Artbrooks,

Although there is no specific wording "separation of church and states" it certainly is what the founding fathers had in mind. They saw that English laws were governed by religious institutions and were persecuting those who finally wound up in America for that reason.

Also, Thomas Jefferson was adamant on the subject of religion and the state. His idea of Christianity was something akin to what we think of as Unitariansim although that branch of religion had not yet been established.

The idea of the US being a "Christian" nation and the founding fathers wanted it that way is very murky. Jefferson would not have accepted what many fundamentalists view today as "Christian".

Tom Paine was an atheist, I believe.

We know about Ben Franklyn.

Frank