Separation Of Church And State

In 1789, the First Amendment established that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” (D) This meant the Federal and State Governments could not be partial or show support for any certain denomination or religious organization. One example being the nation’s early attachment to the Church of England. Three years after this amendment was written, it was ratified by the states of the union. (D)
James Madison, also referred to as the “Father of the Constitution”, was greatly worried about the church’s influence on the Federal Government. He once voiced his concern in 1785 when Patrick Henry proposed a bill requiring all citizens in the state of Virginia to pay a tax that would support religion with each taxpayer being able to choose which church they would like to support. Those non-religious individuals would pay a tax that helped fund secular education. (E)
To show his disapproval concerning this bill, Madison wrote and publis...