What does the Constitution say? What does the “wall of separation between church and state” mean?
The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The first clause of the Amendment is known as the “establishment clause,” and the second clause is known as the “free exercise clause.” With respect to religion, the First Amendment requires that the government be neutral, preferring no beliefs above others. On January 1, 1802, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson first used the phrase building a wall of separation between the church and state. Jefferson’s wall was designed not just to prevent the Church from interfering with the state, but also to prevent the state from interfering with the Church. The selective investigation only of Charismatic-Pentecostal churches that preach the “Word of Faith” message raises significant concerns as to whether the inquiry is aimed at publicly questioning the religious beliefs of the targeted churches, their preachers, and their m
