For a different twist this week, we have the quiz first, just to check up on your knowledge on this issue.

QUESTION 1

In which of our nation's founding documents do you find the words, "separation of Church and State?"

1. The Constitution.
2. The Declaration of Independence.
3. The Articles of Confederation.
4. The Mayflower Compact.
5. Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists.

QUESTION 2

If the important words "separation of Church and State" are found in Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, why did Jefferson write to them?

1. The Danbury Baptists wrote to Thomas Jefferson first, so he wrote them back.
2. Because it was so unusual to be a Baptist, the Danbury Baptists were worried about their religious freedom, because they were a minority. They wrote to Thomas Jefferson, believing that he was the best person to talk to.
3. Baptists were, in fact, being persecuted in parts of the Colonies, so this group decided to speak up about the practice with hopes of ensuring their religious liberty.

QUESTION 3

True or False: In Massachusetts in the 1770's, the Congregational Church was the "State Church" and everyone was required to pay a tax to support it, whether they agreed worshiped in a Congregational Church or not.

1. True
2. False

QUESTION 4

True or False: When people talk about laws that ensure freedom of religion in America, they should refer to the First Amendment. That's where our religious freedom is guaranteed.

1. True
2. False

QUESTION 5

True or False: The First Amendment ensures every citizen's religious liberty, but it does not ever use the words, "separation of Church and State."

1. True
2. False

Now that you know what you don't know—let's learn what we should know about the separation of Church and State!

Roger Williams was an early leader who fought for religious freedom. He founded the colony of Rhode Island. Image courtesy of Roger Williams University.

It may seem funny to think about it now, but when our country was founded, there weren't nearly as many kinds of churches or denominations or other forms of faith as we have now. In the northern colonies, nearly everyone was a part of the Congregational Church—a group that hearkened back to the Puritan roots of New England.

Leaders of the Massachusetts Colony wanted Congregationalism to be the required church for everyone who lived there. They believed in this idea so strongly that they required every citizen to pay a tax that supported the Congregational Church. If you weren't a Congregationalist, you were still required to pay the tax. Not fair, you say! And you are right!

This unfair tax was what got the Baptists in Danbury, CT going in their letter writing. You see, even though Baptists had been around for over 100 years, they were a persecuted minority. Roger Williams, an early Baptist clergyman and leader actually began the colony of Rhode Island because he was experiencing persecution in Massachusetts. Many Quakers and Baptists came to Rhode Island to pursue freedom of worship. America's first Baptist church was formed in Providence in 1639!

This is a map from the Colonial Era, showing tiny Rhode Island. Though it was small in size, it was big in the role of freedom of religion it offered to early colonists. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

As the Baptist expression of the Christian faith grew, it spread to other colonies, including Connecticut. The group in Danbury was becoming more and more concerned that Connecticut was going to adopt Congregationalism as the official church of that state. If that happened, they would not be able to worship freely. So in 1801 they wrote a letter to the newly-elected president, Thomas Jefferson. Part of their letter read:

Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty—That Religion is at all times and places a Matter between God and Individuals—That no man ought to suffer in Name, person or effects on account of his religious Opinions—That the legitimate Power of civil Government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor.

Thomas Jefferson understood their concerns, and he agreed with them, that the practice of religious faith should be a personal decision made by each citizen, not by the state telling people which church to support or attend. So Mr. Jefferson wrote back to the Baptists of Danbury reassuring them of his support and reminding them that their rights were, indeed protected.

Now that you understand the events that were taking place, you can begin to understand Mr. Jefferson's letter. He was answering to reassure them, and to state his feelings about the matter. His letter was not a binding government document. In fact, it was barely even noticed for more than 50 years!

This picture shows the actual letter Mr. Jefferson wrote to the Baptists in Danbury, CT. He gave it quite a bit of thought as you can see from his cross outs and edits in the margins. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

On January 1, 1802, President Jefferson wrote to the Danbury group with these words:

Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

We can never know fully what Mr. Jefferson intended to communicate with the words that he chose. But from the context of his communication with a group that was afraid they would be required to worship one way and one way only, it seems clear that Jefferson was agreeing with the Danbury Baptists that they should not be required to support a state church.

Isn't it interesting that Mr. Jefferson's words were intended to encourage religious worship, not to quash it? The intent was not that there would be NO religion, but that there would be a choice! Today, his words have been misunderstood by many to mean that in America we should remove religious faith and mention of God from government. But that was not what Mr. Jefferson meant-he was simply agreeing with the Danbury Baptists that no government should control or manipulate religious faith for anyone! So the next time you hear those words, "separation of Church and State," remember that it doesn't mean that our Christian faith is bad or banned or illegal. On the contrary, it is part of what makes America a wonderful place, and you are free to express your faith anywhere, any time!

Now that we understand where those words about the separation of Church and State come from, we can take a look at what the Constitution does say about freedom of religious expression in our country.

Do you know where to find these words? That's right, in the First Amendment of the Constitution. It's called the "Establishment Clause" because it talks about the same thing Thomas Jefferson and the Danbury Baptists wrote letters about—having an established or required religion that everybody had to support or belong to.

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

Remember that you are free to pray! The Constitution guarantees it!. Image courtesy of See You at the Pole.

That's it! Those are the important words from the First Amendment that guarantee your freedom of worship! The government can't establish a religion and require you to support it, and they can't keep you from pursuing your religious faith either!

You may be scratching your head wondering how those simple words came to be misunderstood as a "wall of separation between church and state." What's important to know is that neither Mr. Jefferson nor any of the other Founding Fathers ever intended to wipe out every bit of religious faith and expression from public life in America!

So remember that your faith in God is a very good thing, and the Constitution guarantees you the right to express your faith pretty much anywhere, as long as you are thoughtful and considerate. You would never want to be bossy or intimidating with the way you express your faith! But when you pray in school or mention your beliefs or something you read in the Bible, it's not against the law and the Constitution protects your right to do that, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise.