The Misleading Metaphor
Where did it come from? Did you know it is Not in the constitution? Nor is it in any federal or legislative documents (until very recently)? What am I talking about? The separation between church and state.
It’s origin of this phrase could be from the influential philosopher John Locke, some suggest it could also have been from the 17th Century founder of Rhode Island and the first baptist church in America, Roger Williams.
“When they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall itself, removed the candlestick, and made his garden a wilderness, as at this day. And that therefore if He will e’er please to restore His garden and paradise again, it must be of necessity be walled in peculiarly unto Himself from the world...” ~Roger Williams
What Roger Williams is speaking about is the dangerous intermixing of Church and State that had been going on in Europe for centuries before. One of two things come out of Church history in Europe: One, the fight for power and dominance between the Church and the State - where at times the Church had more power than the State, and Second, where the State governed the Church in a way as to rule that one must follow the State church or be persecuted. This is what the Pilgrims fled England from - for the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. This ‘State church’ refused to allow any other denomination of the Christian faith to co-exist with it. I will contend that the First Amendment was a protection against both of these extremes, and in so Jefferson was right to use this metaphor of a separation.
But what did he really say? Where did this phrase come from? It was a response to a letter of concern he received from the Danbury Baptists, a minority in their state (which is something to note - the States did and had the right to have State religions which eventually faded away). They wrote saying...
“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 neighbors; But, sir, our constitution of government is not specific...”
The Danbury Baptists had heard a rumor that a Federal religion was being considered, they in turn wrote Jefferson (the president at the time) their concerns. This was his full response.
"To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & 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 & State.
Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802."
Through new technological advances, we can look at this letter and read excerpts of Jefferson’s letter that he edited. This section was crossed out of Jefferson’s letter because Jefferson saw it as a redundant section. This is what it read...
“Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorized only to execute their acts, I have refrained from prescribing even those occasional performances of devotion, practiced indeed by the Executive of another nation as the legal head of its church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and disciplines of each respective sect.”
From this we can ascertain more clearly the meaning behind the separation metaphor - the wall was meant to keep the two from integrating into one another. The State should not govern or rule over the Church and the Church should not Be the State.
Is that the meaning it has today? This metaphor has mislead the public and has become a monster. Someone says "Merry Christmas" in public, displays the manger scene in December, or sings Christmas carols at a concert and they are sued on the grounds they are violating the separation of church and state.
How did that happen? The only words read in front of the Supreme Court of America in the famous Everson vs. BOE was the eight words, “a wall of separation between Church and State.” Taken out of context, the meaning was allowed to evolve into today's "Separation of Church and State" policy. Have we not gone too far?
“The separation of Church and State is a source of strength, but the conscience of our nation does not call for separation between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being.” ~Lyndon B. Johnson
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
Jared Williams
It’s origin of this phrase could be from the influential philosopher John Locke, some suggest it could also have been from the 17th Century founder of Rhode Island and the first baptist church in America, Roger Williams.
“When they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall itself, removed the candlestick, and made his garden a wilderness, as at this day. And that therefore if He will e’er please to restore His garden and paradise again, it must be of necessity be walled in peculiarly unto Himself from the world...” ~Roger Williams
What Roger Williams is speaking about is the dangerous intermixing of Church and State that had been going on in Europe for centuries before. One of two things come out of Church history in Europe: One, the fight for power and dominance between the Church and the State - where at times the Church had more power than the State, and Second, where the State governed the Church in a way as to rule that one must follow the State church or be persecuted. This is what the Pilgrims fled England from - for the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. This ‘State church’ refused to allow any other denomination of the Christian faith to co-exist with it. I will contend that the First Amendment was a protection against both of these extremes, and in so Jefferson was right to use this metaphor of a separation.
But what did he really say? Where did this phrase come from? It was a response to a letter of concern he received from the Danbury Baptists, a minority in their state (which is something to note - the States did and had the right to have State religions which eventually faded away). They wrote saying...
“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 neighbors; But, sir, our constitution of government is not specific...”
The Danbury Baptists had heard a rumor that a Federal religion was being considered, they in turn wrote Jefferson (the president at the time) their concerns. This was his full response.
"To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & 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 & State.
Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802."
Through new technological advances, we can look at this letter and read excerpts of Jefferson’s letter that he edited. This section was crossed out of Jefferson’s letter because Jefferson saw it as a redundant section. This is what it read...
“Congress thus inhibited from acts respecting religion, and the Executive authorized only to execute their acts, I have refrained from prescribing even those occasional performances of devotion, practiced indeed by the Executive of another nation as the legal head of its church, but subject here, as religious exercises only to the voluntary regulations and disciplines of each respective sect.”
From this we can ascertain more clearly the meaning behind the separation metaphor - the wall was meant to keep the two from integrating into one another. The State should not govern or rule over the Church and the Church should not Be the State.
Is that the meaning it has today? This metaphor has mislead the public and has become a monster. Someone says "Merry Christmas" in public, displays the manger scene in December, or sings Christmas carols at a concert and they are sued on the grounds they are violating the separation of church and state.
How did that happen? The only words read in front of the Supreme Court of America in the famous Everson vs. BOE was the eight words, “a wall of separation between Church and State.” Taken out of context, the meaning was allowed to evolve into today's "Separation of Church and State" policy. Have we not gone too far?
“The separation of Church and State is a source of strength, but the conscience of our nation does not call for separation between men of state and faith in the Supreme Being.” ~Lyndon B. Johnson
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
Jared Williams
