The federal Constitution made no mention of God, churches or religion, except to state that there shall be no religious test for public office in the U.S.  This was a principle that is clear as a Liberty Bell:  If there is no religious test for public office, that too means that there can be no religious test for citizenship and the right to vote. This was understandably upsetting for those who believed in the need for established churches or at least a recognized public role for religion. The lack of a mention of God and the barring of religious tests for office was perhaps the greatest source of opposition to ratification when it was debated in the state legislatures, as Cornell historians Kramnick and Moore wrote in their book The Godless Constitution.  

It is also true that a deal was made in which the Jeffersonians, including Jefferson himself, agreed to support ratification if there would be a later amendment to further clarify the matter.  He did, and Madison later provided us with the First Amendment.

And while it is true that it took time for the basic principles of the rights of conscience to take hold in the culture and to bring the state constitutions and laws into conformity with the federal constitution, eventually they did. But everyone at the time knew that it was not just about the First Amendment. And anyone today who does not know or get that, is missing an important part of the story.

by Frederick Clarkson on Sat Jun 22, 2013 at 08:41:02 PM EST
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