The analogy to blueprints for building a church is very helpful! It's a shame that Jefferson's remarks, which were meant to emphasize the protective nature of the wall as guarding the CHURCH against governmental incursion, has been used almost exclusively in our modern discourse as a limitation on the permissible exercise of religion anywhere in the public arena.
Yeah, it was really helpful for me to understand as well. Most people seem to think that the separation of church and state is to protect government, and it is in part. But early on it was mostly seen as a protection of citizens and their personal relationship with their own faith.
The analogy to blueprints for building a church is very helpful! It's a shame that Jefferson's remarks, which were meant to emphasize the protective nature of the wall as guarding the CHURCH against governmental incursion, has been used almost exclusively in our modern discourse as a limitation on the permissible exercise of religion anywhere in the public arena.
Hi Sheryl!
Yeah, it was really helpful for me to understand as well. Most people seem to think that the separation of church and state is to protect government, and it is in part. But early on it was mostly seen as a protection of citizens and their personal relationship with their own faith.