Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this week, we are observing the second annual celebration of Faith Month. Concerned Women for America and other sponsors are encouraging legislators across our country to give public display of our personal faith freely and openly. What a great exercise this is. Of course, even though there is a dangerous trend today to discourage the display or depiction of the exercise of our faith in the public square--certainly, there is a move to keep religion out of politics and to rigidly enforce the so-called separation of church and state--the Founders of this country would have certainly supported our efforts here today. Indeed, this common misunderstanding about the separation concept-- and it is an important one--is one that is useful for us to address. I think today is a good day to do it. In fact, it is one of my favorite subjects. It is a topic that I have debated and written and taught university courses on for about 25 years, about a quarter of a century. For two of those decades, I was in the courts defending religious freedom cases. I learned during that time that I really believe that this is among the most misunderstood subjects in our entire culture. You see, most people today who insist upon a rigid separation of church and state are unaware that that phrase derives not from the Constitution itself, of course, but from a personal letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802.…”