Excellent analysis and my sentiments exactly! Our Senator kept LYING in his pressers saying “A few right wing radicals want to prevent women from getting birth control!”
Total and complete lie. Of course the MSM failed to question his rather ridiculous pontificating. Even the more ‘friendly’ news sources focus on contraception rather than the free exercise of religion which is the underlying and real issue.
Also appreciate reminding everyone that “separation of church and state” is NOT part of the Constitution, Bill of Rights etc. People have heard this so often they must think Moses brought it down from the mountain top
Lisa
Thanks Lisa.
The actual document Jefferson is often quoted from is a short, personal letter BACK to the Danbury Baptist Association, which had congratulated him on his election, then complained that their
religious rights were considered by some to be a privilege granted and not an inalienable right. By the pre-Revolutionary laws such ‘priveleges’ could be curtailed, monitored, voted upon etc.
Here is the full text of that short letter. Jefferson wasn’t exactly penning legislation here. And in FACT, in context, his “wall of separation” phrase doesn’t look much like a pre-Soviet “freedom from religion” paean to an official atheism either. Note the prayer at the end.
Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists
The Final Letter, as Sent
To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that
the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” ***thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. ***
Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson
Jan. 1. 1802.
The emphases are mine (bold and underlines). The words are Jefferson’s and so is the fact that his “wall of separation” phrase came directly AFTER his citing of the freedoms that WERE enshrined in the constitution.
Jefferson is hailed, enshrined on Mt. Rushmore, and well known as the author of most of the Constitution. But with the possible exception of Senator Joe Mc Carthy - he may be the most misrepresented American leader. Apparently he was neither atheist or anti-religion as I’ve heard him described by some.
IN context, that “wall of separation” looks like a protective wall to keep Government from dinking with matters of faith - rather than some sort of quarantine to keep faith out of sight and out of mind by design.
HHS was FORCED to intervene to prevent grievous harm from being done to those poor women.