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Based upon these beliefs, the Founding Fathers specifically placed into the [[First Amendment]] to the U.S. Constitution a sentence which states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  The first clause is referred to as the [[Establishment Clause]], and the second the [[Free Exercise Clause]]. Even in contemporary times, citizens often mistakenly insist the First Amendment mandated [[separation of church and state]], which it clearly does not.  It is obvious by the writings and the documents they produced that the Founding Fathers could not even conceptualize (let alone desire) a [[government]] without Christian principles.

Based upon these beliefs, the Founding Fathers specifically placed into the [[First Amendment]] to the U.S. Constitution a sentence which states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  The first clause is referred to as the [[Establishment Clause]], and the second the [[Free Exercise Clause]]. Even in contemporary times, citizens often mistakenly insist the First Amendment mandated [[separation of church and state]], which it clearly does not.  It is obvious by the writings and the documents they produced that the Founding Fathers could not even conceptualize (let alone desire) a [[government]] without Christian principles.

 

This "Free Exercise Clause" of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution began increasingly to be tested and interpreted by the judiciary in the late 19th century as a result of the increasing population of religious minorities in the country.

This "Free Exercise Clause" of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution began increasingly to be tested and interpreted by the judiciary in the late 19th century as a result of the increasing population of religious minorities in the country.