[powderhorn]

She may be right that the two clauses are in conflict, but this is a pretty weak article. The Framers wanted only to insure that there would be no established church at the national level.

The two clauses are not in conflict. Taken together, they establish a principle of non-interference with religious matters. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Taken together, they guarantee that Americans have the right to choose their religious affiliation.

A gift to none is ultimately a gift to all.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. Liberal judges and lawyers have twisted the Establishment Clause to mean freedom from religion. The Founders had in mind to guarantee freedom of religion. The two are very different doctrines and the application of the former has turned access to the public square into a zero sum game in which one side must win and the other side must lose. Naturally the losing side, usually religious believers, are none too happy about being reconciled to being told to shut up and the not too surprising (and inevitable) result is that the culture war simply resumes in full force on another front.