I am truly amazed at home many people use the excuse, separation of church and state in so many debates. However, they don't really truly know where that comes from. The law that was put into place that took religion out of all government had taken the original Thomas Jefferson letter out of context. So let me tell you all what exactly the real letter implied. Thomas Jefferson received a letter from the Danbury Baptist Association. There were rumors circulating that the government would force a single denomination such as Catholicism. They wanted to make sure that they were going to be able to believe in whatever religion they believed in and would not be forced to become a Catholic. (No disrespect whatsoever)

So they wrote the letter to find out the truth. Thomas Jefferson wrote them back, letting them know that there would not be a mandated religion.

"their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

That is exactly what was said. No where did he write that religion should be taken out of schools or government. Rather he wanted to make sure that they knew that the government would not tell them who or what they should believe in, nor take their rights away.