Evangelicals must blame or thank the Baptists. I'm referring to the "wall of separation between church and state." After all, those free-church dissenters Evangelicals must blame or thank the Baptists. I'm referring to the "wall of separation between church and state." After all, those free-church dissenters are why the phrase was concocted. It's ironic that the spiritual ancestors of today's religious conservatives are responsible for what most vexes my co-religionists.