There is nothing in the Constitution regarding "separation of church and state." This phrase was used in a personal letter, by Thomas Jefferson, to a college president referencing that no state mandated church would ever be tolerated in the Republic. The liberal left wing has misused this private phrase ever since to perpetuate their agenda of removing Christianity from local, state and federal government i.e., no prayer allowed in government schools, Ten Commandments removed from court rooms and school houses, no Nativity displays on goverment property, etc. This private phrase was never intended to be construed as removing Christianity from government. All but three of our founding fathers were openly professing christians and their beliefs are contained and expressed throughout all of our founding documents. Rest assured, our forefathers believed that Christianity not only belonged in our government but was the basic foundation of our vary government;(laws).
In addition, I would like to add, Menno Simons is indeed the leader where the Mennonite name was derived, but the Mennonite (Anabaptist) movement actually started way before Menno Simons. (I believe that Simons was the LEAST pivotal among the leaders of the Anabaptists but being the LAST significant leader(1536), other than Jacob Amann(1694), his name was simply attached to the movement). Menno Simons was an instrumental leader within the Netherlands group. Respectfully, the Anabaptist movement can basically be devided into three main groups and one sub-group; 1) Switzerland; South Germany; Alsace, 1a) North Germany; Danzig; Prussia, 2) Netherlands; High Germans; Belgium; West Prussia, 3) Austria. The "founding fathers" took up their cause of New Testament faith in 1525 and became known as radical reformers, anabaptists, by the oppressing Catholic majority. All of us, of the Anabaptist faith, owe our deepest gratitude to the likes of Conrad Grebel(1525), Felix Manz(1525), Georg Blaurock(1525), Pilgrim Marpeck(1530), Melchoir Hoffman(1530), Obbe Philips(1533), Hans Hut(1526), Balthasar Hubmaier(1525), Michael Sattler(1526), Menno Simons(1536) and the countless martyrs of the cause. (Read "Martyrs Mirror" for in depth accounts of Anabaptist faith). By my records, the last Anabaptist group to migrate to America were the Hutterites in 1873...Seeking refuge from persecution and to worship freely, seeking not to seperate church from state but state from church. Amen.
Your brother in faith, Rick Brewster, 09/20/07