[thecavemaster]

If separation of church and state is meant to protect freedom of conscience (and it is), and there are those who would be willing to enshrine a particular religion as a quasi "national religion" (See Huckabee's comment about why he got into politics), then those folks need to be limited in their ability to enact their "dreams." "Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion." It seems to me that statement is brilliant because it protects AND limits at once. RR... I don't think we can always kiss butt at the Founders, given the seam of inequality that ran through their day to day lives. Women could not vote; human beings could be chattel; property owners, the monied class were privileged...vestiges of feudalism and serfdom that contradict some of the essential principles of what we would like to think of as liberty.