<P> An August 15, 1789 entry in Madison's papers indicates he intended for the establishment clause to prevent the government imposition of religious beliefs on individuals . The entry says: "Mr. Madison said he apprehended the meaning of the words to be, that Congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner contrary to their conscience ..." </P> <P> Some legal scholars, such as John Baker of LSU, theorize that Madison's initial proposed language--that Congress should make no law regarding the establishment of a "national religion"--was rejected by the House, in favor of the more general "religion" in an effort to appease the Anti-Federalists . To both the Anti-Federalists and the Federalists, the very word "national" was a cause for alarm because of the experience under the British crown . During the debate over the establishment clause, Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts took issue with Madison's language regarding whether the government was a national government, or a federal government)) (in which the states retained their individual sovereignty), which Baker suggests compelled Madison to withdraw his language from the debate . </P> <P> Following the argument between Madison and Gerry, Rep. Samuel Livermore of New Hampshire proposed language stating that, "Congress shall make no laws touching religion or the rights of conscience ." This raised an uproar from members, such as Rep. Benjamin Huntingdon of Connecticut and Rep. Peter Sylvester of New York, who worried the language could be used to harm religious practice . </P> <P> Others, such as Rep. Roger Sherman of Connecticut, believed the clause was unnecessary because the original Constitution only gave Congress stated powers, which did not include establishing a national religion . Anti-Federalists such as Rep. Thomas Tucker of South Carolina moved to strike the establishment clause completely because it could preempt the religious clauses in the state constitutions . However, the Anti-Federalists were unsuccessful in persuading the House of Representatives to drop the clause from the first amendment . </P>

What is the real meaning of separation of church and state