Separation of Church and State

Regarding the separate church and state, in the age of absolute monarchy, religion plays an important role. It is usually a control measure for people. The Founders of America and the American Revolution all knew this and took steps to make sure it didn't happen again. In the US, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. People have the right to religious freedom protected by the government. Neither a state nor the Federal Government can, openly or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against the establishment of religion by law was intended to erect “a wall of separation between Church and State”. The Revolution also unleashed powerful political, social, and economic forces that would transform post-Revolution politics and society, including increased participation in politics and governance, the legal institutionalization of religious toleration, and the growth and diffusion of the population.

All of the Framers understood that “no establishment” meant no national church and no government involvement in religion. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison believed that without separating church and state, there could be no real religious freedom. Religious practice suffered in certain places because of the absence of ministers and the destruction of churches, but in other areas, religion flourished. The Revolution strengthens millennialist strains in American theology. Jefferson explained his understanding of the First Amendment's religion clauses as reflecting the view of the whole American people which declared that their legislative establishment should make no law respecting an of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise they, thus building a wall between church and State. It can be seen that the idea of a separate church and state is one of the enlightenment ideas that influenced the American revolution.