alt.education

Cross-post happy buckeye-...@ wrote:

[newsgroups trimmed]

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by jim alison View Post
> -The U. S. Constitution does not even mention the words
> "separation of church and state; they were not even
> penned until fourteen years after the First Amendment
> became law.
> [end quote]

Ironically, if you read some of the debating that took
place over the 1st amendment -- before it was passed
-- you can't deny that the separation was understood.

In fact, back when it was being debated, some argued
that it would go to an absurd length. One example
given (and I'm paraphrasing here, working from memory)
was that, because of the 1st amendment, if a church
paid someone to do some work, and they never did it,
the church wouldn't even be able to sue for their money
in court.

And, besides, I'll take the word of the author of the .
constitution over some historical revisionist any day.
Madison -- the father of our constitution -- wasn't shy
about discussing the separation between church &
state.