arachnid

Sorry, I somehow messed up the quoting. The message should have read:

On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:14:36 -0500, DCR wrote:

"mxh" wrote:

> "A very important concept. Unfortunately, it is widely misinterpreted
> these days, as you have just demonstrated. The framers of the
> constituion institued 'separation of church and state' to protect the
> church, NOT the state."

No, they instituted separation of church and state to protect the union
and the people from a dangerous merging of religion and government.
State-sponsored persecutions and religious wars had long been commonplace
under the church-dominated governments of Europe. There were strong
religious differences even among the 13 Colonies and it was feared that
allowing each to introduce their particular religion into government, even
just locally, would inevitably lead to divisive religious wars between the
states that would fracture the union and, just incidentally, also get a
whole lot of good people killed.

--
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the
exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them."
- Frederick Douglas