Our country was founded on the principle of freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The government should encourage, not undermine, the role of religion and faith in this country.

The First Amendment to the Constitution states in part: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Many people have tried to use this to make the case for the separation of church and state, but this was not what was intended. Our Founding Fathers wanted to avoid government-dictated religion.

The "separation of church and state" that is commonly referred to actually comes from Thomas Jefferson's 1802 Letter to the Danbury Baptists, in which he referred to the "wall of separation" between Church and State. Jefferson's letter was in response to an appeal from Connecticut Baptists that he use federal authority to support disestablishment of the Connecticut state church congregationalism. Although Jefferson favored the Baptists' position, he refused, explaining the Constitution forbade the federal government from intruding in state matters.

Today the wall of separation phrase has been used not to keep the federal government out of the states' business, but to remove any religious influence from public life. Obviously, this is wrong. I will continue working to protect the fundamental religious liberties that are so important to the spiritual health of this nation.