<p>The words “separation of church and state” appears in neither the U.S. Constitution, nor the Declaration of Independence, nor even the Federalist Papers. They are neither the law nor part of the legilative history of the law.</p>
<p>The Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Thus, Congress, that is the U.S. Congress, is prohibited from forcing all people to ascribe to a single religion as they dictate. In other words, they cannot force religion upon the American people. Further, the Congress shall never, under any circumstances, prohibit the free exercise of religion. This means that Congress shall not make any law that would prohibit people, in any way, from practicing their religion.</p>
<p>The first word in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution says it all: Congress. The first amendment applies to Congress, period. It was intended to prohibit Congress from saying, “Religion X is the religion of the land, and we will establish the United States Church of X”. This is what Britain did and it is not what we wanted.</p>
<p>The clause above, in the first amendment, has been bastardized and obfuscated to such a point that people believe it is “illegal” to practice religion. In essence, the phrase is doing exactly the opposite of its intent. Congress, and even farther out to the judiciary and executive branches on all levels of government, is essentially attempting to make it illegal to practice religion, thereby establishing a “religion” in a secular manner. The original intent of the first clause in the first amendment was to allow people the free exercise of religion. What it has done is just the opposite.</p>