By Andresen Blom & James Bell
The American Founders were very conscious that in Europe, religious liberty was virtually nonexistent. In fact, that was the reason why many fled to the U.S. in the first place. Prussia enforced the State Religion of Lutheranism. England enforced the State Religion of Anglicanism. Spain enforced the State Religion of Catholicism. The European states persecuted those who did not observe the State Religion. Spain persecuted Protestants in the Spanish Inquisition. England and Prussia persecuted Catholics. Everyone persecuted Baptists.
In 1801, the Danbury Baptist Association wrote a letter to the newly elected President Thomas Jefferson to ask if he believed that religious liberty was an unalienable right granted by God that could not be revoked by government. President Jefferson declared that the Baptists need not fear because the First Amendment had created a "wall of separation" between Church and State.
The Danbury Baptists, as Bible-believing Christians, knew as well as Thomas Jefferson that Jesus had declared that there were two great commandments: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' The second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The secularization of the State removed the U.S. from any jurisdiction over the first great commandment to love God and confined it strictly to addressing the second commandment dealing with how men treated one another. The U.S. demoted the State and declared theological competence to be utterly outside State expertise, thus preventing an "American Inquisition" that persecuted people for their religious convictions. Clearly, Mr. Jefferson was making clear to the Baptists that the "wall of separation" was designed to protect Religion from the State, not to protect the State from Religion.
The American Founders were very conscious that in Europe, religious liberty was virtually nonexistent. In fact, that was the reason why many fled to the U.S. in the first place. Prussia enforced the State Religion of Lutheranism. England enforced the State Religion of Anglicanism. Spain enforced the State Religion of Catholicism. The European states persecuted those who did not observe the State Religion. Spain persecuted Protestants in the Spanish Inquisition. England and Prussia persecuted Catholics. Everyone persecuted Baptists.
In 1801, the Danbury Baptist Association wrote a letter to the newly elected President Thomas Jefferson to ask if he believed that religious liberty was an unalienable right granted by God that could not be revoked by government. President Jefferson declared that the Baptists need not fear because the First Amendment had created a "wall of separation" between Church and State.
The Danbury Baptists, as Bible-believing Christians, knew as well as Thomas Jefferson that Jesus had declared that there were two great commandments: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' The second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The secularization of the State removed the U.S. from any jurisdiction over the first great commandment to love God and confined it strictly to addressing the second commandment dealing with how men treated one another. The U.S. demoted the State and declared theological competence to be utterly outside State expertise, thus preventing an "American Inquisition" that persecuted people for their religious convictions. Clearly, Mr. Jefferson was making clear to the Baptists that the "wall of separation" was designed to protect Religion from the State, not to protect the State from Religion.
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