Thankfully, the first portion of the First Amendment protects religious freedom in America. Americans on the left have routinely and wrongly use the phrase separation of church and state out of context to prevent the free exercise of religion, as if faith should exist without corresponding works. Under the Articles of Confederation, states and territories had different religious traditions, some even included religious tests for office. Forming a United States of America under the US Constitution required a framework where the only compatible standard was to have no religious tests for federal office and no established religion by the federal government. The debate to defend religious freedom had already been resolved similarly in Rhode Island and more recently in Virginia just prior to the Constitutional Convention. Following the adoption of the 14th Amendment, all states must always protect the free exercise of religion.