[Chiapet]

What, might I ask, is the authority of the government to demand that an American citizen declare his religious beliefs regarding anything, or even to discuss same?

I think you are misstating the issue. The court was not asking the defendants to declare their religious beliefs, just to explain whether those religious beliefs were the motivation for the ID policy they adopted.

...and, the court's authority to do so rests on the fact that the defendants put their religious motivations at issue.

[muawiyah]

No American court has the right, under our current constitution, to make religious inquiries. Period. We don't even ask people what their formal religious affiliations might be in the census.

It's positively medieval to even think of such a thing. I'm outraged the matter came up in court. That judge needs to be removed so he can go home and play with his rack and other instruments of torture in his basement where he can't bother civilized people.

[Diamond]

...just to explain whether those religious beliefs were the motivation for the ID policy they adopted.
...and, the court's authority to do so rests on the fact that the defendants put their religious motivations at issue.

The judge didn't have any legal authority to question the motivations of any of the parties, much less base his decision on such considerations, because one's motivation is irrelevant to the issue of the showing of a secular PURPOSE. It's a case of an ideologue judge who apparently could not distinguish between motivation and purpose.

Cordially,