Separation of state, church is law of land

I have a correction to Terry Tallian's "correction" of William S. Hicks' letter on the Constititution.

In 1777, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom that disestablished the Church of England as the "state religion" of Virginia. After it was adopted, it established the principle of the separation of church and state for his state - and later for the U.S.

So, Hicks was correct that one of the "core principles of our constitution is the separation of church and state." While that phrase is not contained in the Constitution, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights does state that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … " (followed by a listing of other First Amendment rights, including free speech, freedom of the press, etc.)

While the Constitution does not use the exact words "separation of church and state" the effect of the law is just that. The Congress, i.e., the "state", is prohibited from preferring or elevating one religion over another, i.e., the "church", or establishing a "state religion." Also, the Congress/state is prohibited from interfering with people exercising their freedom to practice whatever religion or attend whatever church they want, or none at all.

Further, it means that the Congress/state shall not make laws that favor the beliefs of one religion over the beliefs of others, religious or nonreligious. It, the state, cannot impose one religion's beliefs, the church, on citizens professing different beliefs. Thus, the separation of church and state is, in fact, "the law of the land."

Jean Alberti

Aurora