The current occupant of the White House doesn’t seem to have much use for the separation of church and state. That’s discouraging, to be sure, but let’s not forget the many presidents throughout American history who felt differently.
Four years ago, Church & State pulled together some great statements by presidents expressing their support for a decent distance between religion and government. You can read them here.
You’ll find some classics in this article, with statements by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John F. Kennedy, but the comments by some of our less well-known presidents are also interesting. For example, John Tyler, our tenth president, was a fan of separation. Who knew?
Happy Presidents’ Day!
