Article by John Blackmon, Veterans Coalition Director for Convention of States Alabama.
On the 17th of September we celebrated Constitution Day, a day many don’t even known to exist. Even though the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, there are some misconceptions about what it really means.
To me, one of the biggest misconceptions is found in The First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The First Amendment states:
“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."
Many people believe this means there is a "Separation of Church and State."
Nowhere in the Constitution do you find this statement. I have had many occasions to study and learn the meanings of the Constitution, starting in middle school, through high school, and during my service in the U.S. Army.
When my sons were in Scouting, I served as the Troop Merit Badge Counselor for the “Citizenship in the Nation,” and nowhere have I found the phrase “Separation of Church and State” in the United States Constitution.
The phrase "separation between church and state" actually comes from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist association located in Connecticut on January 1, 1802.
In the letter, Thomas Jefferson was expressing an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
The phrase "separation between church & state" has been credited by countless others to the U.S. Constitution.
We are blessed that our forefathers had the visions to write such a beautiful document which has protected us through the years and provided us with the right to ensure that our government works for us.
