Separation

 Separation of church and state is very important.  It keeps us from killing, or punishing those who are not of our tribe of belief.  The Founding Fathers knew this from religious wars in Europe.  Martyrs are created from religious disagreements.  You may still have a visceral dislike for people from another religion but it is against the law to punish them in the many usual ways they were punished or even killed in Europe.  Unfortunately, the same Founding Fathers did not have the same view of race, skin color or ethnicity.  You could enslave or lynch a person of black skin.  You can discriminate in various ways against ethnic groups that is harder to do with religious differences.  Even today, it is easier, more acceptable for a Catholic to live next door to a Protestant than for a black person to live next door to a white person.  Religion does not so much affect property value as does skin color or place of origin.  Christmas and Hanukkah were both celebrated on the same day in 2024, December 25.  No one got upset.