Thomas Jefferson and the “Wall of Separation” Between Church and State

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 concerning the United States and religion ended up having profound effects on how the Supreme Court and to a lesser extent the general public view the place of religion in government. Jefferson, who held various views on religion throughout his lifetime, wrote to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 that there should be “wall” set up that divides church and state. This idea was used by the Supreme Court in the latter half of the 20^th Century to justify the separation of church and state.

It is my personal belief that religion has no place in the government of the United States. I interpret the Establishment Clause of the Constitution as saying that the United States’ government shall not establish a state religion or aid any religions in any way. It is my belief that the Founding Fathers wanted to differentiate themselves from other countries of the time such as France and Great Britain that had state religions. 

Some have argued that America is a Christian country founded on Christian morals. My response to this belief is that many of the Founding Fathers were deists or held non-traditional views on religion, such as Thomas Jefferson. If we lived in a society where the church and state were fused it would be a system where the minority is oppressed or encouraged to believe in the ways of the majority. It is my firm belief that in order to maintain a free and open society religion must not enter the public square and it must be kept as a private matter.