The TRUTH about the CONCEPT of Separation of Church and State
Over
the years we Americans have heard the phrase "Separation of Church and
State". Atheists glorified in small 'victories" such as abolishing
prayer in our state and government funded public school systems and
felt they were upholding EVERYONES rights not to be 'forced' to stoop
to anything as terrible as children giving praise to a higher supreme
being such as God.
Recently I've heard the rants of people that think that churches
and those that attend should not even dare mention a political
candidate within the congregation walls or they will be committing a
crime and NOT following the dictates of the law that declares the
"Separation of Church and State."
What most people do not realize is that THERE IS NO SUCH LAW to begin with!
Pastors
and people that attend church have every right granted them under our
constitution to talk about any candidate they wish to. If for example,
a pastor wishes to inform his congregation about some moral issue
regarding a candidate, that pastor is PROTECTED UNDER OUR CONSTITUTION
TO DO Another early user of the term was

James Madison, the principal drafter of the United Sta^"Strongly guarded as is the s ^and he declared, "practical distinction between Religion and Civil Government In a letter to Edward Livingston Madison further expanded, "We are teaching the world the great truth that Govts. do better without Kings & 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 Govt." This attitude is further reflected in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, originally authored by Thomas Jefferson, but championed by Madison, and guaranteeing that no one may be compelled to finance any religion or denomination. bq. ... no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious
worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced,
restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall
otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but
that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain,
their opinion in matters of religio^
Scholars have distingui The friendly type limits the interference of the church in matters of the state but also limits the interference of the state in church matters. The hostile variety, by contrast, seeks to banish religion to the private realm within the walls of the home and church and limits or usurps religious education, sacred rites of passage and public displays of faith. The hostile model of militant secularism arose with the French Revolution and is typified in the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Constitution of 1931. The hostile model exhibited during these events can be seen as approaching the type of political religion seen in totalitarian states. The United States Supreme Court has referenced the separation of church and state metaphor more than 25 times, first in 1878. In Reynolds, the Court denied the free exercise claims of Mormons in the Utah territory who claimed polygamy was an aspect of their religious freedom. The Court used the phrase again by Justice Hugo Black in 1947 in Everson. The term was used and defended heavily by the Court until the early 1970s. In Wallace v. Jaffree, Justice Rehnquist presented the view that the establishment clause was intended to protect local establishments of religion from federal interference-- a view which diminished the strong separation views of the Article the third ...... 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. Reference http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights#Amendment_I http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amendments_to_the_United_States_Constitution http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/First_amendment POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING Political campaigning is even more strictly controlled for nonprofits. Political campaigning is considered the support of particular candidates for office, (as opposed to lobbying which is support of legislation). The general rule is that charitable organizations may not do any political campaigning. **NOTE: This does not mean they can not discuss candidates or their morals in regards to their beliefs, only that they can NOT ENDORSE nor PROMOTE a candidate or risk losing their tax-exempt status.** http://www.jameschestnut.com/issues03protecting.html