The presentation starts in 1680 with the Divine Right of Kings and shows how thinkers at the time evolved the idea of separation of church and state. We then look at how the Founding Fathers adopted this idea and incorporated it into our Constitution. We look at court decisions over a long period of time that supported separation. We conclude with a look at how separation has more recently been eroded by various court decisions and legal actions and how this impacts our education, health care, civil rights and the rights of women, minorities and Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals. The presentation concludes with sources of further information.

Jay Avner is retired from a career in health care management and provider contracting. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in industrial administration from Carnegie Mellon University.