The phrase “Separation of Church and State” is nowhere mentioned within the Constitution of the United States or the Bill of Rights.  The idea there is for Government to have no State Church which is sponsored by Government.  It is also for the purpose of keeping the government out of Church business, from dictating to the Church how they are to operate, and function.  The people of every church has the right and privilege to have a say in elections, and at the voting booth, and the Church can inform its members of the moral issues, and where candidates stand on those issues.  We have an heavenly authority, and responsibility to do so.

Have Baptists ever been close to becoming a State sponsored Church.  At the last writing we read of a time the Baptists were one of four which were proposed to become State Churches.  The following is more info along that same idea.

“24. Some serious questions have many times been asked concerning the Baptists:  Would they, as a denomination, have accepted from any nation or state an offer of ‘establishment’ if such nation or state had freely made them such an offer?  And would they, in case they had accepted such an offer, have become persecutors of others like Catholics or Episcopals, or Lutherans or Presbyterians, or Congregationalists?  Probably  a little consideration of such questions now wouold not be amiss.  Have the Baptists, as a fact, ever had such an opportunity?’

‘Is it not recorded in history, that on one occasion, the King of the Netherlands (the Netherlands at that time embracing Norway and Sweden, Belgium, Holland, and Denmark) had under serious consideration the question of having an established religion?  Their kingdom at that period was surrounded on almost all sides by nations or governments with established religions — religions supported by the Civil Government.’

‘It is stated that the King of Holland appointed a committee to examine the claims of all existing churches or denominations to see which had the best claim to be the New Testament Church.  The committee reported back that the Baptists were the best representatives of New Testament teachings.  Then the King offered to make the Baptist ‘the established’ church or denomination of his kingdom.  The Baptists kindly thanked him but declined, stating that it was contrary to their fundamental convictions and principles.’

‘But this was not the only opportunity they ever had of having their denomination the established religion of a people.  They certainly had that opportunity when Rhode Island Colony was founded.  And to have persecuted others — that would nave been an impossibility if they were to continue being Baptist.  They were the original advocates of ‘Religious Liberty.’  That really is one of the fundamental articles of their religious faith.  They believed in the absolute separation of church and state.”

From THE TRAIL OF BLOOD, p. 53, by J. M. Carroll.

We Baptists may disagree whole heartedly with some forms of religion, but we also will fight with you for your right to believe it and teach it.  That is after all what Religious Liberty in our Nation is about, and what Religious Liberty the world around is about.