[Ostlandr]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

If you are a strict Constitutionalist, you must acknowledge that, in the first sentence of the first amendment, the founding fathers did indeed make the law supreme to religion in this country. We have total religious freedom- within the boundaries of civil law.
This is why I'm so concerned that we put strict constructionalists on the SCOTUS- if the Justices fail to follow the constitution, we can be deprived of any of our rights.

[Cboldt]

If you are a strict Constitutionalist, you must acknowledge that, in the first sentence of the first amendment, the founding fathers did indeed make the law supreme to religion in this country. We have total religious freedom- within the boundaries of civil law. This is why I'm so concerned that we put strict constructionalists on the SCOTUS- if the Justices fail to follow the constitution, we can be deprived of any of our rights.

Your post reinforces my assertion that the law fancies itself to be the ultimate force on earth.

I assert that human nature will not respect the power of law over the power of religious belief, push come to shove. Blackstone (and others) agree.

[Cboldt]

If you are a strict Constitutionalist, you must acknowledge that, in the first sentence of the first amendment, the founding fathers did indeed make the law supreme to religion in this country.

I further think that the position you take here is fairly arguable.

Some of the founders asserted that the BOR was superfluous, under the reasoning that the plain language of the Constitution gives NO power to the Federal government to make laws respecting the establishment of religion, or forbidding the free exercize thereof.

Given the principle of a Constitution of -limited- federal power, it is harder to argue that the federal power is -supreme- over religious belief, as a matter of Con Law; nevermind the spiritual angle where people blow off the law in subservience to a higher power.

My point boils down to the FACT that given a choice between violating the law and violating one's religion, EVERYBODY who adheres to their religion will violate the law.