Or it evolved in to a tool to manipulate policy. It does not mean that we rob children of their ability to pray over their lunches at school, if they want to do it out loud. But we do that anyway. For it to evolve into something other than what it meant when Thomas Jefferson used it in his letter to the Danbury Baptist Church, would mean that it is acceptable to change the definitions of an older writing due to the fact that we think it should be a certain way. Which would incur the complete invalidity of any document meant to protect us, or any wisdom found before our time.

I agree whole heartedly about the Church during the Middle Ages, I don't know that it encompasses 1600 years however.