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Compare And Contrast Jefferson's Views On The Separation Of Church And State

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Jefferson and the Separation of Church and State
Thomas Jefferson was a spokesman for democracy, an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of American Independence, and the third president of the United States of America. He believed in the separation of church and state and that every man held the right to maintain his own opinion. Jefferson felt that government should only intervene when one person behaved injuriously towards another: “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
Jefferson believed that a separation of church and state was necessary because a person’s religion was his or her own business. In his response to a letter from the Danbury Baptist Association, he agrees with the committee stating that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship.” Some people take this to mean that Jefferson thought it was wrong for a nation to have a national church or faith to be enforced on its citizens. Others, however, believe he meant that religion should be left out of government altogether. …show more content…

The Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, to escape persecution and a government that legally enforced the national religion. It seems a bit hypocritical to separate from a nation for that reason and then to do the exact same thing that caused people to leave in the first place. I believe that could be a big reason that Jefferson held so strongly to his belief in separation of church and

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