America's First Rebel.

CHURCH & state; WILLIAMS, Roger, ca. 1604-1683; FREEDOM of religion -- United States; FIRST Amendment protections (United States Constitution); ESTABLISHMENT clause (Constitutional law); PRESIDENTS -- United States -- Election -- 2012; OBAMA, Barack, 1961-; SANTORUM, Rick, 1958-

The article discusses the relationship between church and state in U.S. law and history, focusing on the views of 17th century colonist Roger Williams. The author notes that issues of religious freedom and separation of church and state have become prominent in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, citing criticism of U.S. President Barack Obama for alleged suppression of religious freedom and the performance of conservative Christian Rick Santorum in the Republican presidential nomination contest. He argues that the views of Roger Williams, a devout Christian minister and proponent of strict church-state separation, helped to shape the drafting of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and should be considered in evaluating contemporary church-state issues.