Separation of Church and State

For College Students and Adults of All Ages

As most people know, American's United for the Separation of Church and State has played a leading role in attempting to preserve the "wall of separation".  They are dedicated to exploring the history of church-state separation in the US. Their collection of writings by the early advocates of religious liberty shows that our forbears meant it to be one of our most cherished rights. For additional information about the history of church-state separation and for current efforts to maintain the "wall of separation", contact AU at -- americansunited@au.org. They are located at -- 518 C Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 - phone: (202) 466-3234. The following are just a few of the historical resources that you will find:

With Sovereign Reverence: Thomas Jefferson Quotes on Religious Liberty. Thomas Jefferson is considered one of the greatest champions of religious liberty in American history. He often wrote of its importance in legislation, speeches, letters and personal reflections.

What God Has Put Asunder: James Madison Quotes On Church And State. James Madison also wrote frequently about religious freedom and its corollary, the separation of church and state.

Jefferson's Letter To The Danbury Baptists. Thomas Jefferson's January 1, 1802, letter to the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist Association is a seminal document in American church-state history. In the letter, Jefferson used the metaphor of the "wall of separation between church and state," a phrase that, as the Supreme Court once noted, has come to be accepted as an authoritative declaration of the scope and meaning of the First Amendment.

And there are more, such as the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom; Joel Barlow And The Treaty With Tripoli: Analysis; Jefferson and Madison on Government-Sponsored Prayer Proclamations; and George Washington's Letter to the Touro Synagogue. 

Recommended reading:

Piety & Politics: The Right Wing Assault on Religious Freedom
by the Reverend Barry W. Lynn. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. 2006.

Since 1992, Reverend Barry Lynn has served as executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United is dedicated to preserving the Constitution's religious liberty provisions. In addition to his work as a long-time activist and lawyer in the civil liberties field, Lynn is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, offering him a unique perspective on church-state issues. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978.

In Piety & Politics, Lynn speaks out loudly and clearly about the flagrant and widespread flouting of the Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state in our country's schools and other public places, warning that it is a dangerous attempt to impose a political agenda under the subterfuge of protecting religion. He cites case after case where the religious right has crossed the line, piously asserting their positions on such issues as abortion and gay rights. Lynn argues that politicians need to stop using the Bible to justify their actions and to look instead to the Constitution, asserting that efforts on the part of the religious right threaten to undermine the American guarantee of freedom of religion.