and I believe the others have explained quite eloquently how the interpretations have come to being judicial "laws" in states... As Ashton explains, the phrase "unconstitutional" is bandied about so much these days that it has lost it's original definition (not in the Constitution).

A little more historical context is helpful to see why the "separation of church and state" principal is interpretted as it is. Judges (and founders of this country) were predominately Christian but were most definately not the same denomination. Many set up their own societies (states such as Pennsylvania - quakers and later Utah - Mormons, etc...) In their wisdom (and bad experience from feudal Europe, where the church WAS the state and even more specifically, the Anglican church of their times), even the framers knew that the new nation should not endorse/codify a state sanctioned (state meaning Federal in this context) religion.

Now, if you want a little more inconsistency/distortion... Public property... It means it belongs to the citizens. All citizens. You may hear people say that it is "unconstitutional" to put up religious icons (menorah, Christmas tree, etc...) on public property... Umm... First Amendment? Nah... Again, the Constitution has nothing to do with this. These are mostly local ordinances.

I think the dissonance in most of these types of discussions is the misuse of the term "constitutional" and again, it is a now a generic term for "currently legal or illegal" on either a local/state/federal level. Again, the actual Constitution has absolutely little or no bearing on our legal system.

:-)

Clear now?