Another idea being passed around is that Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation” metaphor is a myth. A myth in the sense (they assert) that it has no correspondence with anything actually in the Constitution. The reason being, they claim, is because the exact words “wall of separation between church and state” do not appear anywhere therein. I guess we should also conclude that the separation of powers doctrine is baloney for the same reason.

They go on to claim that the founders only intended to prevent the establishment of a state church, not to exclude religion from the sphere of government altogether. Well, it seems if that were truly all that the founders intended, they would have worded the establishment clause as “no law respecting the establishment of a state church” rather than the more inclusive “no law respecting an establishment of religion”.

I would like to see an in depth piece written on this issue.