Re: Government churches should be constitutionally rabid

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (M. Clark) wrote:

>:|Where did you get the idea that government was to remain neutral in
>:|matters of religion?  Certainly not from Jefferson.
>:|
>:|M. Clark, resident internet troll and nut case.


(1) Jefferson didn't create church state separation. 

He missed the wording change during the framing of the Virginia
Constitution that called for freedom of conscience instead of toleration.
James Madison was responsible for that change.  Jefferson was in
Philadelphia at the time. 

He missed the climax of that achievement in his own state of Virginia
because he was in France. While he authored the law that was finally passed
in Virginia in 1785-86 it was James Madison who actually got the bill to
support  religion defeated and the passage of Jefferson's bill for
religious freedom. 

It was Madison that  achieved that separation of church and state in
Virginia more so than Jefferson. 

(2) Jefferson didn't create church state separation on the national level,
i.e. the Northwest Ordinance, U.S. Constitution , Bill of Rights, etc.
Once again Madison played a far bigger role, in fact played the major role
in that as well. 

Jefferson actually had no real role in that other than perhaps some
suggestions to Madison via letter exchanges during that period of time. 

Thus, factually speaking James Madison was the man who was most responsible
for the separation of church and state which flourishes in this country
even with people like your trying to turn back the hands of time to pre
separation times.   

Now, would you like the evidence supporting the above now or later?