Well, rather than calling it a separation of church and state, I think US laws are more intended to enact a protection of church from state. Historically the c

Well, rather than calling it a separation of church and state, I think US laws are more intended to enact a protection of church from state. Historically the church informed everyday practices and morals and was the basis of many laws. The worry was that a singular church would rise up in a region, and aim to use governmental power to put down its rivals. The idea of a total atheistic separation where no one talks about morals and laws in a religious context was truly alien.