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The separation of church and 
state, as you likely know it 

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doesn't exist. 
Find out what I mean on this 

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week's episode of Liberty at 
Home. 

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I'm sure this one won't be 
controversial. 

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Hello and welcome to this very 
non controversial episode of 

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Liberty at Home here on Easton 
Community Access Television. 

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As you may know, I'm Adam 
Rivero, the pastor of Liberty 

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Baptist Church and your host of 
this weekly telecast. 

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Today, as always, we're 
broadcasting from Easton, MA, 

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where I frequented the new Taco 
Bell at Five Corners. 

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A little bit too much since it 
opened a couple months ago, 

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especially since my doctor just 
told me my blood type is fire 

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sauce. 
Today, in honor of our nation's 

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250th anniversary, I want to 
talk to you about a topic that 

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is often mentioned yet 
misunderstood, the separation of

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church and state. 
Now you may be getting nervous, 

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like what's a pastor doing 
talking about this subject, but 

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I assure you, if you give me a 
few minutes, I think I can bring

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some historical perspective to 
the table. 

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One of the foundational 
principles of our country is the

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separation of church and state. 
However, did you know it was 

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Baptist from New England that 
helped solidify that right in 

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America? 
Also, did you know that the 

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phrase separation of church and 
state has greatly morphed from 

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its original meaning over the 
past 200 years? 

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The Anabaptists were one of the 
most persecuted groups of the 

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Reformation period in Europe. 
Because Anabaptists firmly 

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believed infant baptism was 
unscriptural due to the fact 

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that babies cannot choose to 
have faith in Christ, they ran 

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contrary to the state churches 
of many European nations. 

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This resulted in a prolonged 
period of persecution for 

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Anabaptists, who both 
scripturally and morally believe

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there should be no state 
churches and each person should 

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be free to come to Christ by 
their own volition. 

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However, governments at the time
saw it differently, and the 

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Anabaptists found themselves on 
the wrong side of the law. 

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In parts of the Holy Roman 
Empire in 1525, the refusal to 

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baptize a child or re baptism of
an adult after salvation was 

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punishable by fine, 
imprisonment, or banishment. 

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In 1530, the crime became a 
capital offense. 

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Also, the Act of Uniformity in 
1662 required all worship in 

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England and Wales to be done 
according to the Anglican Book 

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of Common Prayer, basically 
outlawing any other religious 

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group. 
These are two of a multitude of 

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examples of the unyielding 
church and state marriage in 

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Europe now. 
Unfortunately, the state church 

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model was then imported to 
America during colonial times. 

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Although colonies like Rhode 
Island and Pennsylvania became 

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havens for religious freedom, 
they were small pockets of 

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religious freedom and a new 
world that religiously looked a 

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lot like the Old World. 
Even in the Massachusetts Bay 

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Colony, worship outside the 
Congregational Church was 

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prohibited for some time. 
In 1651, the Baptist pastor 

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Obadiah Holmes was given a 
whipping of 30 lashes outside of

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the State House for holding a 
prayer meeting in Swampscott 

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that was unsanctioned by the 
local Congregational Church. 

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Now we Fast forward a little bit
to the year 18 O1 when America 

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is free of British rule, the 
Constitution is firmly in place,

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and Thomas Jefferson is 
president. 

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A group of Baptists from 
Connecticut called the Danbury 

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Baptist Association wrote a 
letter to President Jefferson 

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sharing some of their concerns. 
That the Constitution didn't go 

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far enough in ensuring the 
church state model was totally 

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dismantled. 
Naturally, these Baptists were 

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skittish due to hundreds of 
years of persecution. 

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In their letter, they wrote the 
following. 

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Our sentiments are uniformly on 
the side of religious liberty. 

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That religion is at all times 
and places a matter between God 

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and individuals. 
That no man ought to suffer a 

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name, person, or effects on 
account of his religious 

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opinions. 
That the legitimate power of 

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civil government extends no 
further than to punish the man 

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who works I'll to his neighbor. 
Now Thomas Jefferson, in his 

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reply to the Danbury Baptist, 
hardly agreed with this thought.

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In his letter he stated, 
believing with you, that 

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religion is a matter which lies 
solely between man and his God. 

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That he owes account to none 
other for his faith or his 

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worship. 
That the legislative powers of 

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government reach actions only 
and not opinions. 

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I contemplate with sovereign 
reverence that active the whole 

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American people. 
Which declared that their 

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legislator would make no law 
respecting an establishment of 

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religion or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof, thus building 

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a wall of separation between 
church and state. 

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There it is. 
I'd encourage folks to read both

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letters in their entirety, which
honestly are easy to find with 

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an online search. 
Thus, with President Jefferson's

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reply to the Baptist, the phrase
separation of church and state 

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was born. 
Many are surprised that the 

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phrase is not found in the 
Declaration of Independence nor 

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in the Constitution. 
Yes, the greatly used and even 

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more greatly misused phrase that
was written in a private letter 

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from Thomas Jefferson to a 
humble group of Baptists was 

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never meant to be a term as an 
impetus to remove all mention of

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government or God from the 
government. 

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Nor was it ever meant as a way 
to remove biblical principles 

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from the town square. 
Instead, it was meant to show 

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that never again would the 
government compel anyone to be 

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part of a state church. 
So the next time you hear the 

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phrase separation of church and 
state being thrown around in a 

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conversation about religion and 
government, even within our own 

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town hall or committee meetings,
remember the real intent of the 

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phrase as well as the Baptist 
who played a part in coining it.

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Well, our time is spent on 
today's edition of Liberty at 

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Home. 
And since the screen's about to 

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fade to black, let me quickly 
remind you that you're always 

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invited to join us at Liberty 
Baptist Church here in Easton, 

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right on Route 138. 
Look us up at my 

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libertybaptist.org. 
Well, this is Adam Rivero 

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signing off with a reminder that
we're the Spirit of the Lord is 

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there's Liberty. 
Catch you next week on ECAP for 

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yet another edition of Liberty 
at Home.