Rewriting the First Amendment by the ACLU (drops religion from 1st amendment on its website)

GoGov.com ^ | January 15, 2004 | R. Betts

[BJungNan]

Rewriting the First Amendment
by the ACLU

The ACLU's crusade against religion should be no secret to anyone. The organization is well know for its stand against any signs of religion in government buildings or practices.

But it seems when it comes the U.S. constitution, the ACLU has taken matters into it own hands, well, at least as it sites the first amendment on its web page section dealing with free speech.

Here is how the first amendment appears to the ACLU on its web site. (link Here)

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."- as quoted by the ACLU

Something in the passage above is amiss, has been omitted, replaced with ( "...") in the ACLU's recitation of this important amendment. Have a look at the original wording of the first amendment below and see if you can see what the ACLU left out.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The ACLU has taken it upon itself to edit out all reference to religion in the first amendment, which by the way comes ahead of free speech.

We understand ACLU has its views on what the first amendment means and respect its free speech rights to debate it. That debate, however, ought to be legitimate. Altering the text of the first amendment to suits it ends is anything but legitimate. It's downright deceptive. Shame.

ACLU free speech page cached here.

[GoldenOrchid]

There was a time when the ACLU did good work, they represented both sides of an issue which related to citizen's rights. Howevert that all changed, I am willing to bet that a change in leadership with-in the ACLU in the past 10 years or so has brought about this SECULAR position on the ACLU organization. maybe someone should look into this apparent Change in leadership to see WHO basicly had the POWER to move the Organization to the SECULAR/LEFT.

[TexasNative2000]

The actual site is even more offensive;

Instead if listing the amendment accurately, it says that Freedom of Speech is the first freedom listed in the Bill of Rights. They exclude the passage about Freedom of Religion in order to make their point. Unbelievable.

[ClearCase_guy]

Stalinists have been doing this for decades. "Look at this picture of our Great Leader is on the reviewing stand last summer. I seem to remember that the Evil Capitalist-loving traitor Yuri Burtov was his co-leader, and stood next to him at the time, but Burtov does not seem to be in this photograph. I guess my memory of him is faulty."

[TexasNative2000]

Here is the e-mail I sent them on their feedback page;

The following page on your site is incorrect; "http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeechMain.cfm".

It states that freedom of speech is the first freedom listed in the Bill of Rights. This is incorrect. The "...", which you exclude from your quote of the First Amendment, enumerates Freedom of Religion - the first freedom so guaranteed.

This must be a simple oversite by a low-paid intern. I am certain it is not the policy of the ACLU to edit the Constitution for it's own agenda.

We'll see about a response.

[SandRat]

Arrrrrrggggg!!!!

The Scum!

[rollo tomasi]

Judges (Who buy, rule in favor and become sympathetic to their bile) and politicians who use tax dollars to fund this ignorant organization should have a "nice" time after they pass away from this earth. You can't out "argue" God, also the Supreme One cannot be bought. Here's to a depressing afterlife for all those who are sympathetic to the "cause".

[Texas_Jarhead]

ALCU website - check this out - Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Religious Freedom (Student Rights)

[WarPaint]

ACLU ping

[gakrak]

I just sent the
ACLU an email pointing out their omission and asked them to be more forthright. What do ya think the chances of that will be?

[JustAnotherSavage]

BTT

[rollo tomasi]

The ACLU cares nothing about the true foundation of the United States. You will get a canned response (If any), the ACLU is too busy courting Judges and politicians so they can rule in their favor.

[patriot_wes]

"The ACLU has taken it upon itself to edit out all reference to religion in the first amendment, which by the way comes ahead of free speech. "

communist bastards!

[rollo tomasi]

"The free exercise clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to practice one's religion free of government interference. The establishment clause requires the separation of church and state. Combined, they ensure religious liberty. Yet assaults on the freedom to believe continue, both in Washington and in state legislatures around the country."

http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLibertyMain.cfm

The establishment clause was an interpretation of oligarchs. Nothing in the Constitution states or refers to 'Separation of Church and State'.

Also, how do you explain: "It is probably no accident that freedom of speech is the first freedom mentioned in the First Amendment:"

That is the first lie out of many the ACLU convey.

[TexasNative2000]

ACLU fraud-alert PING.

[LiteKeeper]

Just when did the ACLU do good work? They were founded by members of the American Humanist movement, I believe in the 30's, and the Humanist were mostly Marxists...where was the "good" part?

[Grut]

Hold on, folks! Why would the ACLU remove the religion clause? Without it, there's no basis for the 'separation of church and state' they're so fond of citing.

I suspect their site's been hacked.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Instead if listing the amendment accurately, it says that Freedom of Speech is the first freedom listed in the Bill of Rights.

I agree, TN2000 -- this is the actual outrage here. They "ellipsed" freedom of religion because this particular page focuses on ACLU's version of free speech. They butcher freedom of religion on another page, as rollo tomasi and Javelina note.

[BJungNan]

The part you referenced is the freedom of speech section. It omits the part about religious liberty and focuses on the "freedom of speech" part of the amendment.

The "religious liberty" section, while not quoting the amendment, does specifically state the the first amendment provides for religious liberty.

What?! Say that again.