Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: P_A_I

That is not what the establishment of religion means. The Bill of Rights forbids the "establishment" of a national religion, nothing more. Establishment would be the creation of a new religion through legislation. Passing legislation based on the teaching of religion is not the establishment of a national religion.


51 posted on 04/15/2005 8:52:29 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies ]


To: Tailgunner Joe

>>The Bill of Rights forbids the "establishment" of a national religion, nothing more.<<

To be more precise, what it forbids is the federal government messing around with previous establishments in individual states, hence the phrase "no law respecting an establishment of religion." When you put the text into a historical context, and realize that there were many state establishments, you realize the framers simply wanted to keep the federal government out of the state house.

Effectively, that means no federal establishment, but the clause has been misunderstood from day one. Most of the misunderstanding is intentional for political purposes.


175 posted on 04/17/2005 12:17:00 PM PDT by 1L
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson