What the Founding Father's Said

“Educate our children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.”

Benjamin Franklin

"Religious institutions that use the government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights."

Thomas Jefferson, 1808 to the Virginia Baptists

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law."

Thomas Jefferson, Feb 10th 1814

"Congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner contrary to their conscience."

James Madison

"The religion, then, of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and that it is the right of every man…"

James Madison, June 20th 1785

"Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom? In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative."

James Madison