The purpose of the Bill of Rights (First amendment to the US Constitution) was to protect the freedoms of each of us: religion, speech, the press, and the right to assemble and petition the government. The exact working is as follows:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As far as the issue of separation of church and state, the words “separation”, “church”, and “state” appear nowhere in this amendment. What was the intent of this amendment that defines your rights?The amendment was drafted by the founding fathers who were birthing a nation out of the Protestant Reformation and who were, in large, trying to escape religious persecution and a government-dictated religion in England. The amendment was birthed from Christian leaders, not from liberal groups fighting Christianity. The founding fathers were not trying to put a wall between the Church and government. Heavens no – they were trying to protect the expression of their religious views, Christian as well as other religious expressions.Jefferson did not write this. He was in France at the time. Jefferson did, however, endorse this amendment. When a church in Connecticut became concerned about what this meant to the church, Thomas Jefferson wrote them a personal letter. The church leaders were worried that the government might someday tell them how, where, and when to worship God. Jefferson said not to worry and and that the amendment would protect churches from government interference[1] . Unfortunately, the government has twisted the understanding of what Jefferson meant by “separation of church and state”. That violates the Constitutional intent.

To those who cite the first amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: The first amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny. –Ronald Reagan

The intent of that first amendment is well documented in the congressional records and letters of the founding fathers of that time. The amendment had two intents:

1. To prevent the establishment of any national denomination.
2. To prevent the Federal Government from stopping anyone from exercising their personal faith.

The two key words in the amendment are “establishment” and “free exercise”. Today this amendment is twisted so as to prevent religious expression, not to protect it. This change began about 1947. Today if a student is publicly praying in school, the school can expel the student if someone says that offends him or her and the student continues. The Ten Commandments are removed from judicial offices because (I believe) the judges themselves are no longer following them and feel convicted and guilty. Legally, they say it’s fine to pray in school if the primary purpose of the prayer is secular. (Now that’s a joke, isn’t it?)Military chaplains have to have their prayers approved by the government. Since when is the government able to speak for the Holy Spirit? (Another joke based on the actions of the foolish judges of the Supreme Court). Want to sell books and related materials in your Church bookstore? Not unless you pay property tax on the space used and income tax on the books sold. That is not constitutional. Neither does your pastor have free speech in the pulpit as that next election approaches. That wall that Jefferson promised and free expression of speech and spiritual beliefs is no longer there.The Minority has moved to take control of the rights of the Majority that are guaranteed by the Constitution. The smaller minorities, the outsiders, are trying to make the majority to appear as they are the outsiders.The very thing that Jefferson feared has come upon us. Since the government is no longer representing the will of the people (see PEW Survey[2]), it’s time to send a LOT of people home with the next election.How do you think we can change this?(No copyright on this – you can circulate.)

1. Rich Smith. “First Amendment: The Right of Expression”. ABDO Publishing Company. The words “separation of church and state” are actually not in the First Amendment. They appear instead in a letter written in 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson to church leaders in Connecticut. The understanding of what Jefferson meant by “separation of church and state” changed over the long years that followed.
2. “Religion and Politics”. Pew Research Center. http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Many-Americans-Uneasy-with-Mix-of-Religion-and-Politics.aspx. Retrieved 2007-12-31. “Americans overwhelmingly consider the U.S. a Christian nation: Two-in-three (67%) characterize the country this way, down just slightly from 71% in March 2005. A decade ago, Americans were somewhat less likely to tie the nation’s identity to Christianity. In 1996, 60% considered the U.S. a Christian nation. By 2002, however, the figure had climbed to 67%, and since then views on this question have remained fairly consistent.”