In this phrase the meaning is to keep these two distinct areas separate. Don’t mix religion with government and visa versa. In today’s time we still use this phrase but in a more general sense. People created the government back in the 1800’s when Thomas Jefferson wrote this statement in a letter which later made its way into the constitution. But if you think about it, how does one truly separate themselves specifically at work from their religion? Okay, so we don’t add religious rules at work but people who have grown up in a certain faith have that as a part of who they are. In some respects we wouldn’t want to take that away from people as their faith likely settles them in times of stress. But it would be amiss to assume we can separate the way we see the world from our religious upbringing. Which leads to my point: At work and at home we see the world through our filters, our bias. If one is brought up in a certain religion, they have a bias in which they view the world around them. They cannot leave that at home or church. That religious bias is not something we typically talk about but it can and does impact self and others. So, if you grew up with a certain religious bent, and you go to work and say you are not biased (maybe because you think you are above bias) then I suggest to you that your bias is blinding you to how you treat others. You may be “nice” (see the Nice blog) but you still exclude those who do not see the world as you do. Your thoughts and actions run through your religious filters and have an impact on those around you who may or may not be of same kind of faith. So, I guess the point is that it is irrelevant if your filter is due to a moral high ground such as religion or a filter due to time in jail, you have a filter and each of us needs to own that. The only way to know how you impact others is to ask for feedback.
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