[BocoLoco]

Here we go again.

The article completely forgets to mention the following:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”

This means Congress (and any other state with this in their Constitution) cannot create a “Church of the United States” or a “Church of Virginia, Carolina, etc.”.

This also means no endorsements, and no government employee can represent the government as a particular religious embodyment. That’s a critical piece of Amendment I. The framing fathers were very clear about this to prevent a “Rule of the Bishops” scenario so prevalent in England at the time.

So, although government employees are free to practice and express their religious beliefs in their own personal lives as “John Q Public”, they are disallowed to use this relationship to endorse or “enhance” (i.e. religious favoritism) their standing as a government employee.

[Tailgunner Joe]

If the Founders wanted the establishment clause to forbid endorsements as well as establishments then wouldn’t they have wrote it that way?

[tatown]

1. Welcome to FR

2. Looks like you won’t be collecting the $1000

[ROTB]

This means Congress (and any other state with this in their Constitution) cannot create a “Church of the United States” or a “Church of Virginia, Carolina, etc.”.

********************

That’s only at the Federal level, since it is a Federal ammendment to the federal constitution.

There were state churches if I remember ... I’m not that old!

[Moseley]

This also means no endorsements, and no government employee can represent the government as a particular religious embodyment.

No,that is false. The Constitution says "establishment." It means what it says. That is part of our problem. "Apple" does not mean "turnip."

Government may acknowledge God and religion, honor God in general terms, and individual politicians and government officials may freely engage in all religious activities.

Before the US Supreme Court had its own building, it met in a chamber in the Capitol Building. That same chamber was used on Sunday mornings for CHristian church servieces.

Any restriction on the free expression, activity, or indulgence of religion by or within government VIOLATES the Constitutional guarantee of the "FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION."

It is a violation of the First AMendment to restrict in any way the exercise, expression, or practice of religion,

If there is any place in American life where religion is not welcome by law, then the free exercise of religion has been violated.