In their own words -- supporting church-state separation

Religious freedom is a celebrated American tradition. Our Founders knew that mixing religion and government only caused civil strife, inequality and very often violence in pluralistic societies. For more than 300 years, church-state separation advocates have fought to keep the tradition moving forward. Thanks to these efforts, modern Americans enjoy more religious liberty than any people in the world.

In deciding on what to put into my first Blog Against Theocracy post, I have decided to share information from two organizations who are working to protect our first freedom: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and First Freedom First. These two groups devote all of their resources to safeguarding separation of church and state, and protecting religious liberty. They are also excellent resources for information you can use when talking with family and friends.

For example, included below are quotes from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

Thomas Jefferson is considered one of the greatest champions of religious liberty in American history. He often wrote of its importance in legislation, speeches, letters and personal reflections. Here are some of his quotes on religious liberty and church-state separation.

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and 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 and State.”
--Letter to the Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802

“I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others…. We ought with one heart and one hand to hew down the daring and dangerous efforts of those who would seduce the public opinion to substitute itself into that tyranny over religious faith which the laws have so justly abdicated.”
--Letter to Edward Dowse, April 19, 1803

“[T]o compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern…”
--Jefferson’s “Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom,”
Adopted January 1786

James Madison wrote frequently about religious freedom and its corollary, the separation of church and state. Here are some of Madison’s best quotations on the subject.

"[I]t is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties....Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects? that the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?"
--From the "Memorial and Remonstrance," 1785

"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity."
--Letter to F.L. Schaeffer, Dec. 3, 1821

"We are teaching the world the great truth that Governments do better without Kings and Nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that Religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of Government."
--Letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822

Writings by the early advocates of religious liberty shows that our forbears meant it to be one of our most cherished rights. We must do all that we can to safeguard separation of church and state today.