One of the most pervasive phrases in the sociopolitical lexicon is "the separation of church and state," a phrase many mistakenly believe is present in the U.S. Constitution. The term, typically used to claim there can be no intermingling of faith and government, has a fascinating history, according to Howard Goldthwaite, senior creative director at First Liberty Institute. Goldthwaite recently wrote, directed, and produced a short animated video titled "No Better Letter," an effort to explain where "the separation of church and state" term originated, and why some misunderstand not only the history, but also its application to constitutional law. "The phrase is from a letter it's not in the Constitution like everybody seemed to assume," he said. "It's from a letter written on January 1st of 1802 by Thomas Jefferson [to] a group from Danbury, Connecticut." That group had written Jefferson expressing concern "they were going to be ... told what to teach, what to preach," Goldthwaite said. Jefferson, then the third president of the United States, told them in his reply they had nothing to worry about and that the government didn't have the power to tell them what to do in their house of worship. Watch for the full explanation.

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