Seperation of Church and State an Invention of the KKK, not Jefferson
Many people cite Jefferson for the “wall of seperation” doctrine regarding religious matters and its relationship to the state. This interpretation is novel and interesting, but unconvincing. (At the founding the official state church of Massachusettes was Puritanism and that was A-OK). The real development of this doctrine was in the 1940s as a part of sweeping anti-Catholic bias of the KKK (they didn’t just go after blacks, after all).
The phrase found it’s first use in the opinion of the court written by Klansman Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in Everson v. the Board of Education. This ruling specifically targeted Catholic schools as he was worried about a coup from Catholics.
It is a wonder if the ACLU realizes that they generally defend a KKK invented legal doctrine that was used as a part of religious discrimination.
Hi there, Blogcritics comrade! Just a brief note/correction: The phrase “wall of separation” as regards church and state originates in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. Here’s a link.
Comment by Pete Blackwell | June 30, 2005