Separation of Church and State?

         Until the Civil War, on Sundays in Washington the state became the church. Within a year of his inauguration, Jefferson began attending church services in the House of Representatives. Madison followed Jefferson's example. Worship services in the House were acceptable to Jefferson because they were nondiscriminatory and voluntary. 

       Preachers of every Protestant denomination appeared. As early as January 1806 a female evangelist, Dorothy Ripley, delivered a camp meeting-style exhortation in the House to Jefferson, Vice President Aaron Burr, and a "crowded audience." Throughout his administration Jefferson permitted church services in executive branch buildings as well. The Gospel was also preached in the Supreme Court chambers.

        Jefferson's and Madison were ardently opposed to a “national” religion, but in their support of church services on public property, Jefferson and Madison consciously and deliberately were offering symbolic support to religion as a prop for republican government.  George Washington obviously agreed, as he said “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” 

         Now, apparently, at least in Phoenix, we are not allowed to have Bible studies in our backyards.  Do you think it’s time to take a stand?

 http://www.reagancoalition.com/articles/2012/20120625002-michael-salman.html