[MountainMenace]

I am constantly amazed at how timid we are in these confrontations. Separation of Church and State is NOT in the Constitution as most assume. It is a convention that started with Baptists in Connecticut irritated with the state sanctioned Episcopal Church. Jefferson penned this phrase during this disagreement. It later grew in strength as a Protestant strategy to curtain Catholic involvement and it is now a beast of their own creation that has turned on them. The bottom line is that it is not Constitutional and should be challenged at every turn.

[altura]

And, I believe, at that time, the Anglican Church was actually state funded, was it not?

[Pharmboy]

Not only that...but it gets worse. The Founders wrote "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." in order to keep church and state together. At that time, every state (except VA) had their own laws as to whom could hold office. Some kept Jews out, some kept Anabaptists out, some kept Catholics out, atherists, etc. What they did NOT want the feds to do was negate their state laws on religion.

So, the First Amendment was actually set forth to do the OPPOSITE of what the libs claim.