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The American Version
The American Version
“Establishmentarianism” – a particular denomination is given special legal status by the State. This can involve various types of connections between Church and State.
When the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution was passed, it primarily involved the issue of funding of the Church by the State. The debate did not concern secularism, as it did several years later when Madison wrote his Memorial and Remonstrance.
The prohibition against Congress establishing a religion allowed each state to maintain an established church if it wanted. The Bill of Rights did not originally apply to the states at all. It just restrained the national government.
See Rehnquist’s opinion in Wallace v. Jaffree (472 U.S. 38, 1985)