Welcome back to Outlaw Faith, where today we’re kicking down the door of one of the biggest lies in modern politics: separation of church and state.
If you’ve ever mentioned God in a public setting — or worse, a government setting — someone has probably shouted this phrase at you like they just won a debate trophy. Problem is, they have no clue what it actually means. And if Thomas Jefferson could see what they’ve done with his words, he’d probably chuck a brick through their window.
Where It Actually Comes From
The phrase comes from a letter — not the Constitution, not the Declaration, not the Bill of Rights. A letter Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists. They were worried that the federal government might create a national church (like the Church of England). Jefferson assured them that the First Amendment built a “wall of separation between Church and State.”
That’s it.
It wasn’t about silencing faith in public life — it was about protecting churches from government interference. Jefferson wasn’t trying to keep God out of politics; he was making sure politicians couldn’t mess with how you worship God.
The Founders Wanted God In the Public Square — Loud and Clear
Let’s talk about Benjamin Rush — signer of the Declaration, medical genius, and the Father of American Education. You know what Dr. Rush said?
“The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.”
He went further:
“The Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life.”
The founder of America’s public school system literally wanted the Bible in the classroom — because he knew you can’t educate people for self-governance without moral truth. And he wasn’t alone.
What Separation Meant to Them (Not What It Means to your average blue-check X feed)
| What Modern Culture Says | What the Founders Actually Believed |
|---|---|
| “No God in public.” | “Religion and morality are indispensable supports.” — Washington |
| “Faith is private.” | “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” — Adams |
| “Schools must be secular.” | “The Bible should be read in our schools.” — Rush |
The whole point was to avoid a state-run church, not to strip faith from public life. The Founders would’ve laughed (or cried) if you told them the phrase would one day be used to ban nativity scenes from courthouses or the Ten Commandments from schools.
Faith Wasn’t a Side Note — It Was the Bedrock
- Washington prayed at his inauguration.
- Congress printed Bibles for schools — with tax dollars.
- The Northwest Ordinance (1787) — the law for new territories — literally said schools should teach “religion, morality, and knowledge.”
- Early Congress sessions opened with prayer and Bible reading — and still do.
The Founders weren’t hiding their faith under the table — they were building the table on top of it.
The Bible’s Take on It All
This whole debate is really about authority. Who’s the ultimate authority — God or government? The Bible’s answer is clear:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” — Psalm 24:1
Governments don’t create rights — they’re supposed to recognize the rights God already gave. That’s why the Declaration says “endowed by their Creator.” If rights come from God, then governments have limits — they can’t mess with what God already settled. That’s the whole philosophy behind America. No God = no anchor for rights = government becomes your god.
What To Do With This
- Next time someone throws “separation of church and state” at you, smile — then explain where it really came from.
- Carry a Benjamin Rush quote in your wallet just for fun.
- Don’t apologize for bringing your faith into public life — that’s literally the American way.
Tomorrow, we’ll hit the big one — What Jesus Actually Said About Politics. Spoiler: It’s way deeper than just “Render unto Caesar.”
Questions, rants, or stories about getting yelled at for praying in public? Drop them in the comments.
