Separation of Church and State

There are many who, upon seeing a politician say something in a religious context, say something to the effect of "so much for the separation of church and state. What they mean by this phrase is that politicians and the government should not speak of, act according to, or even consider policy in light of their individual religious faith. Those who believe this do not understand the concept properly from either a Constitutional or historical perspective.
== Origin ==
The concept of separation of church and state, as it is used today, is not found in the Constitution. The First Amendment says "“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
The phrase "separation of church and state", as it is used historically, originates with a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists Association of Connecticut in an affirmation of the 1st Amendment. Jefferson stated that he believed faith was a matter between a man and God and the government had no right to interfere or intervene in that.
== What This Means ==
What this does NOT mean is that people of faith cannot hold office, or bring their faith to bear in making policy decisions with regard to our nation. When a politician says something in a religious context, or participates in a prayer with those who believe as they do, or meets with religious people, they are not violating the First Amendment in any way. Nothing of these actions is making a law nor is any of these actions prohibiting someone else to freely exercise their religion.
In point of fact, the founders were deeply religious men who wrote the Constitution itself based on Biblical principles and iterated many times that without faith and morality, the Constitution would fail. As we see today, they were right.
This nonsense that every time a politician speaks about their personal faith or demonstrates their personal faith is somehow a violation of the 1st Amendment or some modern idea of separation of church and state (which has the opposite meaning as its origin) is just that, nonsense. It's not even possible in that atheism is a religious belief so any attempts to remove God entirely from the process just means the religion of atheism is the dominant religion.
Furthermore, what the founders feared was a state religion in that it dictated what people ought to believe enforced by the Law such as the church of England did. It is inconceivable that the varied beliefs held by the individual members of Congress and the President will ever align in such a way as to establish a state religion. What is more likely is that, in their cowardice and/or ignorance, they will make laws that PROHIBIT the free exercise of people's religions. In fact, we DO see this happening quite often today.
== Real Violations of the First Amendment ==
When a cake store owner or photographer is forced to participate in economic exchanges that violate their religious believes by the government, that is an explicit violation of the First Amendment. The government is making laws that prohibit the free exercise of that person's religious beliefs. When the government mandates that employers pay for the murder of unborn babies, the government has made a law that prohibits the free exercise of that employer's religion. When the government mandates that individuals undergo particular medical procedures, particularly ones that violate the religious beliefs of that individual, the government has written a law that prohibits the free exercise of that person's religion AND their Fourth Amendment-protected right to be secure in their person.
Where is the outcry for "separation of church and state" in these cases? The same people who cry out against someone claiming to be a Christian running for office or speaking about their faith as a politician are not just silent in the above examples, they are actually - in many cases - in favor of the government exerting force against people of certain religious beliefs in order to violate those beliefs and restrict their freedom.
== Free Exercise ==
Free exercise of religion is the practicing of one's personal religious belief without ANY restriction from the government whatsoever. The government cannot intervene, interfere, or be involved to ANY extent if the First Amendment is to be upheld. This includes interfering with the individual religious freedoms of politicians!
In Truth and Love.