Have you ever thought about the role your religion plays in your daily life? How about the religion of your senator, governor, or even your president? You can apply your religious beliefs to your daily decisions, but what do you think about the ability of elected officials to apply their beliefs to policies that could impact your life? The First Amendment, while not directly calling for the separation of church and state, guarantees freedom of religion. However, there is an ongoing debate over whether political figures should allow their religious beliefs to influence their political opinions. The first side we can look at on this issue is the supporter side. One of the first arguments put forward is that many people today prefer to use Thomas Jefferson's words to their advantage and twist them to fit their views on the separation of church and state. In 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Church, in response to a request for support against the oppressive religious demands of their state, which were not all that uncommon in the present time. Part of the context of his letter included the following, stating that the legislature of the American people “should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thereby building a wall of separation between Church and State.” While many people may take this as evidence that religion has no place in legislation, this was not Jefferson's intent. He wanted to appear neutral, supporting the Danbury Church and making sure not to speak negatively about the state government. His words aimed to establish the fact that religious matters were the responsibility of the states, not the federal government, and to define... middle of paper... the documents that declared church and state to be separate. , politicians allowing their religious beliefs to influence their political decisions is a sensitive topic today. While it is unclear whether religion and government can coexist, many hope that they can. There is a very fine line that politicians walk regarding this issue. Works Cited Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "Church and state should be separated" Civil liberties. Espejo Romano, ed. Opposite Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2009.Huston, Warner Todd"There should be no separation of church and state"Atheism. Beth Rosenthal, ed. Opposite Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2009.Victor, Jeffrey S."The introduction of religious beliefs into political decisions must be resisted" Church and State. Lynn M. Zott, ed. Opposite Viewpoints® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2012.