My Brother Erik on: Separation of Church vs. State, Part II

The purpose of the First Amendment was to declare that the federal government had absolutely no jurisdiction in matters of religion. It could neither establish a religion, nor prohibit the free exercise of religion. 

I want to emphasize that it is freedom of religion NOT freedom from religion, which is what many groups truly want for our nation.

The First Amendment clearly erected a barrier between the federal government and religion on a state level. If a state chose to have no religion, or to have an established religion, the federal government had no jurisdiction one way or the other.  This is what Thomas Jefferson meant by the "wall of separation." 

In context, the word "state" really referred to the federal government. The First Amendment did not apply to the states. It was only applicable as a restraint against the federal government.

There is nothing wrong with the way Jefferson used the "wall of separation between church and state" metaphor. The problem has arisen when the Supreme Court in 1947 erroneously picked up the metaphor and attempted to construct a constitutional principal. Not only did they distort the First Amendment, but misinterpreted the intent of Jefferson's letter.

The "wall of separation between church and state" phrase as understood by Jefferson was never meant to exclude people of faith from influencing and shaping government. Thomas Jefferson and our other Founding Fathers would be shocked to learn that Jefferson’s letter has been used as a weapon against religion.