4.2.12 WC: 191694 Is this an irony, or is there a causal connection between our constitutional separation of church and state and the high level of religiosity among our people? I believe the latter is the case. The original theory behind the metaphor of “the wall of separation” was to protect the holiness of the church from the corrupting influences of the secular state. Roger Williams, who is credited with coining the metaphor, was a 17" Century Baptist minister in Providence, Rhode Island. He insisted that a “hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world” was necessary to protect religion, as well as to assure freedom of conscience. And this wall has worked wonderfully to do both.”! Churches are thriving in America, unlike in most European countries that have long traditions of established churches. When the state supports churches, resentment against government, which is inevitable, spills over to religion. Consider Israel, whose citizens are far more secular on average than Americans. Many Israeli Jews resent religion because the Rabbis have too much influence over matriage, divorce and other aspects of daily life. This turns people against religion. Israel does not have an established religion, despite its being a “Jewish state.” Muslim and Christian Israelis, who comprise nearly a quarter of the population, have equal status and equal rights, or at least as a matter of law, but Conservative and Reform Jews do not. Within the Jewish religion, Orthodoxy is the established branch. This has caused enormous resentment—against both the state and the synagogue—by reform, conservative and secular Jews and have driven many of them away from religion. In the U.S., on the other hand, resentment against the government (Congress’ approval rating is always quite low) does not translate into resentment against the churches. To the contrary, cynicism about politics, may well drive some people toward greater commitment to their c