Some reasons: Avoiding religious persecution - some early settlers fled due to persecution in their home towns

Protecting Religious Diversity - The founding fathers were cognizant of the wide range of religious traditions in existence then

Promoting Individual Freedom - No state imposition of religious practices

Secularism - Wanted to avoid undue influence of religion in governance

Preventing corruption of religion - Religion could become tools of political power and could get corrupted

Some quotes: Thomas Jefferson: “Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry."

James Madison: “The religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man."