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Jefferson was reassuring the Baptists that he, as President, would not attempt ; to assert influence over the church. He did not intend to ! state that the church should 4 have no influence in the affairs of state; that would 4 have been political folly for 4 someone trying to get the i support of churchgoers.
It is clear from the above that Jefferson’s comments on “separation of church and state” were never meant to be a clarification of what the founding fathers intended when they authored the First Amendment and never should have been used by the Supreme Court in that fash- , ion. His comments certainly ; did not mean that the church should have no influence on 1 matters of government. \
In my next commentary, I ; will present proof that Thomas Jefferson did not espouse the doctrine of “separation of church and state” as i it is advocated today. ; Specifically, I will demonstrate that Jefferson’s actions ! as a public figure were in conflict with that doctrine as currently understood.
Jim Oyster
Castleton
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