In debates on the separation of church and state, those in favor of faith/church getting into government often cite the term “separation of church and state” does not appear in the Constitution. The major reason for this is that Thomas Jefferson himself coined the term in a letter to Baptists which were published in a newspaper in reference to the 1st amendment.

Here are his exact words “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”