1st Amendment, Separation of Church & State

The mistaken idea that there is in the Constitution “Separation Between Church and State. It does not say one word about it just that the State can not create a National Church. Nor stop anyone from worshiping in there own religion. The phrase first recorded in a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson. On January 1,1802 to a Baptist church and published in a Newspaper.

I believe that if President Jefferson had written it this way: A wall of Separation between STATE and church. There would not be an issue about it. I think that President Jefferson was talking about keeping the state out of the church not keeping the church out of the state.

It all started when in 1940 several church groups banned together and asked the Board of Education for permission to hold volunteer classes in the religions of the group. Led by clergy and lay ministers from the various church’s. These classes from 30 to 45 minutes long for grades 4 to 9th. Of course some one would get a bur under their saddle and complain. In 1945 When a Mother when to the Board of Education and asked them to quit. She went several times each it went unheeded. Next was the court case. July 1945 she sued the school board.

The circuit court of the county ruled in favor of the school board and the classes, so she appealed to the state supreme court which upheld the lower courts decision and said the classes were OK. Having lost twice she went up the food chain to the US Supreme Court which agreed to hear the case and held oral arguments in December 1947.

The United States Supreme Court in March 1948 ruled 8-1 that 1st Amendment, Separation of Church & State was the law and said teaching about religion in public schools was unconstitutional. There is more to the story in my upcoming Podcast titled 1st Amendment, Separation of Church & State. To be published soon. I will announce the date just as soon as I know it.

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