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To: Cicero

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,


21 posted on 07/10/2007 7:00:21 PM PDT by diverteach
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To: diverteach

To be more historically accurate, the first amendment outlaws establishment of religion by congress, and guarantees religious freedom unfettered by congress, but it didn’t at first prevent states like Massachusetts from establishing a particular religion within the state.

Christmas was outlawed in Massachusetts until late in the 19th century, and factory workers were forced to go to work on that day by their Puritan bosses.

But those few states which did that sort of thing gradually moved to imitate the religious freedom clause of the federal government. I believe that is true of New York.


25 posted on 07/10/2007 7:38:12 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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