in the preface to his American Dictionary of the English Language

Yes, I did, because I'm russian and I know history of my country very well. I know, that in the US communism is equated to fascism, but you should know there are many good ideas embodied by soviet government. I know nothing about ACLU's activity, Have you any link?

Also if you check into the policies of Todays Democratic Party,Their proposals for FREE INSURANCE, which is not free(we pay for it),and the redistribution of wealth,(tax the rich give to the poor) BIG GOVT WHO KNOWS WHATS BETTER FOR YOU THAN YOU DO) These are all found in the "SOCIALIST HANDBOOK", and if you over tax the rich,who hire the poor and give them jobs,They will go to a different country with lower CORPORATE TAXES,to invest their money,thus outsourcing and job loss for the Americans,making unemployment higher and higher making you depend on the Govt for solutions to the problems they created is also in the SOCIALIST HANDBOOK,They're slowly trying to turn our REPUBLIC into a SOCIALIST COUNTRY

This separation and protection from another religion’s values, beliefs and practices does not equate into a violation of another’s rights of religion since their religion is protected as well.

First Amendment, Disestablishment Clause:

"The State shall make no laws establishing a Religion..."

Don't be such an ignorant Fascist Christian Right-Winger!!!

You are so unclear in your explanation that I can't even figure out what side you are on...

Hey little - "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"