Essay on The Founders and Religious Freedom

I think that the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution did not think about the separation of church and state. At that given time I think that the main focus was getting away from the British government. I believe they were thinking if we can remove ourselves from under the British government we can make our own rules and run our states the way we see best fit. Not if we don’t focus on keep the main focus on strengthening our churches our government could be lost.

In the “Letter to Danbury Baptist,” the author Thomas Jefferson develops and refines the central idea of “separation between church and state” by explaining the importance of keeping a good relationship between himself and the Baptist people but also standing firm on the importance of the first amendment. The danbury Baptist people wanted to change the division of church and state but Jefferson used his rhetoric to help explain to the people that the separation of church and state is good for all men and all religions. Jefferson states, “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man

Thomas Jefferson wrote of the Catholic Church in France: ‘History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.’ Jefferson, in his own book of biblical stories, suggested that religion was a set of moral conventions that promoted social harmony. But with antipathy between America’s Protestant and Catholic populations at the time, social harmony had yet to be promoted. Howard Zinn writes that the prejudice apparent in the Civil War period included not only ‘racial hatred for blacks’ and ‘nativist fury against immigrants’, but also ‘religious warfare against Catholics.’

While many Americans know that this country was founded on religious freedom, they do not realize that there was a time when religious freedom was under attack. The Pilgrims, the Quakers, and many other Protestant groups

The term “a wall of separation between church and state” first came from Thomas Jefferson, himself, in a response letter to Danbury Baptist association’s letter of concern regarding the church’s insecurity stemming from that with the new constitution in effect, they

Jefferson was so passionate towards his beliefs on religion, pushing him to later drafting A Bill for Religious Freedom, where he aspired to strip the state of all remains of a traditional church. As claimed by Daniel L. Dreisbach, “James Madison grandly proclaimed that the bill’s passage extinguished for ever the ambitious hope of making laws for the human mind” (Dreisbach 172). This viewpoint was very radical for Jefferson’s time, since it was largely the norm that religion and law be joined together.

The freedom of religion is important to us because it lets us learn our religion freely so we don't have to worry about the country saying. “We are going to only have the religion of the church of England.” or something like that. “ In some instances, they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the Civil authority; in many instances, they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people.”(THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE: A CHECK ON RELIGIOUS TYRANNY) This talks about how different religions were getting spiritual tyranny. The people didn't have liberties and were forced to follow one religion or they would’ve been criticised. “For him, America was not a “Christian nation,” but rather should recognize the equality of all believers, whether “Jews, Turks, Pagans [or] Christians.” “Government should protect every man in thinking and speak freely, and see that one does not abuse another.” He proposed an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution in 1794 because of the “evils . . .

"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."5

America has been named the "melting pot" of the world. It houses many different cultures, nationalities, ideas and religions. There are Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, Hindus, Spiritualists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamic, plus many more. America is unique in that all these religions are represented in a nation that is only 200 years old. And America has upheld, throughout history, that the freedom and equality of religion is extremely important in order for this nation to function as a free nation. The foundations of America were set as a result of England's persecution; more specifically, England's religious persecution. The colonists wanted to create a nation that allowed people to be free. They

Thomas Jefferson believed that all Americans should have the "freedom of language and sentiment…as derived from the laws of nature" . In his most famous document, the Declaration of Independence, he stated "that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain [inherent and] inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" . Jefferson was a strong advocate of a bill of rights within the Constitution. In a letter to James Madison, he says that he "did not like…the omission of a bill of rights providing…for freedom of religion [and for] freedom of the press" . Jefferson was in favor of religious freedom because it did him "no injury for [his] neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god" . Jefferson wrote the Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom which essentially stated "that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion" . He summarizes his feelings in letters to both Elbridge Gerry and Edward Carrington, where he writes that he is "against all violations of the constitution" because "the basis of our governments should be the opinion of the people, [and] the very first object should be to keep that right" .

Jefferson first drafted a bill for establishing religious freedom in 1777. When it was enacted in 1786, it firmly established the separation of church and state and provided the basis for the First Amendment's clause on religion.

This document will provide a brief comparison and synopsis of some of the most important writings of our time: The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, and the U.S. Constitution. Also, this will be an analysis of what I believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of church and state, as well as God from government.

Modeled after James Madison’s Virginia Plan, the Constitution was written in 1787 by the delegates (or “framers”) of the Constitutional Convention. This document established the entire foundation of government for the United States after the failure of the Articles of Confederation. The document first granted all legislative powers to Congress, which was to consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives. It also outlined the way in which the houses were to be structured as well outlined the rights of Congress. Then, it outlined the rights of states under this new model of government. Next, it established that executive powers be “vested in a President”, as well as stated the requirements, guidelines and restrictions of said president. Next, the judicial power was given to one Supreme Court, with the authority to makes lower courts, as well as guidelines as to how to carry out actions within the court system. All in all, the Constitution laid out every aspect of the American government and has remained the foundation to the day. The aspect of religion as a whole was not directly discussed due to its’ highly controversial nature, however the first amendment clearly gives the people the right to worship whatever religion they so choose. Tolerance is how religion is brought about in the Constitution. This leads me to believe that the framers of the Constitution strongly believed in the separation

The United States Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, are all important documents in our nation’s history and religion. These historical documents were the biggest influence in our country and they continue to shape our powerful nation. In comparing these documents, I will decipher the differences between what the signers of the Declaration of Independence and what the U.S. Constitution thought about the separation of the church and state.

          From early times in his public career, Jefferson was the subject of attacks on religious grounds. Although he kept his opinions regarding religion very much to himself, and considered this a very private concern his insistence of the complete separation of church and state was well-known. In a now famous letter to Danbury Baptists, Thomas Jefferson wrote “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his god...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.” This letter affirmed Jefferson’s belief that church and state should be separated and includes the celebrated phrase, “a wall of eternal separation” (Maier, 2000). His views on religion are also expressed in Document B******, Jefferson states, “I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines,