There is no such thing as the principle separation of church and state. Go read your Federalist Papers and/or buy an education.
The
Federalist was published before the passage of the first Amendment.
It is often asserted that the Framers "did not intend" to separate church and state, or that the First Amendment "was not understood" to separate church and state. Of course, Thomas Jefferson (the individual who came up with the phrase "wall of separation") was not a Framer of the First Amendment, and his views are of little significance. But James Madison, the author of the First Amendment, did speak often about church-state separation.
In various documents, Madison used strong phrases such as "total separation of the church from the State" and "perfect separation between the ecclesiastical and civil matters." In one memorandum, he remarked, "Strongly guarded ... is the separation between religion and Gov't in the Constitution of the United States." Thus, when the author of the First Amendment himself understood it to create a "perfect separation" or a "total separation," it would be inaccurate to dismiss the principle of church-state separation entirely.
North Carolina has Option 1, which is a clear violation of separation of church and state.
A prohibition on the sale of alcohol on any particular day does not constitute a law respecting the establishment of religion. It is just as constitutional as public schools giving students Sundays off (for example). The North Carolina law is perfectly permissible.
As to my views, I do not believe that any government is entitled to limit the natural liberty of the people by placing restrictions on the time of day at which any item whatsoever can be sold.
Poll
